Diary of an Extreme Cowgirl

I wish I could say that 2008 has been better, but for a while now I have been noticing my lil 2 yr gelding has not been right.

Most people just said it was from growing or just boared.
But I kept having a nagging feeling something was wrong.

Last week it became very clear I was right.
My lil guy lost half his body weight in the span of 1 week, but he was still eating.

On Feb 14, Valentines Day, I barrowed a rig and rushed him to the equine hospital, Loomis Basin Equine Hospital, with pictures of him the week before to show that I am not crazy, something is wrong.

They found 5 inches of sand/dirt in his colon. 5 inches. They think he got it during the summer, and it was not emptying but his system coaped with it till now.

they put him on IV and meds, he perked up
3 days of Mineral oil and psyllium to pass the sand.

Todays update

He is not passing the sand fast enough.
The colon in so full it is displaced to the right side and it can't empty well enough and thats why he started to go downhill fast.

Unfortunately that downhill spiral is what convinced many people that I was not crazy, that there was something wrong. The vet explained that when you see sand colic it is not always sand as we know it.

All dirt has some kind of sand. So sand colic is really dirt like material, and some horses do not empty the dirt well without help. For 5 inches to get in there they said it had to have started in early summer and accumulated over time.

Only 2 choices.
$4000.00 Surgery with about 90+% success rate
or
Say goodbye

I can't do payments on $4000 :(
I wish I could.
I need a miracle but I don't think there will be one soon enough. :(

Please everyone, even if you don't think your horse is in a sand place. I was told that most of the worst cases are from horses that live in box stalls so PLEASE every once in a while give your horse sand clear or something before it gets so bad you notice, then it could be too late :(

PLEASE learn from my mistake so no other lil horse has to leave.
I don't know when I will have to make my choice.

I want a miracle but don't know how to get one