Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
My horse has been sick. Really sick, if you consider the fact that he has always been an “easy keeper.” Other than a few times of anxiety produced colic when his barn mates leave him behind, in his fifteen years with me, Trucker rarely needed vet attention beyond annual shots and required tests. I never paid much attention to which vet came to visit us. When everything is routine, anyone can give a shot. Now that he’s been sick, I care more about the vet that treats him. About two weeks ago, he stopped eating. One day, he gobbled down his dinner, the next, he refused any form of nourishment. We tried all kinds of special grain and hay. I gave him brain mash, a mix of wheat bran, mineral oil and molasses. He acted like he wanted to eat, but never put anything in his mouth. I had a vet from the clinic we use out three times to draw blood and listen to his belly. We all assumed it was a form of colic, but his white blood cell count was high. I wondered if it was related to his allergy to oak trees. After all the pollen count was high and there were still plenty of acorns on the ground. The vet brushed off my concerns. Eventually, he got diarrhea. A second vet from the clinic came to put Trucker on an IV of fluids with B12 to stimulate his appetite and an anti-inflammatory for swelling. He seemed to rally, but it was short-lived. I called the dentist to come. The vets didn’t think that would help, but I was getting desperate. The dentist found some sharp teeth and a cut inside his mouth. Was that what kept him from eating? The dentist could not say, but took care of the teeth problems. Again, he rallied for a short time, but the diarrhea got worse. Counsel by an experienced horsewoman at the feed store led us to different, but expensive hay, some probiotics and electrolytes to stimulate drinking water. She said he would be okay without any grain as long as he ate hay and drank water. He seemed to rally, but the diarrhea continued. A third vet recommended treating him for sand in his colon. Horses in Florida ingest sand when they eat grass. Sand stays in their belly unless you give them psyllium to absorb it. Because Trucker would not eat, I mixed the psyllium with jello and spooned it into his mouth. Friends came over to pray over Trucker. I warned them about where to stand saying, “Don’t go behind a horse with diarrhea!” Some might say that it is my imagination, but I think he is getting better. We are praying for solid poop. Yes, believe it or not, we are. Every day, it seems a little less liquid. I still won’t get behind Trucker, but I am glad my friends go before us taking him to the Great Physician in prayer!
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