Perplexing Issues with Bo

When I went out to do chores last night, I noticed that Bo's leg was swollen. It's typical of a cut like he has. I'll be hand walking him tonight after I get home from the paying job. I'd also planned on giving him banamine to ease the pain in the huge cut. It's such an unfortunate location where stitches simply won't hold.


The problem is, last night I gave him a pat on his shoulders while he was eating and something didn't seem right. It sounded hollow. So I went around to the other side and patted his shoulder in the same spot. No hollow sound. Back to the right side and pat the shoulder. Hollow sound.


I called the vet this morning and we chatted for a  bit. It's hard to say what it is but I'm guessing its' part of heart failure. The cut on his leg wasn't a puncture wound and if it was, it didn't go into his shoulder, it went down his leg and not into his chest.


Bo is text book heart failure now that I look at him. Distended belly and the weight falls off the top line to see the spine. That's exactly what I've been seeing and dealing with all year. Along with that the labored breathing and that's exactly what Bo has.


But the air pocket in his shoulder is still a stumper. I'm guessing there was some air somewhere else and it just managed to bubble up to his withers. Because it's not causing him pain, we'll treat him with banamine for five days to make sure that it doesn't bother him. He's already on unimprim until Thursday for antibiotics. I may extend those antibiotics to the same time as the end of the banamine and we'll see what comes of it.


I wasn't exactly expecting a couple of huge vet bills but I should know better. It's been awhile and we always seem to get the vet bills around the end of the year.


Bo has been a trial and error experience from the day he stepped into our trailer off the auction. I'm glad that we have him but so worried that I'm not doing enough. I may have cared for horses for just over 20 years but it doesn't seem like my knowledge goes far enough for all that I've had to deal with in Bo.


Bo could really use some good thoughts and well wishes. He's also love visitors that bring him Ramona feed. He's not allowed to have any other type of grain because it would makes his ulcers flare up (yet one more thing to worry about with him).