Hard Decisions

This has been a week filled with those "hard decisions". Trying to decide what efforts do you take to save your four legged friends. My week started with my rat terrier taking a trip to the vet clinic. "Trigger" was helping me clean barn as he always does, trotting beside me each wheel barrow load when he got distracted with all the incredible smells the manure pile has to offer. He just could not resist taking a roll in this incredible stash when a playing horse ran by and kicked up his heels. From my angle it looked like the horse missed the dog, but as the horse exited stage right the dog was reeling with the sting of the contact of a hoof. He didn't let out any cry but quickly ran back to the previously cleaned and rebedded stall to check his wounds in a three legged hop. I finished cleaning the stall waiting for Trigger to rejoin me at any time once the sting of his encounter was gone, but I finished the stall and Trigger still had not appeared so I went looking for him. I found him sitting in the fresh bedding with a leg starting to swell. When he saw me he did the three legged hop as he came to the stall door.

I called the vet clinic and gave them the heads up of our soon arrival. One x-ray later, it was obvious to even my untrained eyes that Trigger had a broken femur that was so far out of place there was no chance of it healing together without some sort of intervention. My options were given along with their expected price tags. Trigger is not a registered award winning rat terrier, as a matter of fact he was a free dog that my son got, but Trigger picked me to be his owner, not my son. Trigger also really does not like my husband. I know Tim is on his way to the barn because Trigger lets out a low growl any time Tim comes close. Tim has never given Trigger any reason to dislike him, he has even tried to befriend him with food and treats, but Trigger still lets out a primative low rumble every time Tim approaches. Every other dog on our farm (we have four more, the dogs do out number the humans) love Tim, but not Trigger. I could not make the decision about fixing Trigger without consulting Tim and it was after hours so the clinic would not do anything with Trigger until morning anyway so I could sleep on my decision.

Of course Tim told me to do whatever I thought best with Trigger. I had to make the decision. The clinic gave me a more detailed plan of how he could be fixed, along with a more detailed cost analysis. We decided, I mean I decided, to get Trigger's leg fixed. Guess what part of my economic stimulus check is going for? Trigger is still hopping around on three legs, but the broken leg has been pinned. The swelling is nearly gone and it does not seem to hurt him anymore. His staples will come out in a few days and he should gradually start to use the leg more and more. He is still growling at Tim and he now gets kenneled when I clean stalls. As he laid on the couch with me tonight (he did get a pre-surgery bath because of his pre-accident activities) with his head on my lap as he slept I know I made the right decision.

Trigger wasn't my only hard decision of the week though, Sparky, my old barrel and pole horse took a trip to the vet this week too. There went the rest of my economic stimulus check. Tonight I am not sure yet if I made the right decision for her.

I woke up Tuesday morning to my husband calling in from the garage that I had better get outside. Sparky had gotten out and was in the slough. Her three month old foal was still in the pen they were in the night before, but Sparky was out. I grabbed a halter from the barn and headed out to retrieve the wayward mare, but after I haltered her and walked around her my heart sank. Her right leg was badly cut between her forearm and shoulder. Her forearm looked like a huge roast hanging out. She wasn't bleeding badly and started to hop with me back towards the barn. As we walked by the pen she and her foal were in her foal paced what used to be the east fence line. The entire east side of the fence was laid down. Six fence posts, the woven wire, and the top board all flat. Nothing really disturbed about them, just flattened down. I am still not sure what she found to hurt herself so badly on and she just won't tell me.

Tim hooked up the trailer for me and we talked about what to do with her body after we would have her euthanized and off I went with Sparky and my daughter Joellen to the vet clinic again. Once again I found myself hearing of the options I had for fixing my four legged friend. Sparky was the horse I bought with part of my first paycheck after graduating from college. I am sure my parents didn't think that was the wisest spending of my first paycheck, but Sparky proved to be a super purchase. My husband and I both used her with our cattle. Our son Stan later rode her to her AQHA ROM in barrels and poles, and Sparky was the first horse our daughter Joellen rode. The last few years she had spent as our favorite broodmare producing some nice colts and fillies.

Sparky's radial nerve was completely severed and her leg was cut around the forearm to the bone. With the severed nerve she does not have control of bringing her leg ahead of the other front leg and the ability to flip her hoof down to step, however she was walking and putting her hoof down when she stepped by using her body weight. The vet said he has seen many broodmares get around and do okay with such limitations. I decided to try to save Sparky. Her pain level did not seem too great. Ten suture packets, a drainage tube, a BIG bottle of penicillin, banamine, and two hours of stitching Sparky was ready to go home. My Sparky schedule includes twice a day removing support bandages from both front legs that extend from the coronet band to the forearm, slow hand walking outside, 20 minutes of cold water treatment, rewrapping both front legs, and the administration of penicillin. I have become a top notch leg wrapper.

Yesterday as I treated Sparky's injuries I really wondered if I had made the right decision. She hadn't eaten all her hay and seemed listless. This morning I feel better about my decision. Sparky had cleaned up all her hay and greated me with her normal big whinny demanding her grain. She called to her prematurely weaned foal as we went out to hose her legs. And when I left her standing outside as I shut off the water hydrant she started following me back to the barn wanting to get back to her feed. My old Sparky seemed back. Tonight, however, swelling that had seemed to have left her shoulder, had started to go down her cannon bone. I guess time will only tell. We have started the journey for her recovery. I know a "tough decision" may still have to be made, but we will take it a day at a time.

There are so many considerations one has to go through making these tough decisions for our animals. The financial costs, the quality of life for the animal, the later usefulness of the animal all are important. Trigger will probably go on to have a pretty normal rat terrier life when he is all healed and I will have a smaller checking balance. Sparky, I don't know yet. If infection stays at bay, if she continues to use the injured leg, then she may be able to continue to be a broodmare. It will be a while before I know if I made the right decision for her.