‘Balljoint is getting stronger by the day’
In Botswana, SPANA vets were called out to help a collapsed horse by his owner, Mr Hamu. The horse, who was affectionately named Balljoint by his owner, was unable to get up or move and was clearly in a great deal of pain.
Vets soon realised that Balljoint was suffering from a severe case of spasmodic colic, and was also weak from the drought. His body condition score was around 1.5 out of 5, whereas a healthy horse should be 3 out of 5. In addition, if a horse spends a prolonged amount of time on its side, this can cause complications such as damaged blood supply and muscle or nerve damage, so the team knew they had to move him as soon as possible. The vet team gave Balljoint injections of painkillers and anti-spasmodic medication to resolve the colic. They advised Mr Hamu to sit with him and give him small amounts of water and food. The vets then left and returned an hour-and-a-half later to reassess. Balljoint was still struggling to stand, so the team had to think on their feet, fashioning a pole wrapped with a sackcloth to help lift him and support him under his upper legs. They also used nylon ropes to help with this.
The team finally managed to lift Balljoint, but it was clear that his legs couldn’t support his weight. Because of limited resources, the vets had no choice but to leave him overnight to rest, but they gave the owner and his son strict instructions to watch him closely to ensure that he stayed safe. They were advised to cover Balljoint in blankets so that he didn’t get too cold at night. Mr Hamu’s son also brought him clean drinking water to keep him hydrated through the night.
When the vet team returned the next morning, Balljoint’s heart rate had decreased and he was breathing more easily. The team lifted him and he was able to stand. He was still weak and couldn’t get up unaided, but his colic had subsided. Upon the team’s return the following day, Balljoint was eating, drinking and defecating normally. Mr Hamu was instructed to regularly give Balljoint small amounts of the food he’d been provided with. The horse was now able to stand without assistance, although he was still very tired, so the SPANA team managed to get some hay as comfort food. Balljoint is now doing well and getting stronger by the day.