Reflections of Foaling Season 2006 - The Twins Part 15

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Still watching the Arabian filly like a hawk, I took her temperature three times a day, monitored the site wound from the catheter and her umbilicus to be sure there were no signs of infection, kept track of her nursing, all the things I had been doing to this point. While the only thing I didn’t need to do was give the antibiotics three times a day, it felt like a big burden had been lifted from my back.

I was feeling confident that we were out of the woods with these Arabian horses. The mare’s wound was looking better each day. Both foals were getting stronger and more playful and Vee’s milk production seemed to be right where it needed to be. The little horses were beginning to nibble on Foal Lac pellets mixed with some feed.

The weather was wet and the ground slippery so Dr Gillette and I decided we wouldn’t try to put them outside. The last thing we needed was the twin horses being goofy because they finally got out to play and have one of them fall and hurt themselves on the slick ground. Until we knew for sure we were past the threat of the septicemia returning all three horses would stay inside. Even though Surprise and Trouble were still trying to escape every time the stall door opened, it would be a lot harder on them to out for a few days and then be back on stall rest.

Surprisingly the time slipped by rather quickly and before I knew it, it had been five days and there were still no signs the filly was getting sick again. It was definitely looking like she would not have to undergo the repeated courses of antibiotics until she was old enough to have an umbilical resection.

Feeling confident I called back the reporter from the Tacoma News Tribune who had been wanting to come out and do a story on the twins. We had postponed the story because of her illness and decided not to reschedule unless we knew the horses were going to survive. I was pretty sure we were past the hard part and I actually slept in my own bed that night instead of in the stall with the horses.

If you're just now finding this blog and would like to read the story of this twin horses from the being, see the sidebar marked labels and find Twins. I haven't figured how to get them to come up in numerical order yet, so the first one is at the bottom.

To be continured...
Part 16