When Do You Call The Vet?

I’ve owned Ace for nearly a year now, and by far the biggest issue I’ve had is deciding when a vet call is needed. It’s a fine line to walk; trusting my judgment as an experienced horse person versus when I need a vet’s expert opinion.

Some people never take chances and call the vet for every little lameness and incident. Some don’t call the vet unless a horse is practically dead. It’s great to always get the advice of a vet, but it’s also very expensive. So where do you draw the line?

Abscess

Two days before Thanksgiving last year, Ace turned up minorly lame for a few days. He was only slightly off, so it wasn’t anything to worry about. Then, he developed a raw spot above his heel bulb. It looked like he  had a minor abscess that burst on it’s own. We kept it soaked, pouticed, and wrapped for a few weeks, and he was as good as new. I didn’t feel like a vet call was needed at that point because he was barely lame, it burst on its own, and didn’t give him any continual problems. We knew the vet wouldn’t tell us to do anything other that what we already were. That was a good decision.

Leg Injury

In April, Ace had a stupid moment while tied in his stall, and cracked himself in the leg leaving a good bruise and a nice little gash. It definitely didn’t need stitches, but was obviously sore. I cold-hosed it, kept it clean and applied ointment, and kept both front legs wrapped while Ace was on stall rest. He cracked himself hard enough that he was sore for over three weeks. Part way through, I worried that he had injured his tendon. There was  weird knot close to where he had cut the inside of his leg. Since it was about that time, I called the vet to come do spring shots and take a look at the leg while he was there. This was two weeks after the incident, and I was very concerned that I’d done the wrong thing by not getting the vet out sooner.

When the vet came to do shots and check him out, he watched Ace move and then really palpitated the tendon. No swelling, no tears, and nothing indicating there was any problem with it. The knot was just a skin thing from the cut, and the soreness was just from hitting himself hard. Boy was I relieved!

Sticky Stifle

Now, Ace is having an issue with his right stifle. He’s not lame, but he’s short on the right hind and the stifle makes a popping sound when he turns with the right leg on the outside. I’ve done a lot of research, and Ace’s background, conformation, and symptoms make him a classic candidate for weak stifles and stifle lock. Treatment is conditioning in lots of straight lines, up hills, and over elevated trot poles.

I called the vet when Ace first showed a problem in June. He said to diagnose it we’d need to bring Ace to the clinic for a full lameness work-up. Yikes! That was going to cost me big time, and he wasn’t that lame. The vet also said it would be fine to give him some time and see if it gets worse or better.

Thankfully, it’s gotten better. He’s not back to 100% in his movement, but  he’s progressing a little each week. We’ve been working 4-5 days a week in a pasture that is on a slight hill, lots of walk and trot, and poles. The better Ace uses himself, the more evenly he moves.

I still have panic moments where I wonder if he’s done something serious, because he still isn’t quite right. Then I have to remind myself that Ace isn’t acting sore, and he’s having fun when I ride him. He’s not averse to moving forward; it’s quite the opposite actually as he always wants to go faster and would drag me around the pasture at a fast clip if I would let him. His ears are always up and he’s very enthusiastic about the poles and the little bit of cantering I’ve allowed.

I’m  having to remind myself to keep patient and to remember that the conditioning and strengthening process will take a while.

Weigh In

All that to say, the most nerve-wracking part of horse ownership so far has been dealing with the injuries, and wondering if I’m making the right choices for his care. So far, I think Ace and I are doing all right. But it sure is hard on the brain sometimes!

Where do you fall along the call the vet line? Are you the type to call for everything, or use your judgment for the minor stuff? Any good stories for when you have or haven’t, and how it worked out? What kind of stuff do you think constitutes an automatic vet call?