Once again it’s another extremely hot and humid day. There’s a storm blowing in, and a severe weather warning was announced on the radio as I arrived at the barn. I soon forget the weather when I realize Xena’s leg/foot appears to be worse than last night. She’s actually limping as we slowly walk from the paddock to the barn, and she stumbles a bit at the incline by the gate.
I once again resort to a cool shower in the wash stall, but tonight I concentrate on bathing Xena’s leg. I point the slow running hose at the top of her leg, and allow the water to run down its length for a minute or so, and then I move the hose to her body. After a minute I return to her leg. I’m concerned that I might overdue it because the water is cold; there’s no hot running water in the barn.
Back in her stall, I dry her leg with a towel and rub in a generous amount of liniment. Afterward I take her hand grazing on grass near the barn, where the ground is level. As it begins to rain I walk Xena back to the paddock, and I’m hopeful when she seems to walk almost normally. But she once again has difficulty going down the small incline at the gate.
It’s been a week since I first noticed something was wrong with Xena’s leg or foot. I’m really concerned that she’s not improving, so I’ll talk to Susan (our barn owner) tomorrow about calling the vet.
Update: Lame – Day 8, She’s Worse
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