Conference noted::equitation

    Sandy,
    
    Who is the vet who made the diagnosis?  Where is your horse going
    to have the surgery performed?  How long has it been that you've
    noticed the "forever-in-heat" problem?
    
    My mare seems to be in heat often, but not constantly.  She's a
    Quarter Horse and very marish anyway.
    
    Good luck and hope everything goes well.  I know how hard it is to
    let them go into someone else's hands like that....
    
    -- Anna

    Just curious...do you have insurance to cover an operation like this ?
    I don't own a horse but I do lease one and am now considering
    insurance.
    
    Good Luck !!!

    re:1,2
    The vet was Dr. Leonard and an associate whose name I can't remember.
    She has been in heat for as long as I have had her, over a year. The
    hospital is Fox Run Equine Center, they have 5 horse only vets on
    staff,
    an operating room, 2 intensive care units and 5 observation stalls.
    The constant heat was not noticable at home with her 2 gelding herd
    mates, but as soon as I would ride to a neighboring farm I found myself
    trying to control a dripping squealing crazy mare. If she like another
    horse she would show him what she had, if she didn't like him she would
    try to kick him to pieces. My trail buddies did not want to ride with
    her. I do not have insurance to cover this operation, the cost is
    estimated at $600 if there are no complications. The tumor was quite
    visible with an ultrasound machine, same as they use to look at babies
    inside of pregnant mares.
    Sandy
    

    
    	Well, Sandy, how did Summer's surgery go?
    
    
    	Sherry
    

    It went fairly well, they didn't get started until about 4:00
    yesterday.
    I got there about 5:30 and she was still recovering, they said she had
    made 2 attempts to get up but was going to be another 3 hours before
    she could walk back to her stall. They didn't want me to see her or
    talk to her because she might try to get up and come to me instead of
    waiting until she really could get up. They have had horses try it in
    the past and thrash about instead of coming to slowly. I called this
    morning and they said she was very sore but had eaten her breakfast and
    was asking for more! So far so good, of course I have never seen Summer
    refuse food!
    Sandy
    

    Summer is now home from the hospital but I have a new challenge. She
    can't stand the taste of bute and is getting violent about being forced
    to take it. So...I am looking for any neat tricks anyone knows for
    getting bute into a horse!!
    Sandy
    

    
    A friend of mine who had to give lots of bute ground up the pills and
    mixed them with grape jelly.  Then used a syringe to squirt in the
    horses mouth.  

    I've never tried grape jelly.  I mush the pills up and mix them with
    molasses and enough warm water to make the liquid thin enough to go
    through a turkey baster.  They like the molasses and don't give me
    any trouble.
    
    The other way to administer the pills is:  you reach in the side of
    their mouth and take a firm hold of their tongue, gently but firmly
    pull it out of their mouth (sort of down and off to the side) and
    then put the pill way, way back on the tongue.  It's sort of like
    giving pills to a dog or cat.  If you can get it far enough back,
    I guess they have to swallow.  And it probably wouldn't hurt to coat
    it with something (molasses or oil) so it can slide down.  I know
    how much *I* hate getting an aspirin caught in my throat!
    
    Gwen
    

    When my mare needed it, I crushed the pill and mixed it in apple
    sauce, then put in it a syringe.
    

    
     Every once in a while when I do cocoa, it goes in his grain all
    crunched up..2qts of sweetfeed and one little bute! he never
    complains..
    
    
    chuck

    THANKS Guys!!!
    Sandy
    

    Can you use the bute paste?  I used it on my horse.  I don't know if
    the dosage is the same as the pills.
    
    						Jan

    the Omaha Vaccine has an injectable form of bute.  200mg per cc  as
    well as the paste.  the phone # is 1-800-367-4444
    
    Michele
    
    p.s.  My girl friend had to give 30 pills to her horse a day for
    	  the longest time (this horse wouldn't pill), and she would 
    	  use a motar and pedstal (SP??) and grind it up into a fine
    	  powder, mix with molasses and put into her sweet feed. 
    	  Sometimes she'd add a bit of warm water.  he rhorse always ate
    	  it.  ALso I don't think she offered the horse hay untill the
    	  grain was all gone.

    Thanks again, heres what worked for this critter. Just like Michele
    said grind it up, stir in 2 tablespoons molasses then stir that into
    sweet feed. If I put the power directly on the feed the horse would
    refuse to eat it. Withholding hay wouldn't work because she has to
    be bedded on straw so she just eats it instead! The stiches come out
    Feb. 6 and then we start hand walking a few minutes each day. They say
    she will be ready for light riding by March 7. Now that she doesn't
    know she is eating bute, she is back to her sweet loveable self. 8^)
    Sandy
    

    The injectable bute must be given IV and that can be quite
    a chore (not to mention dangerous) for those who aren't good
    at shots.  It's also pretty caustic stuff and does require your
    vets prescription for purchase.  The paste is much more pleasant
    to work with.
    
    If she decides not to eat the molasses concoction, you might try
    putting it in a syringe (minus the needle) and giving it to her
    the same way as wormer.
    

    Just a little update for anyone thats interested. Summer is now
    back in training, she now has a nice normal 26 day cycle, and the scar
    is dissappearing.
    Sandy