Thank you everyone for you concern and kind wishes!!!
The first couple of days after surgery Kylie was really painful. They keep her on drugs to make her as comfortable as possible. She is monitored frequently and I get out to see her daily and get calls from the vet with updates. She spiked a fever Saturday night (about 24 hrs after surgery), but they managed it and were able to get it back down.
On Sunday and Monday, Kylie had gastric reflux pooling in her stomach. She had to be refluxed every 4 hours or so (obtaining stomach contents via a tube, threaded down through the nasal passage). It means slow motility of her system, which is not totally unexpected, but things better start moving along soon. I was there Monday night when they refluxed her and the girl commented on what a great patient she has been. Most horses need a lip chain in order for them to get the tube down thier nose, alot of horses need sedation, but Kylie just stands there and lets them do it. They told me one horse wouldn't let them do it no matter how heavily sedated he was, and he died. After they felt like they got most of it they took her in for an ultrasound, because they said she "hides" it. Hehe. It must take alot of training to read an ultrasound, because as much as they explained what we were looking at it just looked like a blur to me. No food or water yet until the reflux stops.
On Sunday and Monday, Kylie had gastric reflux pooling in her stomach. She had to be refluxed every 4 hours or so (obtaining stomach contents via a tube, threaded down through the nasal passage). It means slow motility of her system, which is not totally unexpected, but things better start moving along soon. I was there Monday night when they refluxed her and the girl commented on what a great patient she has been. Most horses need a lip chain in order for them to get the tube down thier nose, alot of horses need sedation, but Kylie just stands there and lets them do it. They told me one horse wouldn't let them do it no matter how heavily sedated he was, and he died. After they felt like they got most of it they took her in for an ultrasound, because they said she "hides" it. Hehe. It must take alot of training to read an ultrasound, because as much as they explained what we were looking at it just looked like a blur to me. No food or water yet until the reflux stops.
She still has to wear a muzzle, but she has figured out how to go in the corners of the stall where the straw sticks straight up and finds a piece to stick through the muzzle and eats it! I went and got one of the interns and alerted them to my tricky eater and they said if she tries that hard to get a piece she has earned it :-). My heart breaks when she paws at the straw and then puts her head down to eat and you can hear her lips flapping in the muzzle trying to get it.
I got to take her for a walk Monday night. It was nice to get her some fresh air and not have to breathe in the stench of DMSO. I smell it even when I am not with her. She was alert and more comfortable. There is a baseball field behind the hospital facility and she was very interested in the all the bright lights a screams coming from over there. She whinnied to them a few times cheering them on.
Every hour counts for the next five days. I hope she sticks to the vet's plan for survival.
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3 comments:
Thoughts and prayers with you both
So glad she is improving. Will continue sending thoughts and prayers your way!! Give Kylie a big ((hug)) from me!
I am glad she is improving....what a heart breaking ordeal. I just want to hug her!
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