Hah, yeah well... for me at Telstra, yes. But at Massie Lodge, its 7 days a week. (Perhaps if we could persuade the horses not to eat on Saturday or Sunday and also organise their own water! No?)
Another busy day at Massie Lodge has just passed us by. While I have been sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of an office in Toowoomba, poor Evan has had to do it alone in the heat. Talk about a weird sort of summer, but then, that is something that we have become used to here.
While I have been coooooool in the office, Evan has had the vet out to give poor old Trousers another “woman’s” examination. Yes, she is definitely having another set of shorts (by Irish Royal), however there seems to be a little cyst-y type thing there as well. Chris the vet didn’t seem very concerned and has said that he will come back and see her on Day 45.
While he was at Massie Lodge he had a look at Libby’s colt, Jakey who seems to have come off a little worse for wear after being kicked by one of the other mares or foals. Poor wee baby! Both Libby and Jakey are now up with us in the Hospital Paddock so that we can keep him restricted and attend to the wound. (Not to mention, to go over and have secret cuddles).
But what is it with vets and doctors who always turn to the much beloved Penicillin when there seems to be even the slightest threat of bacterial or viral infection? Sorry, but it seems to be the standard response when my….
“Horse has a bad leg” “Give it a jab with Penicillin”
“Horse is not well in the stomach” “Give it a jab with Penicillin, call me tomorrow”
“Horse is off colour” “Give it a jab, twice a day, with Penicillin”
“Horse is looking at me sideways” “Give it a jab with Penicillin, does he need glasses?”
“Horse is standing on his head” “Give it a jab 3 times a day with Penicillin”
Hmmm
When I was growing up I had very bad sinus and had a tissue at my nose constantly (thank goodness for the advent of Aloe Vera tissues!). In fact, these days I still have sinus and both Evan and I suffer badly when the winds are blowing. In saying that, I think that we have been very lucky to escape bad colds since moving up to Warwick, as we are isolated from the masses. However, we do get into town on occasion and into the areas where the masses congregate – The Shopping Mall, but we have been lucky to fight off any viruses that we have caught from in there.
Back in those days, because I am classed as asthmatic, as soon as there was a slight wheeze on my chest, out came the prescription pad for a dose of some sort of pill or capsule (I wont mention what else that meant!!!!). These days, however, I tend to think a bit differently about colds and the treatment of such. Out comes the Echinacea with Zinc tablets, out comes the hot lemon drinks and so on and so on.
Iam surprised really how narrow minded some of the vets are when it comes to treating horses and dogs. In saying that, Iam not really having a go at them (I would never do that!), but Iam saying that they do not look outside the “ g “ of normal western commercial medicine for treatment. I must also say at this time we have been blessed with some very, very good vets since moving up here and they are all available at the end of a phone call. You cant argue with that sort of service.
Incidentally, just a side thought…… I bet those blokes who actually MAKE the antibiotics are laughing all the way to the bank!
When Chops came home from the trainers with a huge hoof abcess that was just not healing and a bowed tendon to boot I thought, “RIGHT, there must be a way to treat this other than…. um, er Penicillin. And it’s with that in mind that I got in contact with Robert McDowell, the Herbalist in NSW (author of the book, “Herbal Horsekeeping” which is in fact a great online resource, rather than hard copy book).
This bloke really does make a lot of sense to me, in fact, here is a link to his website:- www.herbal-treatments.com.au and you can see for yourself.
So as usual I will cut this very long story short and say that I have gone back to Robert McDowell for some help with Jakey and his leg. Buggar this Penicillin stuff!
I know what you are thinking dear reader…its the marvel of the 20/21st Century is Penicillin but surely we are using it too much?
And when a strong bacterial infection comes along (be it human, horse or canine) that needs a good strong dose of antibiotic what are we going to use then?
Not any of the known antibiotics because we have built an immunity to them due to over use.
I rest my case :-)
While I have been coooooool in the office, Evan has had the vet out to give poor old Trousers another “woman’s” examination. Yes, she is definitely having another set of shorts (by Irish Royal), however there seems to be a little cyst-y type thing there as well. Chris the vet didn’t seem very concerned and has said that he will come back and see her on Day 45.
While he was at Massie Lodge he had a look at Libby’s colt, Jakey who seems to have come off a little worse for wear after being kicked by one of the other mares or foals. Poor wee baby! Both Libby and Jakey are now up with us in the Hospital Paddock so that we can keep him restricted and attend to the wound. (Not to mention, to go over and have secret cuddles).
But what is it with vets and doctors who always turn to the much beloved Penicillin when there seems to be even the slightest threat of bacterial or viral infection? Sorry, but it seems to be the standard response when my….
“Horse has a bad leg” “Give it a jab with Penicillin”
“Horse is not well in the stomach” “Give it a jab with Penicillin, call me tomorrow”
“Horse is off colour” “Give it a jab, twice a day, with Penicillin”
“Horse is looking at me sideways” “Give it a jab with Penicillin, does he need glasses?”
“Horse is standing on his head” “Give it a jab 3 times a day with Penicillin”
Hmmm
When I was growing up I had very bad sinus and had a tissue at my nose constantly (thank goodness for the advent of Aloe Vera tissues!). In fact, these days I still have sinus and both Evan and I suffer badly when the winds are blowing. In saying that, I think that we have been very lucky to escape bad colds since moving up to Warwick, as we are isolated from the masses. However, we do get into town on occasion and into the areas where the masses congregate – The Shopping Mall, but we have been lucky to fight off any viruses that we have caught from in there.
Back in those days, because I am classed as asthmatic, as soon as there was a slight wheeze on my chest, out came the prescription pad for a dose of some sort of pill or capsule (I wont mention what else that meant!!!!). These days, however, I tend to think a bit differently about colds and the treatment of such. Out comes the Echinacea with Zinc tablets, out comes the hot lemon drinks and so on and so on.
Iam surprised really how narrow minded some of the vets are when it comes to treating horses and dogs. In saying that, Iam not really having a go at them (I would never do that!), but Iam saying that they do not look outside the “ g “ of normal western commercial medicine for treatment. I must also say at this time we have been blessed with some very, very good vets since moving up here and they are all available at the end of a phone call. You cant argue with that sort of service.
Incidentally, just a side thought…… I bet those blokes who actually MAKE the antibiotics are laughing all the way to the bank!
When Chops came home from the trainers with a huge hoof abcess that was just not healing and a bowed tendon to boot I thought, “RIGHT, there must be a way to treat this other than…. um, er Penicillin. And it’s with that in mind that I got in contact with Robert McDowell, the Herbalist in NSW (author of the book, “Herbal Horsekeeping” which is in fact a great online resource, rather than hard copy book).
This bloke really does make a lot of sense to me, in fact, here is a link to his website:- www.herbal-treatments.com.au and you can see for yourself.
So as usual I will cut this very long story short and say that I have gone back to Robert McDowell for some help with Jakey and his leg. Buggar this Penicillin stuff!
I know what you are thinking dear reader…its the marvel of the 20/21st Century is Penicillin but surely we are using it too much?
And when a strong bacterial infection comes along (be it human, horse or canine) that needs a good strong dose of antibiotic what are we going to use then?
Not any of the known antibiotics because we have built an immunity to them due to over use.
I rest my case :-)
1 comment:
I've just re-read them all and nearly cried at the description of Vicky all over again. Why do people do such things? How could they possibly do such things?
Already looking forward to Chops's first start this time in.
Better go, we have lightning now and thunder is still rolling although the rain (what little there was) has stopped. Love to all at Massie Lodge
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