Monday, May 25, 2009

The Apprehension

For the second time in six years, TREES is faced with the very real possibility of not being able to help a new resident.

Forrest arrived Saturday suffering impaction colic. The situation probably existed for several days, at least, before he arrived. His emaciated condition, accompanied by severe dehydration, made the situation a tenuous one from the moment Forrest arrived.

Despite the fact that he was perky and alert on arrival, and despite the hours the veterinarian spent with him over the past two two days, things do not look good for Forrest this morning.

This is the heartbreak of "rescue." Knowing we cannot "save them all." The difficulty is knowing when to say when. Is today "when?" Should we try one more treatment? When does trying "one more thing" become unfair to the horse whose life you are trying to save?

And..........Why do people wait so long before asking for help?

1 comment:

Jalkr said...

I am faced with the unpleasant job of trying to figure out what to do, myself.

I live in New England, and am the keeper of an amazing old trouper, Gran.
She is elderly, full of vinegar, and has a problem with one shoulder. The winters here are proving to be a real challenge for the old lady.

She is the horse on my profile pic.
She is over 30.

I was doing some research to see if there is somewhere with milder winters where she could live out her life...and TR came up.

I'll be e-mailing you shortly....and hope your new guy is okay. The rescue where I volunteered lost an elderly mare from impaction colic last winter--heartbreaking.