Friday, April 19, 2013
Making Sense Of All Of The Horse Care Information Out There . . .
The past 6 weeks has been very insightful regarding all of the horse care information out on the web . . . . as I continue to treat and care for my laminitic mare, Bees. Nearly everything I have researched from the meds the vet prescribed to some of the herbal remedies has been met with contradictions . . .
It's frustrating enough to read studies and articles from credible equine professionals that can't agree on protocols or medicines for treating common equine ailments . . . .then go to some of the forums and discussion groups and you really want to pull your hair out trying to figure out what might work.
It doesn't even seem like anyone can agree on whether or not you reduce swelling with heat or with cold compresses!!! Very frustrating as I've been dealing with some secondary things that have cropped up from my mare's convalescence, which most recently has been a large shoe boil. Yesterday I spent over one hour trying to decipher the best way to treat it. Some said cold washes and DMSO, others said heat, others said leave it alone, while even others said drain it . . .
About the only thing there seemed to be agreement on is the use of a shoe boil boot to protect the elbow when the horse lies down.
Finally, I decided once again to follow my gut on the treatment. I used a bag of frozen green beans as cold compress to get some of the heat out of the boil, and applied some Arnica to the swelling, and put a rear shipping boot (turned backwards) on the leg so that the lower flare of the boot covers the hoof. It looks better this morning.
So I guess the bottom line here remains: do your research, make sure Internet sources are credible, and whenever in doubt, follow your own instincts.
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