Please keep Dream in your thoughts

[Tam VanderWerf]

Please keep our mare Dream in your thoughts and prayers. She's been battling a bacterial lung infection for a few months and just can't seem to shake it. Trying to get some answers to this recurrent sickness, our vet performed a tracheal wash on her the beginning of August, and treated her with antibiotics that the bacteria was sensitive to (Baytril). A week ago yesterday Dream had a mishap in her temporary stall and we had our vet come out to examine her. While examining Dream's injuries she listened to her lungs and said they were not clear, so she prescribed SMZ's.

Then last Friday Dan called me at work to say he was concerned about Dream because she seemed to be unsteady on her feet. He called our vet who had him bring her right into the clinic. Our vet listened to Dream's lungs and said they were worse than when she was there on Sunday due to the stall incident. She took an x-ray of Dream's lungs and found she has pneumonia, along with abscesses in her lungs.

Because Dream has a bad phobia of needles, the vet installed a catheter in her neck to administer the antibiotics (Gentamicin), and other drugs. Dan has to take her to the clinic tomorrow to have a new catheter put in and then takes her back this coming Friday for a recheck. Our vet has been very compassionate and is very concerned about Dream not being able to shake this crud. We have certainly blessed with such a wonderful vet.

Dream has been a sweetie through all this and we hope and pray this round of antibiotics knocks this nasty lung infection out of her. So if you have an extra prayer or two and some good thoughts, Dream would really appreciate them being sent her way.

Dan & Dream at the Shelbyville, Tennessee show - April 2009

 

[Barbie]

Tam -

You know Dream has my prayers. Sure hope she shakes this soon. It has been going on just too darn long. My question is how come she is resistant to all these various antibiotics!!!!

Big Red, you and Dan hang in there with her - I know it's really tough on you both.

((((HUGS))))

Barbie a/k/a Little Red

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I will send all our prayers your way - God Bless you for doing all you can for your little girl!

 

[shelly]

So sorry to hear Dream isn't doing well...sending prayers your way for a speedy recovery!!

ray

ray

 

[Steph G]

Tam & Dan, I am so sorry to hear that Dream is not doing well. I'll definitely be adding you to my prayer list and please keep us updated on how she is doing.

Steph

 

[Marty]

This is just so wrong on so many levels it really hits home. What I would like to know is how on earth any vet could sign a health paper for this horse to travel to your farm in the first place?

Dream has not been well from the get-go and this bad nasty sickness has been a never ending battle for you and now you stand to loose her compeltely. You guys have done more than anyone ever could for her providing her with the best of care, spent thousands on her vet care, lost work and wages, emotionally drained you, yet she still has this lingering on and on in her little system. I'd be holding the vet who signed the health paper for some part in this.

I know that some vets will not do a complete good exam on a horse for a health paper. Some people are able to just pick up the phone and ask the vet to write one without even seeing a horse. That is so illegal but yet it is done every day and that is why so many friends of mine have ended up bringing sick horses on their farm to infect the rest of their stock.

My vet is such a pain in the rear when it comes to signing a health paper for any of my sales horses to leave for shipping. She not only comes to my farm and tests temperatures, vitals, but goes on and on checking the mouth and nostrils with a flashlight, makes me walk and trot the horse, does a limb test, pulling each leg back and forth, manipulating and bending and wears me out with her complete exams. She makes every attempt possible to check everything she can. This protects buyer and seller both. I certainly hope you do not loose Dream and somehow she has some bit of fight left in her. I am so sad it has come to this point. Please get well Dream!

 

[Hosscrazy]

Oh no....

thoughts and prayers coming your way...

Liz R.

 

[Laura Leopard]

I will keep her in my prayers. I'm sorry she's going through that. You guys are such a sweet couple and I know you love your horses very much. Keep us posted.

Laura

 

[~Lisa~]

I will be keeping you in my thoughts.

Marty I agree but one has to remember that a horse can seem fine one day and then ship out up to 25 days later a lot can happen in that amount of time

 

[Watcheye]

My thoughts are with you. Bless you for fighting so hard for her.

 

[Joanne]

I know that some vets will not do a complete good exam on a horse for a health paper. Some people are able to just pick up the phone and ask the vet to write one without even seeing a horse. That is so illegal but yet it is done every day and that is why so many friends of mine have ended up bringing sick horses on their farm to infect the rest of their stock.

I too have had this happen to me. I also think the transporters share some responsibility. If they arrive and the horse is obviously sick or foundered they should not pick that horse up.

It sounds like your horse may have aspirated food at some point. It will be a challenge to treat this one.

I will be thinking positive thoughts for your mare.

 

[Royal Crescent]

Keeping Dream in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that she can kick this soon, for her sake and yours.

ray

Barb

 

[Donna]

I will keep your dear "Dream" in my thoughts and prayers. I to have had such an ordeal with a couple of my horses. I would make sure the vets have your horse on Ulcergaurd. There is also a drug "Ventipulman" that is really good at opening up the air pockets in the lungs to help with moving oxygen and getting the anitbiotics into thier system. Just some of my experiences. Ask your vet. Big Hug

 

[sedeh]

I'm so sorry you're going through this and I pray she makes a complete recovery for you.

ray She's such a beautiful mare. The abcesses are very concerning as they tend to trap the infection and the antibiotics aren't as effective. Vet's also have their hands tied to a certain extent because they don't get to use the wide range and newer antibiotics that people use. I asked my vet why once and she said it was because they're so afraid that if they allow vet's to use those newer antibiotics the bacteria will become resistant to them faster and that will adversly affect the human population.

 

[Tam VanderWerf]

Thank you all for your prayers and kind words. I'm sure it will help Dream greatly.

She was fine when Dan put her on our trailer when we bought her, but within a day of being here she developed greenish-yellow, thick nasal discharge. I called the vet and we decided to put her on Tucuprim. She seemed to respond to that and we took her to the Shelbyville show about 20 days later. Within a couple of hours of being on the show grounds, back comes the nasal discharge. It went away just as fast as it appeared, so we thought possibly the shavings provided at the show might have triggered an allergy.

Then the end of June, we went to the Fletcher show. Again, after being on the grounds for a couple hours, she developed the nasal discharge and once again, we thought it was allergies to the shavings provided by the show.

After the Fletcher show we had our vet check Dream when she came out to draw blood for a Coggins on another horse. She discovered Dreams lungs did not sound clear, so we decided to have her do the trachael wash. Like I said, there were only a couple of antibiotics the bacteria was sensitive to, so Dream was given Baytril orally because of her fear of needles (saying she freaked out was putting it mildly).

When I spoke to our vet Friday while Dan was still at the clinic, she said that abscesses showed up on the lung x-ray and possibly R. equii might be harbored in the abscesses. If this treatment of gentimicin does not work, they Dream will have to be treated for R. equii. I have no idea what that entails, but intend to start some research.

Dream is on carafate as a precaution against ulcers - thanks for mentioning that. She was on a couple of days of steroids to help her lungs.

We are so concerned for Dream and hope that she will combat this infection and be able to continue with our hopes of showing her and training her to drive. We are also lucky that none of our other "kids" have come down with this stuff.

Thanks again - we really appreciate your concerns. I will keep you all posted!

Tam

 

[kaykay]

Tam sounds like a friends horse a few years back. I know Naxcell was the only thing that would knock it out. And it was a long term treatment.

I have to wonder too if she just stresses out too much to show. Especially if this always reoccurred at a show. Stress will bring out many odd things. We had a mare once that was just stunning but would get so stressed at shows that we had to stop showing her. She just couldnt handle it.

Sending prayers for her!

Kay

 

[REO]

Oh the poor girl! I'm so sorry for what she. and you have been going through. I'll send prayers that this gets cleared up and she gets well. She's such a pretty mare.

{{{hugs}}}

 

[stormy]

When I read your description of the symptoms I was thinking R. equii also. I did have a yearling with this about 10 yrs ago, treatment is very long and costly but effective. The colt recovered 100% and I have never had another case on the farm. Only a very specific treatment regimen will work for R. equii, on any other antibiotic it will be surpressed for a while then come right back just as you have described.