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| "This is just so unfair" |
What a surprise, Dusty is annoyed with me yet again. So, why is she annoyed with me? Well, no matter how many times I explain to her that she has to wear the dreaded grazing muzzle for her own good, she’s not buying it. My feelings about this are better safe than sorry. Her intake of the newly sprouting Spring grass may have been a factor that contributed to her founder. Her foot is almost totally grown out and looking good and her shock wave treatments worked miracles on her legs. Dusty has been working lightly on the longe under tack and doing better than ever. She was even tracking up last time we worked. My target date for a first ride will be sometime during the first week of April.
Our vet was here last Thursday to administer some vaccinations. We are only giving the minimum that we think they need and then only one every two weeks. I’m not taking any chances this year with vaccinations that I feel caused Dusty’s previous two cases of founder. This happened right after the shots from a company that shall remain nameless. Obviously, we’re not dealing with that company anymore. Personally, I think two bouts of laminitis is all she can take, a third time might have a disastrous consequence.
No matter how many times I explain that all this is for her own good and I’m only trying to keep her healthy, I’m still getting the stink eye every time that muzzle goes on.
Until next time
Quote for Today
It is the difficult horses that have the most to give you.
A grazing muzzle beats those other options, hands down. Maybe a pair of stylish sunglasses so you don't see her stinkeye?
ReplyDeleteTell her she is not alone. Two of mine have been in muzzles for a couple of weeks. We put a cookie or carrot in the muzzle so they get a treat when we put it on. They sure can pull the pathetic look. We steel ourselves like you said with the thought that better safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteCan't blame her when you think about it. It certainly can't be any fun not to be able to chow down at will.
ReplyDeleteWish we could find a better way to tell our horses that everything we do is out of love and concern for their well being.
I'm having muzzle issues here too. The two a$$ clowns out back have figured out every way in the world of removing theirs (and throwing them over the fence to prove a point). Hickory is finally wearing his...but not happily. And he's been so bossy to Handy (the only horse not wearing a muzzle) that Handy won't take it off him ;-).
ReplyDeleteI hate seeing ours in grazing muzzles (thus far only two of them ever have to wear them) - but the alternative is so much worse.
ReplyDeleteThe hard part for me is that the pony doesn't have to wear one if he is in full work but with no 8-year old around who is like my daughter was at 8 (and on through 12 or so) it is hard to maintain that kind of exercise. I was thinking the other day we could offer to deliver mail from our local post office. There's a trail from here to there that's completely off the roads and even if all we did was just pick up our little neighborhood's mail, it would keep him fit. :) Pony express!!
Oh, and Rafer Johnson could pony along and help with packages if we got him a proper pack.
ReplyDeleteAnd forgot to say: hugs to Dusty.
I have a horse who needs one, too. I haven't done it for him yet, because I feel so bad for him, but in the end, it's more caring. :/ I have immunizations scheduled for today and that scares me about laminitis. I try to keep down the amount of immunizations, but she's heading to another barn and needs everything. Wish me luck.
ReplyDeleteSorry Dusty, but your human is right about this.
ReplyDeleteI worry every year about vaccinating my horses. It's clear that they never feel well afterward. I've started changing the way I vaccinate my cats, too.
ReplyDeleteProbably all things that are for one's own good are things one would like to avoid if possible :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she's doing really good! What vaccinations does a horse need every two weeks? Ours get vaccinated only once a year, twice at the most. Are we missing something here? Or did you mean to say 'every two years'?
Poor Dusty. Perhaps she's annoyed because her muzzle is in basic black and not a flashy colour that really enhances her beauty. :-) Seriously though, better safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteDJ,
ReplyDeleteNever thought of the sunglasses, they might help!
Nicole,
Dusty does get a treat while being strapped into her torture mask but she's still highly insulted.
Jean,
Hopefully, she'll thank me for it someday.
Crazysheeplady,
Our Blue totally destroyed his last muzzle on the water spigot. I actually did a post with pictures last year. Amazing how inventive they can be.
billie,
Great idea about delivering the mail. That would be good exercise for everyone. I'll give Dusty a hug from the November Hill gang.
Linda,
Good luck with your girls immunizations. I don't like them either but I guess they're necessary for prevention of some diseases.
smazourek,
I used to hate it when my mother told me "it's for your own good", but I realized later on she was usually right.
Fetlock,
I've had some bad luck after vaccinations so I dread them. We're trying to do everything different to ease the reactions.
Carolina,
Ours only get vaccinated twice a year too. What we are doing is breaking down the vaccinations into a few different shots spaced two weeks apart. They used to get vaccinations that included multiple immunizations all in one dose and had very bad reactions. So we decided to give one single vaccination per visit and in the following visits they'll get the others every few weeks until they get what vaccinations they need without the big reactions the multiple dose caused. We're hoping it keeps down the swelling, colics, laminitis etc.
Wolfie,
I'm thinking she'd look good in a faux cheetah style but as long as she can't chow down on the grass she's not going to be a happy camper.
I think I might have to get my horse a grazing muzzle soon. I'm sure he'll be joining the stinkeye club.
ReplyDeletePoor Dusty; that "for your own good" stuff never does go over too well, does it? This might be a silly question, but is there a way to put a small treat inside the muzzle before you slip it on? It looks like mesh at the bottom. Maybe that moment of "yum" would take some of the sting out of wearing it, and make the muzzle a happier thought for her.
ReplyDeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteActually, the base of the muzzle is rubber with a hole in it. And yes, she does get a treat but it doesn't help.
Jessica,
Welcome to the stink eye club!
Story,
I hope Dusty becomes like your sisters horse soon and no longer grumps about all the good I am doing for her.
Poor Dusty. Portion control is never enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI leased a horse who, as he got older, developed thyroid problems and heightened tendency to founder. The vet & the horse's owner also realized that vaccinations became a trigger, especially as the horse became more sensitive. Since he was in a closed-herd situation (private farm, nobody tends to trailer in or out), the decision was made just to give him the rabies vaccination (required in Maryland) but none of the others. The other horses were fully vaccinated to keep risks minimal.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to rethink your vaccination needs for Dusty. If they do more harm then good, is it worth the intended prevention? (But then I haven't paid too much attention on your trailering habits, so a closed-herd situation might not be available.)
Good Luck & *hugs*
Oh, and one of the vaccinations that was a BIG founder trigger for my leased horse was the flu combo.
ReplyDeleteDusty, you are not alone. I've had my girls in lock up with only a very limited amount of pasture time. And we're shopping for grazing muzzles. What is your favorite these days? As for vaccines, I'm debating what kind to give them this year. It's interesting how the horse owners all notice the reactions, but most vets claim that they aren't happening. Very hard to know what is the best thing to do.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria,
ReplyDeleteWe use Best Friend muzzles. They are bulky and uncomfortable but they are the least likely for them to be able to get out of.
As far as the vaccines, I'm not sure offhand. I think we're doing e/w tetanus, rabies and maybe potomac? in addition to the west nile. And we're doing mostly Merial brand because they use a different, safer adjuvant than Fort Dodge. We're not doing any combo vaccs - we're doing all singles, 2 weeks apart.
Thanks - that's what I got for Siete and she just hates it. I was hoping to find something that is a little lighter weight. And I'm going to ask my vet about the Merial vaccines. We don't use Fort Dodge either. Every time I complain about winter, I remind myself that this warm weather/no grass/flies and ticks routine is just as bad.It's always something!
ReplyDelete