PLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY FRIESIAN - Page 11

Hexe, you know, the very thing that I find hardest to reconcile makes this much easier on my son. We live near Chicago. Chief was in Oklahoma when he died. My son was already not used to seeing him every day. To me, it wasn't a long time; to a 5yr old child, it was forever ago that he was in the yard, so his biggest shock is that he could die at all. His initial reaction (when I was on the phone with the vet) was "How can Chief die? He's only my age!"  So, it's more of a shock that death can come to something so young that "wasn't "sick" than a loss on a personal level. The plan was to get him home shortly and have James start with a few lessons on him, but thankfully, in hindsight, the plan was delayed. He knew he was supposed to be "his" horse but in all practicality, that hadn't happened yet, so he has been spared a lot of grief. 

Thanks again to all of you. 

I understand your pain - truly I do.  I have been there.  I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.  Time does not heal all wounds, but sometimes it helps us to understand them.

         " I used to stare at him in my yard and find it hard to believe he was really mine, that gorgeous animal...mine.

I truly understand that....I do the same every time you post a photo of him, he was amazingly stunning!!!!!!

I am so so sorry Jen....he will always be a magnificent, beautiful spirit. I don't think we ever truly get past such losses, we just layer more life over them & learn how to go on...

💔 jackie harris

Jenni ~ I have been gone awhile and then had issues logging in and was unable to post to the site  until now. I was sick when I read through the thread a couple of weeks back. I am sorry I can't even imagine the heartache ~ there is something quite special about our horses that touches our hearts. I am sorry ,,,

RIP friend ,,,,,,

UPDATE!!!

Apparently, there has been a slew of reactions to Zimectrin Gold, the dewormer that caused the inflammation that caused Chief's death. Horses are either having localized reactions in their mouths (some swelling to the point of not being able to close them) or colic and inflammation/ulcers in stomach and/or intestines. Chief is not the only one who has died. There is now a FB group with women who have spoken with an attorney (after Merial admitted that this is a problem they are aware of) and they are needing those whose horses have had reactions to ZG to join and tell what the reaction was, where it happened, whether the vet was called and could speak to the legitimacy of the claim, etc. The group is called Zimectrin Gold Wormer Paste Adverse Reactions. 

Please share this with any horse owners you know. Many have used it for years until this. One woman went down a barn aisle and got 8 horses done and every single one of them reacted, which is what pushed this to the next level.It's not a rumor or a fluke when 8 horses get sick after deworming.

Jenni:  that is absolutely terrifying news.  I hope you all get compensated somehow, but for you and your loss is much devastating than a horse just having a reaction.  Just the shits.  Can't express enough sympathy for  your loss.  Nan

Thank you, Nan. I truly appreciate your kindness.

All you can do it make Merial own up to it (there is evidence that there have been occasional "bad batches" of the carrying paste for up to 20 years...they have set up a department to deal with the complaints. How about a department set up to fix the problem instead?! It is nearly accepted as fact that it's an issue with the carrier paste, as prazi and ivermectin are not a new combo, and Equimax, which is the same active ingredients but made by Bimeda, has no such problems. 

The lucky ones seem to be the ones who fuss and spit and get it all over their mouths; their mouths swell up, but they generally live with steroid treatment. The ones who have it placed on the very back of their tongue where dewormer is supposed to go swallow it right away and it burns and ulcerates all the way down. Not sure at this point if it's an inconsistency in PH or what. But until there is enough noise about it, no one will be pushed to find out. 

How awful!!