A Coyote Problem
Some not so good news today. Coyote is getting up there a little, still he’s a Morgan so I say he’s only twenty one. I’m pulling for at least another ten years with him. I noticed earlier this summer that he was developing a cataract in one eye. It wasn’t bothering him or impairing the vision much so left it be. Two weeks ago it was watering a little and slightly swollen. They are out in some tall weeds and burrs. The pollen has been awful this summer. He was better the next day. I left him be.
Last week I noticed a small red spot up in there, under the eye lid and hard to see. I started worrying. Still I’ve seldom been into the vet and had them tell me anything but to give it time so I watched it. It kept getting bigger.
We just got back from the vet.
That in and of its self was quite an adventure. I was going to take him by himself.. Horses get hauled alone all the time. He’s a big boy I thought he’d be ok. He was fine when I brought him in and groomed him. He ate grass and hung out. Everything was good. He hopped right into the trailer, turned around and started shaking violently. Calling desperately for his buddies and trying to weave around me to get back out. I tied him so he couldn’t kill himself and went to get Rusty. Coyote was obviously not going to be ok alone.
Fortunately we were early so even with going back for another horse we were still ok.
I know the two hind trailer tires have a slow leak and need to be checked every time we use the trailer. I know I should have done it yesterday but I was sick and just not functioning properly. I hooked the trailer up. Double checked today and everything was good, but I forgot/didn’t think to check the tires. After having to go back for Rusty I was going to skip it and hope it would be alright for the short haul to the vets. After both horses were loaded it was looking pretty squishy. We headed for the quanset and the air hose.
It rained last night. A good freezing rain. There are icy mud puddles everywhere. I crawled around on the ground filling tires that were VERY low. Finally we could get going. Still not too late.
At the vet I lead Coyote into the exam room. He was hesitant and a little spooky. Luckily I had my treat bag along. I don’t care how funny they look at me. I clicked him all the way through the exam. It didn’t take long. She said it wasn’t an ulcer. It wasn’t anything they could do anything with. Not now. We’d have to wait and see. Of course. That’s all vet ever say. I am rolling my eyes a little but I don’t really mean anything bad by it. We are lucky to have some very good vets and I respect them. It just gets frustrating.
This wait and see isn’t entirely bad. The other option was to cut the eye out now. She said it look like cancer eye that we see in cattle regularly. The cure for that is to cut the eye out. I did not see it done once. I’m not squeamish but when they started the procedure I was watching I nearly puked and went to wait in the pickup.
Coyote has a life long history of weird tumors. I had one in his nostril removed years ago. I didn’t have one on his other eye lid removed. They tested and it wasn’t cancerous and said removing it could damage the eye lid enough that he wouldn’t be able to move it and loose sight in that eye. I sure am glad I didn’t this time it’s his other eye.
It could go away like the one on his right eye that is barely visible now and just makes him look a little different. It could get bigger and start bothering him to the point that we do have it removed. At least it’s only an eye. Lots of horses are fine with only one eye. He can still be fine and stick around for another ten, twenty years. So we wait and watch and pray.
