Monday June 7th around 1pm Polo, our 40 year old pony, was not doing well at all (see video) He was rolling around all the time and seemed to be colicky in the meadow, which had never happened to him. We called the vet who injected him with anti spasmodics which didn’t work. The vet returned around 6:00 p.m. and the pony was not improving.
The prognosis was very poor as the heart rate was almost 100 per minute, transit completely stopped, mucous membranes blue and sticky, signs of severe dehydration, lots of water in the abdomen with suspected peritonitis. Our vet therefore advised us to euthanize.
I then asked if there was a slight chance that he would get out of it and the vet told me that it was not possible given the catastrophic auscultation parameters. Polo was very apathetic and in a state of shock. I then texted Laila asking for her help, to give Polo a chance to get out of this and figured I was going to let the night pass and make a decision the next morning.
By early morning, Polo’s condition was stable, neither better nor worse, but he still didn’t want to eat, not even an apple, and he spent his Tuesday day lying or standing still without wanting to eat anything. Wednesday morning, I found him lying full length on the grass: believing his time had come, I called the vet again, asking him to come and euthanize him.
When I approached Polo, I found his eyes very bright and he was lifting his neck. In fact, he was trying to get up but couldn’t because he was lying on the wrong side of the slope! I helped him get up and he jogged off! The vet arrived and checked him out: normal heartbeat, accelerated transit, very pink mucous membranes and no more signs of water in the abdomen! A miracle!
That evening he ate well with a good appetite and since then he’s been very fit, running for his meal and even pushing me around if I don’t serve him fast enough! Thanks Laila! You saved Polo’s life!
Without you he would have died because the vets saw no other option.
Thanks again for him,
The prognosis was very poor as the heart rate was almost 100 per minute, transit completely stopped, mucous membranes blue and sticky, signs of severe dehydration, lots of water in the abdomen with suspected peritonitis. Our vet therefore advised us to euthanize.
I then asked if there was a slight chance that he would get out of it and the vet told me that it was not possible given the catastrophic auscultation parameters. Polo was very apathetic and in a state of shock. I then texted Laila asking for her help, to give Polo a chance to get out of this and figured I was going to let the night pass and make a decision the next morning.
By early morning, Polo’s condition was stable, neither better nor worse, but he still didn’t want to eat, not even an apple, and he spent his Tuesday day lying or standing still without wanting to eat anything. Wednesday morning, I found him lying full length on the grass: believing his time had come, I called the vet again, asking him to come and euthanize him.
When I approached Polo, I found his eyes very bright and he was lifting his neck. In fact, he was trying to get up but couldn’t because he was lying on the wrong side of the slope! I helped him get up and he jogged off! The vet arrived and checked him out: normal heartbeat, accelerated transit, very pink mucous membranes and no more signs of water in the abdomen! A miracle!
That evening he ate well with a good appetite and since then he’s been very fit, running for his meal and even pushing me around if I don’t serve him fast enough! Thanks Laila! You saved Polo’s life!
Without you he would have died because the vets saw no other option.
Thanks again for him,
Sonia
