big scare Saturday

Friday, Chewie was a *blast* to ride... I had an absolute incredible afternoon with him, so much that I couldn't wait for Saturday..

Saturday around lunch, tacked up, noticed he was stiff & lazy. I figured from Friday's ride, so out to the round pen we went.... limp limp limp.. head swinging about... all at the trot. About 2 minutes of that, and we quit. I hadn't even ridden... just started warm-up. Unsaddled, and turned him loose, figuring it was just a sore hoof (front right, based on swinging head motion).

Saturday evening, at supper, he was barely putting weight on his foot. Struggled to walk to his stall for supper. I immediately locked him in the stall, and started calling people. DIdn't see any obvious swelling or otherwise.... Calling vets, leaving messages, calling horse-friends... One vet said "bring him in around 830 or 900 and I can see him." Friend at A&M horse hospital says "don't haul unless you have to." Pulled him out of the stall to hose down the leg.. I saw what looked like a tendon sticking out of place. (Under knee, above ankle.. someday I'll be able to tell ya'll exactly where it is). Directly under knee, outside of the leg, angled from front towards back of tendons. Wrapped pillow wraps & standing wraps really tight on both front legs (A&M friend suggested it). By the time I worked up the courage (and had a co-worker come to the house to help), I loaded him up, cried a little, prayed for the trip, and off to the vet we went.

Diagnosis? Really really bad absess. When we unwrapped his leg, the sticking-out tendon was gone. Vet said it was probably inflammation from the pain... Gave him tetanus shot, penicillin shot, banamine shot, dose of bute... sent us home with instructions to soak in warm epsom salt water, bute as necessary, and antibiotic pills to crush in food.

This morning, like yesterday, he has good moments, and bad moments. I gave him another dose of bute yesterday, and again this morning. I dont' want to over-use it, but I talked to my farrier, and he said there's a fine line between "masking the pain so you can't see improvements and keeping him in pain & favoring the leg", and he said that if I didn't give him the bute, he'd avoid putting weight on the foot & get the absess out, but if I give it to him, he's more likely to bear weight on it.

Also realized after this little lesson a few things.. #1 I need to keep drugs at the house... Poor baby would've been less miserable had I given him something right away... #2 I needed polo wraps for those "tightly wrapped legs in an emergency" situation.

I got the polo wraps, and the drugs.... Problem is, trying to put the wraps on this morning (in the dark, I'll admit), they kept sliding around... Help?

Any other absess advice & experiences ya'll would like to offer up???