The fall equinox as recently passed and Fall is in the air here.  Bonnie Blue and Sox have had me busy disking, sowing, harrowing and fertilizing part of their pasture so they will have green grass through most of the winter. Bonnie has started her winter coat with the face hair being the first to grow. Sox, on the other hand, is not convinced that it is time to dress for cold weather. Time will tell who has the best plan.

About three weeks ago on a Monday afternoon, we found Bonnie favoring her left rear foot while we were cleaning her hooves.  Vernell was called Tuesday and she advised close monitoring and signs of an abscess.  Vernell visited for training on Wednesday and noted some minor swelling. Bonnie continued to walk on it, but clearly was not fully using it any more than need be. Thursday Dr. Rogers was called and an appointment for a farm visit was set for Friday morning late. Dr. Rogers was accompanied  by Dr. Jeffery Comstock an intern with Pine Belt Veterinarian Hospital. After examination, Bonnie was given an injection of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. We soaked her foot in a saturated solution of Epson salt for 15 to 20 minutes over the next three days and added antibiotics to her feed for a week. The soreness and swelling were gone after three days of treatment.

While the vets were here, they examined some spots on Sox. He has a viral infection that causes wart like growths on him. The doctors recommended Xterra an irritant which causes the warts to become raw and then heal. After reading about the treatment on the internet, we decided to wait until colder weather when the flies are not so bad. His condition is not serious and waiting will hopefully make the treatment less trying without the flies.

Sox has gained about all the weight he needs. In fact he is starting to get a little heavy at the base of his neck. His feed has been reduced slightly and both he and Bonnie are being kept out of their stalls during the nice weather to eat grass instead of hay.

Here is a recent picture of Sox while working with Vernell. The old boy looks pretty good.