My fourth week at Outlaw was hectic and fast-paced. There were a limited number of technicians and students this week, so I was covering the ICU more often than not while they helped with other emergencies. The days were much longer than they had been, too, and I was working 13-14 hour shifts. Despite the busyness and stress we all felt for the past five days, I still found time to learn some interesting new things.
There had been a recent increase in wounds at Outlaw. Some were deep into the muscle or face, and others were only under the skin, but still needed to be tended. To treat these wounds, I would use a special herbal spray on the muscle and surrounding skin to help keep any potential infection from setting in. Then, I would hydro them, which means hosing down the area and draining the pus, blood, or dirt. These procedures happened several times throughout the day and, every morning, the fly mask or sheet the horse was using would be changed out, too.
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- This wound is located on the shoulder. It has to be sprayed, hosed down, and lasered every few hours. We also put vetricyn and aluspray on it to give an extra layer of protection, which is why there is a gray tint to the surrounding skin.
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- This wound is located on the shoulder as well. All of the pus seen has to be washed out, then have the special herbal spray used on it. This horse wears a fly sheet, mask, and boots to help protect her wound.
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- This horse has wounds all across her face, the most obviously noted under her eye and the gaping hole. Herbal spray is used on the majority of her face and inside the hole. Since the hole is so severe, the spray can actually drain into her mouth and lungs, causing her to cough. This means we have to flush her mouth out with water and put on a fly mask after spraying.
While doing 2 o’clock treatments, I was able to stop and watch some of the work the rehabilitation team was doing. Horse rehab involves swimming in large pools, being put on walkers, bemer blankets, and other various forms of exercise or equipment. I was able to watch the rehab team swim horses through the pool and put two different ones in a large bath filled with vitamins and salts. This bath allows their legs to relax, which can help with different types of healing or relieve tense muscles.
Basically just like when we use epsom salt in our baths!
Even with all of these cool learning experiences, this week also had its share of unfortunate moments. Several horses ended up being euthanized or they died due to different causes. One horse had severe colic and was no longer able to stand, so she was put down to prevent her suffering any longer. There was also a foal who had extremely bad pneumonia. Sadly, he was only in the ICU for half a day before his lungs succumbed and he died of sepsis, something that can happen in mere minutes. Since he had come into the hospital in such rough shape, the likelihood of him surviving was very low. It is unfortunate that not every horse can be saved, but is also a fact of working in an environment like this.
This is the baby that died of sepsis. He is in very rough condition in this picture, which was actually taken about an hour before he passed.
This week was full of busy days, stressful moments, and long hours, but I am grateful I was able to see this side of the equine medical space. I feel as though I was exposed to a new level of work I had not yet experienced with this internship. I am now on week five, which is my last full week before I head home on the 10th!
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