Uploaded December 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
For those who were concerned about Winston:
The yearling we saved from slaughter in June had a scary reaction to a tick bite. He had edema in his abdomen from his chest to about the center of his body. It looked like his intestines were falling out.
He was lethargic but had no fever, and his appetite remained healthy. The mass was tender to the touch. Because he had no other symptoms, we observed him for 24 hours. He seemed to get more lethargic and the mass grew, so we called the vet.
Winston's temperature was 99 (normal range) during the vet visit. As soon as I told the vet I'd pulled a tick off of Winston's right breast area, a lightbulb went off. She explained that champagne-pigmented horses are more susceptible to adverse immune reactions to bug bites.
After three days of antibiotics and a shot of Dexamethasone for inflammation and immune support, the swelling began to subside and Winston was back to his old self.
Swingin' D Horse Rescue saves horses from the slaughter pipeline and nurses them back to health. We evaluate and train them, then adopt them to responsible owners.
swingindhorserescue.com
For those who were concerned about Winston:
The yearling we saved from slaughter in June had a scary reaction to a tick bite. He had edema in his abdomen from his chest to about the center of his body. It looked like his intestines were falling out.
He was lethargic but had no fever, and his appetite remained healthy. The mass was tender to the touch. Because he had no other symptoms, we observed him for 24 hours. He seemed to get more lethargic and the mass grew, so we called the vet.
Winston's temperature was 99 (normal range) during the vet visit. As soon as I told the vet I'd pulled a tick off of Winston's right breast area, a lightbulb went off. She explained that champagne-pigmented horses are more susceptible to adverse immune reactions to bug bites.
After three days of antibiotics and a shot of Dexamethasone for inflammation and immune support, the swelling began to subside and Winston was back to his old self.
Swingin' D Horse Rescue saves horses from the slaughter pipeline and nurses them back to health. We evaluate and train them, then adopt them to responsible owners.
swingindhorserescue.com
