All Creatures Great & Small

Today not a visit for Tricki-Woo from the vet (TierArzt in German) but a requested visit Angie had arranged a few days ago, for Sultan's stubborn cough to be looked at. However we needed rather more.......

This morning, the seldom but dreaded shout came: "Quickly, Asyr". It means that our 30 year old Asyr has laid down during the night and can't get up, an unpleasant but also dangerous situation for a horse with around 100ft (30m) of intestines to get badly tangled or squeezed if the horse is lying for a long time and/or has not been taking food or water. Asyr was as good as motionless and had clearly been lying for most of the night. One eye and several spots on his legs and flanks were badly grazed and he couldn't raise his head without help. We have a pretty well trained routine to get him up but today no chance and phoned Farmer Franz to see if he could come out with his small Hoftrac farm loader. As I started demounting the wooden walls for better access, Angie got a bucket of water and tried to get him to drink. He couldn't but as she splashed some water on his face, he got some energy from somewhere and in a combined effort, he managed to get up but wavered around so much that I thought he might fall again trapping us under him. However holding his tail and head, we managed to get him out of the stable on to a field and within a minute he was standing and then grazing normally. I shot off in the car to find Franz as the Hoftrac has a top speed of probably 8mph and it's a long way out to us. Luckily caught him at the half way point. Thanks Franz!

Vet was not due until midday but Asyr went from strength to strength and luckily for him, the hot weather of the last few days had gone and thus his general old age circulation problems didn't have that extra load. Angie dressed the grazes but the eye was by now closed.

Well we didn't get cantankerous Siegfried but the female equivalent of James Herriot, called Julie who has been before. We use a vets practice from Memmingen for the large animals which explains the dogs greeting her as she opened the car door, a rather more modern version of James' Austin (I am guessing). There are about 7 vets and almost as many helpers in the group and they cover everything from mice to elephants.

Sultan's diagnosis found no major problem on the lungs but clearly a bit inflamed and some powders to take with his meals. Asyr was given a few jabs and various medications for his eye and swellings. Will have to see how he gets on, luckily (for him) the weather is due to stay cool for a week.

That was enough excitement for one day.