vthorseshoe
09-07-2006, 06:37 PM
I was called in to work on a freisen mare (classified as a light draft) who has been down most of the time for over 3 days.
Cause for founder hasn't been diagnosed yet.
The horse is owned by two different families and money is no object.
The home front is a place most of us would envy.
Care is and has been top notch. I can attest to this as they have been customers of mine for 2 yrs.
Foundered and extremely sore on fronts. Camped under behind. Emancipated and on glucose drip.( was being fed two bags when i left this afternoon.)
Hips show worn area's from laying and rolling up .
This is a beautiful mare who has given birth to 2 hot looking fillies over the last 2 yrs. and just weaned from the last one.
I met the vet at the stable around 9 a.m. this morning and we proceeded to remove the boots and bandages.
This mare was in a stall with wet sand in the begining but became extremely sore after a while and started laying down. Boots were put on the help protect the sensitive soles.
Another vet had come in prior to our being called, to relieve an abcess and invaded from the sole leaving a large hole and it went quite a way up the inside wall.
Now the bottom of the sole is extruding granulation. Looks like spots of sap coming out at different area's of the sole.
The abcess did finally break out up near the hairline, but now that is a large area and the present vet is hoping the wall doesn't get worse and slough off.
On the other foot I was able to trim the heels and level the foot, (while the mare was still on her side) and I proceeded to make a heart-bar shoe.
We had had 2 sets of x-rays taken and they were compared last night and it was decided the mare had rotated from the initial 3 degree's to 6 degree's.
I applied the heartbar and we bandaged up the other foot, (vet wants to wait a while and treat granuilation with Iodine/sugardine) before applying shoe to that foot.
We encouraged the mare to get up and LOW AND BEHOLD she started putting weight on the shod foot and then started moving it under her to relieve the other legs. It was a GREAT feeling to see a shoe applied and the almost instant results take effect.
She was standing when i had to leave and her hind legs had actually shifted back and weren't camped under like she was in the begining.
Now don't let me mislead anyone, she is still extremely sore and shifts weight to rear legs to make a circular movement, but its to be expected.
What I am excited about is the visible relieve the shoe gave her. SO COOL !!
A day like today makes all the sucky customers take a back seat to what we do.
If we were able to apply heartbar shoe's to both front today i truly believe she would have started to walk off on her own.
I really like working with foundered animals. When it all comes together it is such a satisfying feeling.
When it doesn't I know everyone gave their all and that is better than doing nothing.
The big percheron in Springfield, Vt. I talked about in previous posts.
He has come, after 3 yrs of work, from not hardly moving to being ground driven the other day.
He is a whole nuther story in its own. I am so proud of him and the owners for hanging in when at times it looked so dreary. This percheron has heart and his desire to keep improving has been his biggest aide.
I have put more time into studying and listening to acknowledged experts in the field and books, man have I got books.
Days like today are more of a perk for me than any time I somehow get to take off.
Cause for founder hasn't been diagnosed yet.
The horse is owned by two different families and money is no object.
The home front is a place most of us would envy.
Care is and has been top notch. I can attest to this as they have been customers of mine for 2 yrs.
Foundered and extremely sore on fronts. Camped under behind. Emancipated and on glucose drip.( was being fed two bags when i left this afternoon.)
Hips show worn area's from laying and rolling up .
This is a beautiful mare who has given birth to 2 hot looking fillies over the last 2 yrs. and just weaned from the last one.
I met the vet at the stable around 9 a.m. this morning and we proceeded to remove the boots and bandages.
This mare was in a stall with wet sand in the begining but became extremely sore after a while and started laying down. Boots were put on the help protect the sensitive soles.
Another vet had come in prior to our being called, to relieve an abcess and invaded from the sole leaving a large hole and it went quite a way up the inside wall.
Now the bottom of the sole is extruding granulation. Looks like spots of sap coming out at different area's of the sole.
The abcess did finally break out up near the hairline, but now that is a large area and the present vet is hoping the wall doesn't get worse and slough off.
On the other foot I was able to trim the heels and level the foot, (while the mare was still on her side) and I proceeded to make a heart-bar shoe.
We had had 2 sets of x-rays taken and they were compared last night and it was decided the mare had rotated from the initial 3 degree's to 6 degree's.
I applied the heartbar and we bandaged up the other foot, (vet wants to wait a while and treat granuilation with Iodine/sugardine) before applying shoe to that foot.
We encouraged the mare to get up and LOW AND BEHOLD she started putting weight on the shod foot and then started moving it under her to relieve the other legs. It was a GREAT feeling to see a shoe applied and the almost instant results take effect.
She was standing when i had to leave and her hind legs had actually shifted back and weren't camped under like she was in the begining.
Now don't let me mislead anyone, she is still extremely sore and shifts weight to rear legs to make a circular movement, but its to be expected.
What I am excited about is the visible relieve the shoe gave her. SO COOL !!
A day like today makes all the sucky customers take a back seat to what we do.
If we were able to apply heartbar shoe's to both front today i truly believe she would have started to walk off on her own.
I really like working with foundered animals. When it all comes together it is such a satisfying feeling.
When it doesn't I know everyone gave their all and that is better than doing nothing.
The big percheron in Springfield, Vt. I talked about in previous posts.
He has come, after 3 yrs of work, from not hardly moving to being ground driven the other day.
He is a whole nuther story in its own. I am so proud of him and the owners for hanging in when at times it looked so dreary. This percheron has heart and his desire to keep improving has been his biggest aide.
I have put more time into studying and listening to acknowledged experts in the field and books, man have I got books.
Days like today are more of a perk for me than any time I somehow get to take off.