Oh heck, Balmec

by Hayley

On the previous blog entry, you will have seen a photo of Hazel and her beloved Balmec. That photo was taken to send to his owners, to let them know that their boy was bright and well, because unfortunately, January was a very testing month for him. It was New Year’s Day when the staff first noticed a change in him. He wasn't himself, he was drinking a lot of water and as a result his stable was constantly wet and dirty, not to mention his temperature was sky high. Vets Sarah and Peter assessed him individually, both agreeing that while difficult to diagnose, the likely cause of his discomfort was an abscess on the spleen. Balmec was prescribed strong antibiotics and penicillin. Staff Anna, Aslam and James checked his temperature twice a day whilst also administering his drugs thrice daily, the last of which came at 9 pm every evening. For the first couple of weeks, Sarah was here every single day, keeping an extremely close eye on him and doing the crucial parts of his treatment that only a qualified veterinarian can do. When his appetite was low due to the strong medication, Hazel brought in some sweet hay to get him eating again and lavished him with attention. It was a real team effort and a labour of love from the staff and vets. After a very touch-and-go month, we are delighted to see Balmec return to his former self. He is now bucking and kicking, eating well and his eyes are full of light again. Thank goodness we were able to avoid horsey hospital and a mammoth vet bill, and we still have our lovely lad at the end of it all!