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Here I am!

Rusty Pony is my "Free" little Shetland Pony, that ended up costing me over $2,000.00!!!  Why is our least expensive horses end up costing us the most in the long run? Oh well no use crying over it, his health and well being is priceless.  We love him a lot.  Are you wondering what happened to our little guy?

In the fall of 1997 he had a major blockage. He was too little to be palpated.  We tried everything under the vet's guidance.  For three days and nights I had to sit up with him so he wouldn't roll.  I had to give him enemas...oops too much information there, and tranquilizers to relax him. (Gave me a much needed break too)  I think I got a total of 2 hours sleep during those three days.

He just wouldn't poop!  Finally after three days of this I did some research.   I found out for major blockage's the horse needed to have continuous fluids running through them.  He needed to be hooked up to a IV.  I to this day don't understand why the vet didn't do it after the first day, at least the second when his symptoms didn't get better.  Around 8pm I called the vet and said enough is enough, he had suffered enough.  The vet came out and gave me two choices. To either put him down or pay big money and take him to the veterinary hospital.  Imagine putting my pony down because he couldn't poop.  How could I live with myself. 

To make a long story short, I had him hauled to the hospital, and the fluids cleared his blockage.  Being a veterinary school he got to be a guinea pig for a week.

He came back home a changed pony.  The once obnoxious, spoiled little pony is now the spoiled loving, follow you around like a puppy dog pony.  Not to mention cute.   If you would like to see more of my herd, I have three other horses click here. 

My lesson in all this is, have a back up vet that you trust.  My regular vet could not come due to transmission problems.  Instead his new assistant came in his place.   If it had been my normal vet Rusty would of never went through this.  My vet is set up to do IV's in your barn so he would of never even had to go that long haul to the hospital.  So do some research and have a back up vet!!!

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