It has been another rough couple of days so my opportunities to post have been limited.  My mind is too distracted to type a cohesive thought.  We said goodbye to our dearest 15-year-old hound dog, then the brand new washer leaked water all over the laundry room floor and ruined the flooring and quarter round molding, our home printer/fax leaked black ink all over the table and had to be replaced, and now my dearest Ike is having difficulties from complications from his fall vaccines.

The trouble started after his annual shots.  Honestly did not think anything would happen.  He had no issues or reactions from the shots last year, so I suppose I was lulled into a false sense of complacency.  Ike got three shots this year:  Rabies, Four Way, and West Nile.  I have Potomac Fever in my refrigerator to give him in a couple of weeks.  The day after the shots, my poor boy was hardly able to bend down to graze or eat hay.  We gave him some Bute and he seemed better…

Then Monday dawned and something was definitely not right.  Ike was showing some neurological symptoms in his hind end.  He was broken even at the walk.  My heart skipped a beat and my stomach churned.  To add the cherry to the pile of poo, I am a couple of hundred miles away and not with my boy.  It is killing me, but I know that he is in the best of care with Ms. C and Mr. D.  The vet came back and it was decided to give him more Bute and watch him for 24 hours.  If there was no improvement, he would go to one of the vet hospitals.  Say what?  How is this possible?!  It is a nightmare and I can’t seem to wake up.  Ms. C said to be brave.  I clutched my stomach and clicked my heels together hoping that I’d wake up and all would be well.

I nervously checked my phone this morning and waited…………..and once I got the email, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and pressed “read.”  Improvement!  Thank goodness.  He still isn’t 100%, but the Bute helped and there was enough positive change that he did not need to go to the clinic.  Through all of this he has eaten his normal grain ration.  He is drinking his water.  His behavior was more normal today, but his movement still screams, “I hurt.”

I hate that my big man is unhappy.  All fingers and toes are crossed that he will be back to his old self again soon.