Celeste - Black purebred Arabian Filly
Friday, collapsed after watching her get weaker before our eyes - afternoon she wasn't drinking from mare but went and had a drink of water. Rushed her to hospital, they didn't think she would make it. No improvement by Sunday night, still unable to stand, tube fed, antibiotics, fluids etc. Told that after three days of this other organs will begin to fail and so I didn't want to continue. Expense was also a consideration. I said see how she is tomorrow (Monday). Monday, noticeable improvement, treatment continued. Within a couple of days foal on her feed and drinking from a bucket, not attached to mare who had no milk anyway. Took mare home and told at this rate foal could go home Saturday.
Wrong. Friday, off-hand fetlock was hot and swollen and very painful. Started on very expensive, super antibiotics early the following week, decided they had no effect. X-rayed - no visible damage to bone so decided to flush joint, very pleased with the way it flushed, but within hours she got worse and within a day or so, as bad as ever. Celeste herself was very well and apart from the support bandage and the foot (she didn't use the leg at all) she could run, play, buck and rear with the best of them.
A few days later another x-ray - no visible damage so back to theatre and the joint flush again. This time before they brought her to, I was called in to be shown and told there really wasn't any hope as although the joint flushed alright all her lymph nodes were up and I should have her put down. Sure enough the same pattern followed, she continued to get more sore on that leg within hours and the vets said nothing more could be done. So I took her home.
They gave me enough milk powder for about a day and a half and a bottle of antibiotics. I went back the next day for more powder and a specialist vet who was there (the other two vets having disappeared) started on about it being cruel. I should put her down as, even if they could clear up the infection, which they couldn't, then she would never be able to walk on that leg. I got more milk powder and left.
I had spent nearly three weeks obsessed with this filly, not sleeping at night and just sitting with her all day and she was so well in herself I didn't want to give up. When I got back from the hospital I was watching her and it just came to me in a flash that I should use Traditional Medicine. I know so many people who had given up and been disappointed by doctors but had been helped with herbs. I could have kicked myself for not seeing the forest for the trees.
So I rang you and you said it "Didn't seem an impossible problem" and to get some Echinacea and Rescue Remedy and if possible Garlic Oil immediately from the Health Food store and you would send me down a mix. The only thing that made me draw breath was when you said "take her off all antibiotics". That, just for a moment, was hard because all your life you're led to believe Doctors are always right and only one step from God!! But then I thought, Heck the antibiotics could even keep the infection at bay when the joint was flushed clean? So how could it win at its peak. "Everything to win nothing to lose."
I hopped straight in the car to get the Echinacea and Rescue Remedy, I couldn't get the Garlic Oil. It took two days for your mail to reach here usually. There had been no improvement in that week. When Celeste had been on your Septisemia Drops and Arnica Cream only one and a half days I went out the stable with a girlfriend who asked "Did they leave a tube in her leg to drain?" I looked down and couldn't believe it. From the drain hole, from the flushing which had closed over, was what looked like a yellow tube, but it was thick yellow puss. The next morning the pus was gone and the hole was so clean. I poured some Castor Oil on it as you advised.
I kept on with the drops a month or so. Although so sore looking (it made your eyes water!) and still swollen, it was better than it was and the infection that couldn't be cleared with around-the-clock hospital care surgery and drugs was gone!
Celeste was still sore for a couple of moths with only slow improvement and the joint to this day is still a little swollen, but she is sound and pain free. The vets are shown Celeste usually when they come out and when I point her out in the paddock and say the fetlock is fine and sound little is said. The boss vet did ask me early in the peace what herbs she had but didn't comment. The worst part was that there had been several foals admitted after her that didn't respond to treatment for the same thing and were put down, without the owners being given the option when all else failed.
PS. Last year I had another foal get Septicemia and although I took him to the hospital, he had already had his drops and I told the hospital to continue with them. I don't believe they thought they would do any good and it was more to humour me. Despite once again thinking he wouldn't make it he was home within six days, fit as a fiddle with no side effects. I wasn't charged for Celeste, but they got me back with the colt, charging $1800. for six days, I'm still paying it off.
If this is any use to you could you leave my name off it please, you never know when I might need a vet.
Name withheld.
