DreamCatchers<br/> Equine Rescue Inc.

I wish I were the eloquent writer my sister is or the professional writer like my friend Jan.  Then I might be able to put into words the feelings I have surrounding the events of last Thursday better...it was supposed to be just another day the vet visited to float teeth, geld one of our colts and do a few rechecks on previously treated patients like Rio, who we were trying to stabilize his cushings syndrome.

I asked her to bring shots for my personal horses for the spring.  We are still waiting on the shots for the rescue horses being donated by AAEP but I wanted to get my kids out of the way.  I told her she didn't need to give the vaccines, I could do it as I have for many years without incident.

I gave Raven hers first, rabies, 5 way and west nile with no incident, same with Beau and then Pistol.  I had brought Little Bit up to have her teeth checked so she was next in line for her vaccines.  I gave them in the same order as the others, she didn't flinch, what a good girl...I then proceeded to dispose of the sharps and pack up the other 5 shots to take to the fridge til I could bring the others up for their turn. 

As I rounded the corner of the barn, I saw Little Bit struggling against her lead tied to the fence next to Beau.  At first I thought she had had an altercation with Beau and was pulling back in response trying to get away...I rushed to her, untied her lead and got her back on her feet.  She stood there trembling for just seconds, whinnying to the others in a tone that said she was in a panic, her eyes were wide open with terror...I immediately realized something was very wrong and I yelled to the Vet,"Judy, she is having a reaction".  Judy immediately drew a shot of epinephrine to counteract the anaphylactic reaction but before she could inject her, Little Bit went down again and this time she couldn't get up, she was having a seizure, her eyes rolled back in her head...Judy injected her with the first shot intra muscular and then drew another shot and while Little Bit lay there with her legs jerking back and forth moving her whole body, somehow,  Judy managed to find her vein and give her another injection intravenously...I held her head on my lap waiting for the shots to work....it seemed like hours but it was literally seconds, she jerked one last time and lay still...I looked at Judy and she at me, we felt for pulse and respirations but there were none, she was gone....I straddled her chest trying to give her chest compressions and get her heart started again, all with no effect.  She was gone, in just a matter of minutes...I cried and hugged her, held her head in disbelief...how could this have happened...she had received her shots regularly every year for 5 years now with no reaction.  The other 3 who had received their shots were fine, no reaction. 

There is no rhyme or reason for this...there was no warning, I miss her terribly, try not to think about it, it hurts too much right now.  Was this my fault somehow.. everyone who witnessed the tragedy said it was not but I still feel responsible...she was my baby, I have loved her since the day she arrived at my pasture when she was 7 months old.  I saw her the day she was born on July 4, 2004. How could she be gone in the blink of an eye.