Basil's X-Ray Day.

I thought I would do a quick update on Basil today, him and his lump!  After a few days of antibiotics it did reduce in size, it then stopped before shrinking a bit more.  However, the vet said that it was shrinking so slowly that we really needed to have an x-ray to see what was going on.

Giving Basil his antibiotics and painkillers has not been easy.  Some things eg: his Ventipulmin, he will eat in his food but he flatly refused to eat his food with these 2 additions!  So I have been putting the powders into a mug, adding a little water and bit by bit using a syringe to gently squirt it in his mouth.  Luckily he does not make a huge fuss, although, he has been trying to hold it in his mouth before spitting it out again!  Some of it ends up down my top and in my hair and one day he shot his head in the air and I squirted it on the ceiling.  However, overall I think he has had most of the powder.

So today the vet came with the x-ray machine.  I wasn't sure that they would use the mobile machine and thought I was going to have to take Basil there.  This was going to cause enormous stress to the horses and me.  Chesney (as you know) does not settle if Basil is taken away.  Even after an hour long hack out on Basil Chesney will be all hot and sweaty from running around whilst we are away.  Basil does not travel well and so would also be stressed, and I have no idea how long they would have to be apart. 

Anyway, with all this in mind the vet practice agreed to use the mobile x-ray machine.  So this morning they arrived with all the equipment.  Basil was an absolute star!  He has not been sedated since I have had him so I had no idea what he would be like or what effect it would have on him.  However, I need not have worried as he was so good and just had a little nap.  We all had to wear big  long 'coats' to protect us from the x-rays but I could stay with Basil and look after him.

He had to rest his nose on a special cushioned stand to make sure he kept his head still in the right place but I was so proud of him.  This picture is after we had done the x-rays and he was waking up a little from the sedative.

I just have to wait now while they look at the pictures on a bigger screen back at the practice before letting me know what they found.  The waiting is always the worst part - I will keep you up to date!

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