emotionally invested

Sorry about the lack of postings lately. Blogging is something I do late at night. If I'm not around or too tired to think straight, it doesn't happen. The grips are coming along great, I'll try to get back to photos tomorrow. Too much on my mind tonight.

I have a little barn-sitting job I'm doing for a week. Two horses, it's very easy. Except that one of them is quite sick. These animals like to go into crisis mode right before their owner leaves, this is pretty typical though a different horse this time. I was "concerned" when I saw the horse on Tuesday. I am "kinda starting to freak out" at this point (this was the first time I'd seen him since Tuesday). He was seen by a vet before the owner left. Bloodwork was normal. The vet seems pretty sure of what's wrong with the horse, and yet the treatment he has prescribed is NOT the recommended course of treatment for that condition (he's giving antibiotics for something that is not treated that way). I do not think the horse has the disease the vet thinks he does, and I'm extremely confused by the treatment. I think the horse has something very serious wrong with him, something lethal (no, not contagious). Yes, I'm being very vague here, I don't want to get anyone in trouble. The vet and horse owner have agreed to a "wait and see" approach over the weekend. Meanwhile the horse is not eating, not (or just barely) drinking, and has some pretty painful looking symptoms.

I'm no vet, and I've never seen the condition that the vet has diagnosed, nor have I seen the condition I'm sure this horse has, but I'm sure he has it. And that he's going to die. While he's under my watch. And that even if the vet does end up being correct and it's just an atypical presentation, he's failing to address the immediate concern, that if this horse doesn't get some liquid in there he is going to shut down and die anyway.

Three people see this horse on a daily basis right now: me, the person who is giving him the shots (not the vet), and the owner of the ranch. The owner of the horse is a zillion miles away. There is no lack of communication, though I am going to get in touch with the owner tomorrow and express my very extremely serious concern about the condition I suspect, which the owner only heard second-hand today.

I'm emotionally invested. I don't even know this horse.