It’s been a million and a half years since I posted but something had to give and this blog was on the chopping block.

Rather than recapping the last almost 18 months, I’ll recap the last week and a half which is almost 18 months long.

It really started a few weeks ago when Cairo started having a drippy nose, or rather, a right nostril. This may or may not be related. As of today, I’m still unsure. I hauled out to ride one day at a new farm and post-ride, someone mentioned he had a bloody nose. But, I never quite managed to recreate that. Mostly his nose was drippy. It got better with Zyrtec.

Thursday, 10/15, I had the day off (from work and from Fair Hill volunteer duties). We took advantage of the gorgeous (absolutely GORGEOUS) weather to ride. And the second I asked for the trot, Ro offered the most violent head tossing I’ve ever experienced. Grabbed the bit, head tossing, and violent. So we walked and spent most of our ride walking and steering over poles and around jumps basically bridleless. He was fine. When I got off, I checked his mouth and he was very clenched in the jaw but I couldn’t smell anything.

I chatted with the vet office and we made a plan to get someone out on Monday. He clearly wasn’t dying but we’d check his teeth, etc. wasn’t my regular vet but still.

Monday, vet comes out. Cairo is very resistant. He’s usually fabulous for the dentist. Took extra sedation. Still fought like crazy. Photos were out of the question. Teeth were fine. He was just about due, but nothing obvious (he’s on a 6 month schedule). Vet pulls blood as well.

Vet leaves and I notice Ro’s right eye is cloudy. WTF.

I text my regular vet, plus emotional support friends, in complete panic because WTF. We all agree he can wait until morning. (Vet who did teeth later says he did notice the cloudiness but he was otherwise bright eyed so he didn’t say anything… that said, it wasn’t there when I scrubbed all the dirt from his face an hour before the vet got there).

Tuesday, vet comes back. Ro says hell no! Don’t mess with my eye. And by the way, my left eye also is cloudy. Vet agrees that the left eye had no cloudiness the day before. Does full eye exam despite protest from Cairo who is big and very mad. Can’t quite tell what is going on. His white cell count was also elevated. Starts Ro on antibiotic and antifungal ointments 3x/day.

Which brings us to now. The first few days have been MISERABLE. Cai is not a good patient. At all. I’m acing him for any solo ointment applications because life is better through chemicals. That said, since Friday, he’s been a little better. Fighting less. So I wonder if his eyes are feeling better? If my husband helps, we can get away with just a lip chain.

Vets (both current treating and my normal vet) did bring up the possibility of immune-mediated keratosis. And may have me consult with a specialist at New Bolton as next step. This all depends on how he looks on Monday at his recheck appointment.

Anyway, I’m over horses. And eye issues.