The Waiting Game

We’re all waiting around here. I’m waiting for the vet to call. My daughter is waiting to start at a new school in seventh grade next week. My husband is waiting to hear about two big projects. Siete's waiting for her back feet to stop hurting. And I’m writing under a deadline that is coming up on Wednesday. Can you feel the tension? I should think so.

At least I'm pretty sure that I know what’s wrong with Siete. After a week-end of soaking her right back foot and then her left back foot and then her right back foot again, I still couldn’t find any abscesses. Monday morning, I called the vet, and tried to make an appointment for her to come out. It’s not an emergency, but Siete is really hobbling around in pain. As I’ve been saying over and over, I figure that the other possible reason is Lyme disease. I’ve been holding off giving her the required dosage of 80 pills a day for a few reasons. First, I thought that the vet might want to take a blood sample to see if it’s Lymes. Of course, the last time we did it, the test was inconclusive. Still, I’d like to know if the blood tests have improved and I’d like to actually ask the vet. It’s so unusual that she hasn’t called. I can only imagine that there’s some craziness going on there. Second, I hate having to crush the pills, make the concoction and jam it down Princess Siete's throat with great drama twice a day, so I guess I’m procrastinating a bit.

Today, while still waiting for the vet to call, I got a good clue that it is most likely Lyme Disease. I started to pick out Siete’s back right foot, and I asked her to step over by pushing lightly with my hand against her right hip. She squealed in pain and did this ouch, ouch, ouch hopping thing. I noticed yesterday that it looked like she was lame with a kind of hitching limp just above her hoof, in her fetlock. At the time, I thought about how last year, she was sore in her stifle when she got Lymes. So, now, a day later, she’s sore up there too. And if the vet calls, I will tell her all about this. Only, she never called, and they promised me when I bugged them again late this afternoon that one of the vets will definitely call me in the morning.

I almost started crushing the doxy and giving it to my little horse. I hate giving antibiotics without talking to the vet, so I padded Siete’s stall with lots of fresh shavings instead. It helps when she gets off her legs and stretches out at night. In the mornings, she walks with full weight on all four feet. And tomorrow, come hell or high water, I will know what’s wrong and what to do. I promised Siete that I would when I said goodnight, and I never break a promise to my horse.