Fast forward to about a week ago...on the book for today was a gelding. Now geldings really need to be scheduled with a vet's approval because they can take a lot of prep work. Are the emasculators clean? Do we have a tech that can go with us? When does it have to be done? Are both nuts dropped? CB has pretty much been solely responsible for the geldings so it came a surprise to find it just placed in the book. Unfortunately, it was a miscommunication/misunderstanding with the receptionist who hopefully won't get in too much trouble. The other unfortunate part was that this horse belonged to an Amish gentleman who didn't have a phone so it couldn't be rescheduled.
So I was going to have to go geld this horse. Now I've castrated countless dogs and cats. I've assisted and done a handful of pigs. I've done about ten calves/bulls. I have castrated ONE donkey. ONE equine. But I felt pretty confident about the procedure. Sedation was my fear but with a tech and a catheter, it could be achieved. CB talked me through everything. We discussed the what-ifs and I was prepared. Except for one little snag...a horse with a cut on its chest.
So I was going to have to go geld this horse. Now I've castrated countless dogs and cats. I've assisted and done a handful of pigs. I've done about ten calves/bulls. I have castrated ONE donkey. ONE equine. But I felt pretty confident about the procedure. Sedation was my fear but with a tech and a catheter, it could be achieved. CB talked me through everything. We discussed the what-ifs and I was prepared. Except for one little snag...a horse with a cut on its chest.
After finishing surgeries-not many but they took forever!-and a hurried lunch, I went out to sew up an Amish horse that had caught his chest on a bolt. A deep but clean laceration across both pectoral muscles. I sewed it up and wished them well. I was already covered in blood.
I gathered up some supplies and a tech and headed off to the soon to be gelded Amish buggy horse. He was about 700# of cuteness. A quick exam and groping of his testicles assured me that we were going to proceed right along. I explained what the plan was, placed the catheter, gave the first sedative. Then we moved the horse into the yard, gathered supplies and extra sedation. The next round of sedation was given and I took the horse's head. He wasn't sure what I was wanting from him. He sort of stood there and I sort of pushed him by his halter until he rested back then down he went. He insisted on sitting sternal so I pushed him over, covered his eyes and got to work. About 5 minutes into removing the first testicle, the poor guy decided he wasn't super impressed so in went some more sedative, then a second round. The tech assisted with pushing extra skin out of the way and then off with the nut! The second one went routine. Now I was investigating the rings and checking for bleeding and stretching the openings when all of the sudden the horse decided he was done and sprung up! He forgot that he had legs and stumbled around falling on all of my equipment and falling towards my truck MARGIE!!! Luckily, he only nudged the truck, managed to get on his feet and take off through the yard. He headed back towards the barn but stopped before crashing into it. We caught him and surprisingly there was minimal bleeding. A slow steady countable drip of blood but nothing substantial. It actually had slowed quite a bit before we left. We gave penicillin, a tetanus vx, bute and pulled our catheter. The owner cleaned out the horse's stall and we gave a reversal for some of the sedative just so he could walk without falling over. Poor horse.
I gathered up some supplies and a tech and headed off to the soon to be gelded Amish buggy horse. He was about 700# of cuteness. A quick exam and groping of his testicles assured me that we were going to proceed right along. I explained what the plan was, placed the catheter, gave the first sedative. Then we moved the horse into the yard, gathered supplies and extra sedation. The next round of sedation was given and I took the horse's head. He wasn't sure what I was wanting from him. He sort of stood there and I sort of pushed him by his halter until he rested back then down he went. He insisted on sitting sternal so I pushed him over, covered his eyes and got to work. About 5 minutes into removing the first testicle, the poor guy decided he wasn't super impressed so in went some more sedative, then a second round. The tech assisted with pushing extra skin out of the way and then off with the nut! The second one went routine. Now I was investigating the rings and checking for bleeding and stretching the openings when all of the sudden the horse decided he was done and sprung up! He forgot that he had legs and stumbled around falling on all of my equipment and falling towards my truck MARGIE!!! Luckily, he only nudged the truck, managed to get on his feet and take off through the yard. He headed back towards the barn but stopped before crashing into it. We caught him and surprisingly there was minimal bleeding. A slow steady countable drip of blood but nothing substantial. It actually had slowed quite a bit before we left. We gave penicillin, a tetanus vx, bute and pulled our catheter. The owner cleaned out the horse's stall and we gave a reversal for some of the sedative just so he could walk without falling over. Poor horse.
All in all, this gelding was a success. I got both nuts off without anyone getting injured. Horses can get really hurt under any type of anesthesia. People can get hurt. I'm glad he picked when he did to jump up. I can't imagine the fear he would have had if the emasculators had still been on when he got up.
Swift was a cute stallion but now he'll be an even cuter gelding!
No comments:
Post a Comment