My Delicate Grey Flower

Jaz, who seems determined to bankrupt me a few hundred bucks at a time, went to the vet (again) last weekend.

• He had started coughing periodically a few weeks ago, which I ignored at first. The next time I rode him, each time I kicked him into a trot, he coughed. Later that same day, he coughed when he and Daltrey began playing.
• He has a quarter-sized patch of I-don't-know-what on his chest. I first thought it was a scrape, and just let it alone. Weeks passed and it's still there. I tried to peel the top layer, but the skin is thick, like a bumpy mole. My thought was either a bit of proud flesh or the start of a sarcoma.

The funky skin could be anything from what I mentioned to a place where bots have entered his body and set up a colony. Eww.

Dr. G put XTerra, an acidic brown salve, on the skin, left it on for a few minutes, and wiped it off. Sure enough, it ate off the top layer and left the area smooth, but open. He said to just leave it alone and watch it. I can't say for sure what it's going to do. If this doesn't work, he'll probably remove it surgically.

The cough, I was told, could be anything from allergies to COPD. It has been windy, and we have had no rain, so it's very dusty. Dr. G prescribed an antihistamine powder called Tri-Hist twice a day. It's the weirdest stuff. It's a powder in a corn meal base that is so fine, as soon as you touch it, the granules start bouncing off each other. It reminds me of animations of atoms. It smells sweet and citrussy to me, but Jaz didn't buy it. He wouldn't eat it mixed with dry food or with food moistened with water. I mixed it with a little molasses, drizzled it over his feed, and he licked the pan clean.

Because the cough was sporadic to begin with, I have no idea if this stuff is working. Only way to find out is either to get him going in the round pen or take him out on the road again, I guess. At least I can still ride him.

Back to the comment on COPD ... Dr. G said Jaz is pretty young for it to be that. At the time, I was relieved to hear that, but since I've had time to think about it,  there's a nagging little thought at the back of my mind. Jaz had a life-threatening bout with strongyles in the winter of 2009. They were camped out in one of the main arteries of the heart. I was told any damage was permanent. I wonder ...

One of the tires on the trailer was flat and wouldn't hold air. We knew it was trashed before we even left and would need to be replaced, so we drove on it, rather than cancel the appointment. I already didn't have a spare, so now I have to buy two tires and have no way to take my pony to play days.

 In other news, Spring is happily upon us.

 With Spring, come flies.

Thought I'd try these citronella collars.

Hope you are all well. Prayers please for Kurt, one of my younger brothers who had 2 heart attacks last week, and for Heather, who found herself in the middle of 2 bitchy mares, to the tune of 40 stitches. I'm sure she'll tell us about it when she's off the pain meds.