What to do When Waiting for the Vet

Certificate III VCE/VET Horse StudiesCourse Book Notes Week 2, Lesson 4What to do when waiting forthe vetWhat do you do when the vet is coming, and what do you dowhen the vet arrives?Most of the vet treatments fall into:1. Routine treatments - drenching, pregnancy testing, etc. suchtreatments can be done at any time within the required range,and are not time critical. They can be done when the vet isnext coming your way.2. Problems which can be predicted - like mares foaling.3. Obvious injuries which cannot be predicted. - involvinganything which has external bleeding, possible bone fractures(critical, requiring immediate vet attention).4. Not so obvious problems - colic.Conditions falling into the first category should only require thehorse owner to have the horse ready with a suitable person toassist the vet.Conditions falling into the second category require the horseowner to have some degree of knowledge. Owners of maresshould know that if the foal is not delivered within one and a halfhours of the water bag showing that the vet should be calledurgently. N.B. if a mare goes down to foal and no progress occursfor 10 minutes, call the vet. The foal dies aprroximately 25-30minutes after the start of foaling.Unpredictable injuries require the horse owner to be able topresent the vet with:1. An adequate record of the horses vital signs.2. Restrained movement.3. Horse in warm place (shock).4. Control bleeding.Any delay in calling the vet will cause the horse more pain.In the not so obvious cases like colic, the vital signs should bedocumented. Give the vet the relevant information over the phoneand let him decide as to the urgency of the problem.1