Equine ICU is definitely different than ambulatory...

I am now 2 days in to my Equine Emergency/ICU rotation.

Yesterday, we had orientation from 4-6, which is the normal time for rounding everyday. After that, Melissa and I were assigned to work, with Sam on back-up. For learning's sake, Sam stayed with us for the evening - I'm really enjoying working with Sam so I was glad she stayed!

We spent the first few hours trying to figure out everything needed for treatments of the horses. There are currently a decent number of horses in the hospital. There are 2 sets of mares and foals in our NICU and then 2 more sets of mares and foals in Isolation (one set went home today - yay for them!!). Needless to say, it was a bit stressful figuring out where everything was (meds, syringes, needles, hay, grain, hoses, etc) but once we got the swing of things it was ok!

Because everyone covers all of the cases collectively, none of the cases are "mine" and also, none of the cases really belong to Emergency - they all belong to either Medicine or Surgery. It's kind of confusing to figure out everything, and even more confusing to keep track of it all!

Today in rounds, however, we each had to present a case. I picked a 16yo Thoroughbred gelding who presented on 4/5 with colic. He went to surgery and had a jejunocecostomy. Two days later, he was colicky again and went back to surgery. This time he had torsed just orad (towards the head) to the previous anastomosis. He has recently been put back on feed, but wears a muzzle when not eating to prevent him from eating the straw in his stall. Last night he began flank watching (looking at his side), so today some additional work-ups were done. On ultrasound there was normal distension of his small intestines and normal peristalsis. On rectal, he was found to have soft, passable feces with no abnormalities noted. He is currently on metaclopramide (to keep things moving) and banamine (for pain). He pooped just before I left the hospital today at 6pm!

I'm on back-up tonight... so I'll keep my phone handy. I wouldn't mind going in and working with Amy & Sam, but I'm also pretty exhausted! I'm spending my days this week and next at the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security office writing and working on the Animal Emergency Response Plan for the county (it can't leave the office, and office hours are 8-5... this is the only time I can do it!)...