Our pets

[Mad Cook]

I have a rival.

Last week was half term break and the student who looks after Tetley the Wonder Horse on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays was away visiting her boyfriend. Tetley was horrid all week - grumpy, rude, naughty, and he SULKED! Every thing I asked him to do was greeted with "No! Won't!". Every time I went into his loose box he'd walk away and go and stand with his head in the corner and his back to me.

She's back this week. So I didn't see him for the first part of the week. Yesterday and today he has been an absolute sweetie. Placid and obedient and nuzzling up to me in the stable and walking along beside me across the yard and down the lane to the field without a lead rope.

If he was younger and she could afford it I'd be tempted to let her take him with her on full loan when she finishes her course and moves to the Lake District to live with the boyfriend. He will really miss her when she finishes her course and leaves the area.

 

[Mad Cook]

Tetley's poorly - possibly life-threatening

The Wonder Horse has problems. A week ago yesterday I was taking him down to the field and I thought he shied again but when I turned to look, he was recovering from tripping up. Charlotte (staff member) brought him in later in the afternoon and he walked into his loose box and keeled over for no reason. Then yesterday afternoon he was on the horse walker and when I went to get him off one of the clients said she'd seem him fall while he was going round in there.

Bad sign, I'm afraid. I went and had a word with Cara, who used to be the yard manageress and knows more than anyone on the yard about horses. She was very worried when I described the above. She thinks it could be neurological problems. Very worrying as there's probably nothing that could be done about it. She's advised me to ring the vet tomorrow and ask advice. The vet is on the yard every Thursday but it's a case of whether it needs a visit sooner

Talking to Nikki, who has the horse in the next loose box to Tetley, I mentioned that he had been quite thirsty for a couple of days but didn't seem to be de-hydrated. Her mare has Cushings disease and Nikki (who's a scientist and therefore Looks Things Up) suggested that it might be Tetley's problem as falling over is one of the rarer symptoms of Cushings, and, of course, thirst is another symptom. He hasn't got an excessively hairy or curly coat but this isn't necessarily a symptom in all cases of Cushings

Nowadays Cushing isn't the death sentence it used to be and Nikki's mare is doing well on meds although she'll never be the horse she once was (show jumping and dressage) but is happy and comfortable. However, it involves a tumour in the pituitary gland and could be pressing on something in the brain which isn't good.

It's very worrying. I know he's "only" an animal and one horse isn't much in the trials and tribulations the world is going through but he's been "my baby" for a long time and is "An affectionate companion and a quiet friend" as Beatrix Potter said of her pet rabbit.

 

[jabbur]

Oh my Mad Cook. Hoping you find out what the problem is. It's always worrying to not know what's going on when they can't tell you how they feel. Praying for some relief for Wonder Horse. Your stories about him and his personality are always so uplifting to me.

 

[Dawgluver]

Oh, Horse, hope you feel better soon, and that they find out what's wrong and are able to fix it!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

MC, I'm so sorry, I sure hope you find out what is going on with Tetley.

"All horses deserve the chance,
at least once in their lives,
to be loved by a little girl."

 

[Mad Cook]

MC, I'm so sorry, I sure hope you find out what is going on with Tetley.

"All horses deserve the chance,
at least once in their lives,
to be loved by a little girl."

And a big girl!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.


Ringing the vet tomorrow.

A fortnight ago I was thinking about kicking my veteran horse health insurance policy covering illness, into touch and going for just accident cover because it was cheaper. Now I am SO glad I decided not to.

 

[Cheryl J]

Mad Cook, I sure hope Tetley feels better very soon. What a worry that must be. Sending healing thoughts across the pond.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

MC, I hope you and Tetley are able to get good answers from the vet tomorrow. That way you can both feel better. Thinking of you and your Horse friend today...

 

[Addie]

And a big girl!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.


Ringing the vet tomorrow.

A fortnight ago I was thinking about kicking my veteran horse health insurance policy covering illness, into touch and going for just accident cover because it was cheaper. Now I am SO glad I decided not to.

Sounds like you have some horse sense of your own! For Horse. My heart goes out to you and Horse.

 

[Cheryl J]

Sheesh....I love my 14 year old kitty, but he drives me crazy sometimes....if there is a tiny little quarter sized empty spot in his food bowl and the rest of his food is pushed up onto the sides of the bowl, to him it's 'empty'. LOL

I swoosh his food around to where he can't see the bottom of the bowl anymore, and all of a sudden he's fine with it.

 

[Mad Cook]

Rang the vet first thing this morning. His basic advice amounted to "don't panic!". He asked a lot of questions which I had prepared the answers for - I spent hours researching on the internet yesterday. We decided on the basis of the question and answer that it could keep until Thursday. The vet is on the yard every Thursday so there is no call out charge - we just pay for the examination and any treatment and after the first £145 the rest will be covered by the insurance policy that I didn't cancel (thank God!) up to £5000.

Tetley seems fine in himself and hasn't fallen over again. A friend who rides him occasionally at the weekend has told me that he hasn't been picking his feet up properly so perhaps it's only a touch of arthritis in his knees and anti-inflammatories may do the trick but to be sure I'm going to ask the vet to do bloods, etc., to eliminate anything really nasty.

Fingers and toes crossed.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

And a little prayer for both you and Tetley, MC. Hoping you have a chance to let us know on Thursday what the vet determines after he checks your dear Horse over.

 

[CWS4322]

Way back when, I wanted to do this with our rescue group. There were too many issues, etc. But now I am helping a person who has had to go in a shelter. I am helping this person keep her animal safe until she can take it back. This is a great way to help people in need. Check it out!

 

[taxlady]

MC, I hope you had good news about Horse. He's not "just a horse". He's a family member.

 

[Addie]

I came across this article on feeding cats. I thought you cat owners might find this interesting. I was surprised by what it said.

5 Things You Should Never Feed Your Cat | XFINITY Lifestyle Blog by Comcast

Who knew?

 

[taxlady]

I came across this article on feeding cats. I thought you cat owners might find this interesting. I was surprised by what it said.

5 Things You Should Never Feed Your Cat | XFINITY Lifestyle Blog by Comcast

Who knew?

I take exception to the raw fish. They bother to mention that a small amount of garlic or onion probably won't harm a cat. They don't bother with the same caveat about the raw fish. They also don't mention that some commercial cat food uses sulphur dioxide, which also destroys thiamine. That sounds at least as bad.

I had a cat who ate chocolate cake. She only wanted 2 or 3 small bites, so the vet agreed it probably wasn't hurting her. She certainly never had any tremors or seizures after eating. I find that for the most part, cats don't really want to eat stuff that isn't good for them, unlike dogs.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Smudge almost never eats human food. Latte is a cheese hound...somethings she won't eat.

 

[Addie]

There is a plant not to far from where I live. In the summer when the loading dock door is open, you can smell the inside of the plant almost five miles away.

They make filler for canned cat food. I wish I knew what companies uses their product. We have had a couple of reverse phone calling public notices that we should keep our windows closed due to a chemical accident at the plant. What the heck are they putting in those cat food cans?

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I know some things are really bad for cats.

I have a diabetic adult cat who eats rotisserie chickens (no skins...I eat those LOL), baby food meats, and tuna in water mixed in with her diabetic cat food.

Another of my adult cats will go to war with you for a couple of tiny bites of brown sugar-cinnamon Pop Tarts. LOL!

 

[CWS4322]

MC, a friend had a horse with Cushing's. She managed the illness for a number of years. The medication was expensive, the horse did just fine. Hopefully the vet will figure out what is going on. Tetley sounds like a very special horse.