We knew something was wrong with Delilah when she suddenly stopped eating.
She wouldn’t touch her food and kept going into her yard to lie down and roll—both signs that she was uncomfortable. We gave her Banamine, and while it helped for a little while, she soon started lying down again.
We knew we couldn’t wait. We rushed Delilah to the hospital for a full colic exam.
Checking for the Cause
Once we arrived, Dr. Sciba began examining Delilah right in the trailer.
She stood quietly as the team ran bloodwork, listened to her gut sounds and heart rate, and took her temperature. After giving her some sedation, they carefully lowered the trailer ramp.
And then something incredible happened.
Instead of rushing away in fear, Delilah slowly and cautiously walked off the trailer and got loaded into the stocks.
She was scared and uncomfortable, but she trusted us enough to keep going.
The Ultrasound Brings Concern
Dr. Sciba started with an ultrasound, and the results were concerning.
Delilah had distended small intestines with almost no movement. During her physical exam, there was barely any manure, while her stomach was still full of food from the previous afternoon.
Something was clearly not moving through her digestive system the way it should.
Hoping Fluids Can Turn Things Around
For now, Delilah is receiving IV fluids while the veterinary team closely monitors her.
We’re hoping this will be enough to get things moving again.
But colic can change quickly, so we’re prepared for the next step. If Delilah doesn’t improve or her condition gets worse, she may need emergency colic surgery to determine whether there is a blockage that can be corrected.
Tucking Her In for the Night
We stayed with Delilah throughout her exam and then went back to her stall to get her “tucked in,” as we like to call it.
We looked her right in the eyes and calmly explained everything to her. We told her that everyone was there to help her and that we were going to figure out what was causing her pain.
She let us kiss her forehead and hug her.
Those quiet moments mean everything.
She’s in the Best Place Possible
Delilah will be monitored 24/7 at the hospital.
We’ll have our phones on loud all night and will be ready to head back to her immediately if anything changes.
It’s scary to watch one of our animals go through something like this. But we’re taking so much comfort in knowing that Delilah is exactly where she needs to be, surrounded by a veterinary team that can monitor her around the clock and provide the immediate care she needs.
For now, we’re taking it hour by hour and hoping those IV fluids get her gut moving again.
Please keep our sweet Delilah in your thoughts.
