Very Vintage Mish Mosh: 2014

Shame On West Coast Equine & Ignorant Horse Owners

My Girl & Her Road To Recovery

Recovering from Salmonella. What I don't understand is how and why a Vet would not disclose that a horse he was treating had Salmonella. Isn't it a Vet's responsibility to alert the Barn Manager and boarders at the same facility where the first sick mare & foal were boarding???. This seems morally wrong. Had I been notified in a timely manor, it could of spared my Chrissie from the pain and discomfort she experienced. The Vet bills are going to be ginormous. At one point my girl was shaking as if she was having a seizure. I really thought she was going to die right there while I was holding her.

The people that own the mare & foal no nothing about horse ownership. I also hold them to own what happened as well. They never came forward with any information regarding the illness of their mare. If you are going to won a horse, you owe it to the horse, yourself and others to know about horse ownership. People don't get it, they think it's OK not to educate themselves on basic horse care. These people didn't know how to take their mares temperature. I truly believe they thought that the thermometer was to go under the mares tongue. The sick mare that went to the hospital also had a foal. The mare started to show signs of distress early on and finally was sent to the hospital with her foal. While in the hospital it was determined that she in fact had Salmonella. What boggles my mind is that when I tried to call and find out what was wrong with the mare, I was told that they would not give me any information since the mare and foal were "private horses. Really???? They were boarded at a facility with 20 other horses. I would think that it would be a moral obligation to disclose the information. All the other horses and people were now at risk. Precautions could of been made to help alleviate further sickness and distress. Yes, Salmonella can be passed from horse to humans and humans to horses. I find it disturbing that West Coast Equine would keep information about a transmittable disease "private". When we send our kids to school and a classmate gets chicken pox, the school sends home a notices that one of the students has chicken pox, lice or any other disease that could affect the other students. Shouldn't the Vet at West Coast Equine be accountable and responsible to the community? What a disgrace that it was kept "private" The incubation is 2 weeks. My horse will be tested again to see if she is still shedding Salmonella. She has been confined to her stall for the last 2 weeks and will be for at least another week. Anyone who goes into her stall must wear protective foot and body gear. Hands are washed before and after, the list goes on. Every day I worry because my daughter was visiting here from New York and is 6 1/2 months pregnant. Had I known, I would of never let her into my home for fear she would get Salmonella. It will be a long recovery for my mare.

Shame On West Coast Equine