Epipen

I had to use an EpiPen for the first time.  Just after 5.30pm when I was picking up the horse poo from the summer paddock, I noticed that 27 yo Bowie was not eating his tea and seemed restless.   As I went over, it looked like he had water splashes on his belly, but as I got closer, I realised that he was developing another severe allergic reaction to a bee sting.   Because it had been a hot day – up to 32 deg C – there were a number of bees around and I had noticed some in the stables when I had fed them just after 5pm.  I quickly went back to the house to get a Niramine anti-histamine needle for immediate relief , and a Dexaforte* corticosteroid needle which provides anti-inflammatory support for up to 48 hours.   These are both  intramuscular injections, so I did one in each side of his neck.  He was already having difficulty breathing, so was stretching his neck down and contorting his head to get more air, so it was quite tricky to keep his neck up while pushing the drugs in.    The lumps looked bigger this time, so I decided to give him the adernaline shot too.  I had never used the EpiPen Adrenaline Epinephrine auto-injector before, so kept re-checking the instructions – which are designed for a human to self administer into their thigh.   I decided to stick it into the back of his rear end as he is a bit wasted on the top of his rump where injections are often given.    He reacted a bit when the needle clicked and shot out, but I was able to keep the injector on him for the required time.  I sat with him for a bit, and was pleased when he started eating a bit of hay.  I went back to the house, but saw that he had lain down in his box- I am so happy that I can see their stables from the kitchen and office windows- so  I grabbed the phone so I could call the vet, and went back over.  Thankfully, by the time I got there he was back up and eating again.  I stayed with him until he had something to drink and then went back to the house and one myself.   I checked him again at 7.30 and the bumps were starting to subside.  Panic over and because of the dexaforte, Bowie can die happy knowing he will never be eaten.   *Treated horses may never be slaughtered for human consumption. The horse must have been declared as not intended for human consumption under national horse passport legislation.