Mikah Wareham – Outlaw Equine Hospital (Week 3)

My third week at Outlaw Equine consisted of working the night shifts, which I had never experienced at a job before. Since I was on the night shift for five days and was joined by only one other technician instead of the usual six during the day, I received much more practice giving treatments and physical examinations. Alongside handling treatments, I also learned many cool, new things that I was previously unaware of.

Something new I learned about was SPL lines (subpalpebral lavage system). SPL lines are thin tubes that, after being secured to the eyelid of a horse, help deliver medications into the cornea. In most cases, these lines are needed when it is too difficult to insert medication into the eye when it is open. Currently, there is a horse at Outlaw who recently had a risky facial nerve surgery done in an attempt to help restore half of her face that is paralyzed. Since she is in pain and it has always been a challenge to handle her, an SPL line was placed to make an easier, safer environment for everyone. Eye medications being administered through the line are given in minuscule amounts (only 0.3 mL) and must be followed by air to help flush all of the injections into the cornea.

This is what an SPL line looks like when it is in use.

I also learned about limb laxity in foals. Limb laxity is when the legs of a foal are extremely weakened and crippled after birth. This can happen when the foal is born prematurely, or if the foal is too large for the mare’s uterus. With their legs being unable to support their body weight, foals with limb laxity require around-hour care, especially to make sure they are nursing. The foal that is being stalled at Outlaw for limb laxity also has a form of pneumonia and needs to be nebulized (a horse inhaler) every four hours to keep his lungs healthy. Unfortunately, with all the odds stacked against him, this foal’s chance of survival is very slim.

Here is the foal with limb laxity. This foal was too big for the mare’s uterus, so during birth, his limbs became crippled and contorted.

Bemer blankets are a type of therapy for horses. They can help improve muscular performance, blood circulation, nutrient intake, and mental concentration. These blankets can also be used to help treat different types of muscular conditions that a horse may have.

Here is a Bemer blanket. The horse typically wears the blanket for 10 minutes each session.

I will finish off this week by working Saturday and Sunday day shifts. After this, I will only have about two more weeks left at Outlaw. It is hard to believe my internship is already halfway over!