Allie's Story
December 12 th 2006
I had to ring Matt to help me pull Allie's foal out. Enormous and legs everywhere but straight. There will be some work to do to get him right. Heel extensions on the hinds straight away and box rest.
December 13th 8.30 pm
Checked on Allie and her foal. She hadn't finished her tea – very unlike her. She felt a bit clammy. Temperature check 39.8. Rang Kathryn to come and help me flush her. A large atonic uterus filled with dark smelly fluid – great, metritis. Copious litres of saline, pen, gent and flunixil commenced.
Late December 2006
Metritis has cleared but she seems uncomfortable. Increased pedal pulses.
The inevitable I guess – laminitis.
January 2007
Back in foal with a foal at foot and her laminitis seems to be getting worse.
Pads, shoes, nothing seems to make her more comfortable.
February 2007
Many phone calls. I got in touch with Alison Macintosh, a vet in Queensland who gave me some great advice on feeding, trimming methods, boots and pads. She recommended I take her to see Andrew Bowe, a farrier who was having great success with seemingly hopeless cases of laminitis. Allie seems to be just that – a battle that I am losing.
Xrays
Took xrays today and was horrified to find a fractured extensor process of her right
pedal bone and extensive rotation of both. It was pretty obvious there was extensive
damage just looking at her hooves but to see it like that! I guess that is why I had
put the xrays off.
I rang Andrew to discuss the case
The main problem – he lives about 4 hours away. He kindly offered to meet me halfway with the travel. So the long process of recovery commenced. Trips to meet Andrew every 4 weeks and a crash course in trimming for me to try and manage her in between visits.
2007
Slow improvement. Her hooves completely remodelling around the altered bone structure.
January 2008
Allie foaled without trouble. A stunning Sandro Hit colt. The foaling seemed to cause a bit of a setback. Trimming, care and those wonderful boots and pads – she was managing well.
March 2008
As if this mare hasn't been through enough! Her lovely colt was dead in the paddock from suspected snakebite at 2 months of age. I almost feel ready to give up and so does she. Another laminitic episode. Only someone who has cared for a horse like this would understand the constant care required. Hours of time and a large financial and emotional strain. I feel like we are losing the battle. I am tired and depressed.
After consulting with Nicky and Andrew I arranged for Allie to go to Mayfield. She was already back in foal and it was her best chance of getting through this latest episode. Personally I am spent. Such a long road with seemingly no end in sight.
May 2008
Andrew and Nicky have seen Allie through the worst of everything. The constant professional care she was given seems like the turning point. She seems very happy to be home and after a bit of a readjustment period better than she has been for nearly a year and a half.
2008
Back to the daily care but she is so much improved. Her main problem seems to be her check ligaments – thickened and obviously sore. It's such a balancing act between pain for these and lowering her heels constantly for the pedal bone alignment. Got some wedges for Allie's boots, she loves them. She hates not wearing the boots. I now have 4 pairs so I can keep her in clean dry boots. Not ideal but whatever makes her happy.
January 2009
Allie foaled without problem – a beautiful filly by Fidertanz. Treatment to prevent metritis commenced 1 hour after foaling. No setbacks, experienced this time thank goodness.
Early 2009
Still in her boots but hooves still gradually improving and most importantly she is bright, happy and relatively comfortable. Changing boots once a day and cleaning her hooves, soaking twice a week and trimming about once a week still but it's just part of our routine now.
April 2009
I took the big step of taking Allie and her foal to the AWHA Gala Show at
Werribee. Her filly was pretty special and took out reserve champion foal
of the show at only 2.5 months of age.
Who would have thought two years ago this could be possible. I still find it
hard to believe myself and of course, true to form, she is back in foal.
If it wasn't for the constant care and support from Andrew and Nicky, this
mare would most certainly not even be here let along be producing prize
winning foals. I can't thank them enough for everything they have done for
Allie and me.
September 2009
Allie is still in her boots with wedges. Trimmed once a week, soaked twice a week. She is a day to day prospect with the amount of damage her hooves sustained. Things can still go wrong at any time. At this stage she is happy and comfortable. She even trots and canters in a fashion from time to time. This is truly a testament to her strength and courage and the amazing work Andrew and Nicky do.
Amazing stuff really. Wouldn't find a case like this in one of my text books!
Catherine Unkenstein
|
