Flint, a very special and sweet Quarter Horse gelding with a heart of gold, went to Rainbow Bridge early Friday morning. He came to us back in December, literally skin on bones. He was a wise, grateful, and loving soul who always seemed to be smiling – and such a beautiful smile he had. His rehabilitation went well and he became wonderful friends with Kalista and Amira. He had been living a good and happy life.
Temperatures warmed up recently and when that happens, I think we all tend to slow down a little – both humans and horses alike. We’ve been dealing with some other issues which I will share at a later time, but we have been diligently checking each and every horse every morning for any signs of illness.
At the morning meal on Thursday, Pam contacted me on the radio to inform me that Flint didn’t finish his breakfast and had walked away and laid down. This was not a good sign.
He was in a paddock at the south end of the property where he stayed with Kalista and Amira. I immediately went to assess him and he was up when I arrived. His respiration was slightly elevated, his gums looked good, and his temperature was normal, but he clearly wasn’t himself. I walked him up to the barn after giving him some Banamine and on the way, he wanted to graze, so we stopped for a bit and he passed poop which was a good thing. Afterward, he was tucked into a nice clean stall with fresh water so we could monitor him. He perked up, ate all of his mushy lunch, passed more manure, ate hay, and drank water. Since his eyes were bright, we let him out of the stall. He grazed for a bit and passed more manure.
By late evening, he wasn’t himself once again. Jessica was here and took his temperature and checked his vitals. His temperature was normal, his gums were pink and moist, but his HR and RR were slightly elevated. With this info, I called the vet and we followed instructions regarding what medications to administer and we were instructed to withhold hay and grain and to keep him stalled for the night. He passed more poop and drank more water before lights went out at about midnight.
When I checked on him at 6:15 yesterday morning, he had passed more poop and drank more water. He looked tired and worried, but not painful. I was going to call the hospital at 7:30 am but shortly after 7:00 am, he collapsed. There was no struggling at all – he was just gone. My heart shattered. We don’t know if it was a possible GI issue such as a rupture from a strangulating lipoma, his heart – or perhaps internal bleeding from a ruptured aorta, or some other issue. He was twenty-seven years old.
Flint now runs with our heavenly herd at Rainbow Bridge with Beauty in the lead. While our hearts are torn, we are grateful for the few months that we had with him.
Flint knew love, received daily attention from multiple humans, was served nutritious meals multiple times a day, and he had many horse friends. He will forever remain in each of our hearts.
Pigeon Fever Update and Addi & the Turkeys
Valley Girl was originally the only horse here that had tested positive for Pigeon Fever, but she is now on the road to recovery as her swelling has gone down and the discharge is clearing up. Mo, although he tested negative, did go into QT due to an abscess which has thankfully, now resolved and he, too, is doing well. Addi also developed an abscess a few weeks ago, and she, too, went into QT. Although she originally tested negative for Pigeon Fever, Addi was not getting better and she has since, developed a lump on her neck. I scheduled the vet to come back out last Wednesday to perform another culture and when I last spoke to him on Friday, I learned that Addi’s latest test, unfortunately, was now positive.
So now, in addition to our daily routine, it is essential that we closely monitor every horse daily, checking each from head to tail. Boo boos are treated, clean fly masks are put on and fly spray is applied. SWAT is applied under the tummy centerline and around wounds and cuts that have already been treated. We are going through a LOT of SWAT, bleach, gloves, and fly spray. Endure Gold, a new fly spray, appears to be the most effective. I prefer the pink SWAT rather than the clear formula as I can see when a horse has already been treated. Feed tubs, masks, grooming supplies, etc. are sanitized daily and foot baths are placed in several locations. Fly masks are hung on the opposite side of the property, fly traps are hung throughout the acreage and the main barn has a fly mister system.
Good bio-security practices are a definite must as Pigeon Fever can live in the ground for years and as we have had very little rain, the climate creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Pigeon Fever is not just here at Beauty’s Haven, however, it has also been discovered in NW and Central Florida with a number of cases of strangles appearing as well.
On the lighter side
I must share a funny story about Addi. As big as she is, a few days ago, Addi became terrified of a few turkeys that strolled along the road from the neighbor’s house. I couldn’t help but laugh – it was hysterical! She tried to hide in her shelter and peek out at them, but she would then come running in a panic as if to say, ‘Help me!’ After a few days, she did get used to these strange creatures and she now bravely stands in a corner near the road to watch for them. Such a silly mare!
Lastly, on Saturday we were thrilled to welcome Chris to our wonderful family of volunteers! Magic approved!
A Visit from Dr. Dianne McFarlane
Dr. Dianne McFarlane came out recently to do tests for Cushing’s Disease on some of our horses. She is Chair of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Studies at University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her special area of interest is aging and age related diseases of the senior horse, and we just happen to have quite a few of those here at Beauty’s Haven! Cushing’s Disease is a pretty common neurodegenerative disease that usually affects older horses. Dr. McFarlane hopes to better understand the disease by identifying genetic mutations in order that treatment for Cushing’s can be started earlier.
Valley Girl, the only horse here so far to test positive for Pigeon Fever, is one of the horses Dr. McFarlane tested for Cushing’s and she is positive. This could be a contributing factor to why it is taking her so long to recover from Pigeon Fever. She is better but she’s still working through it. There have been quite a few cases over the past couple of months in and around the Ocala area and there will likely be more as flies are the carriers and they’ve been truly horrible this year. Plus, it’s been very dry.
The first photo is of Dr. McFarlane with Magic. He was so good getting his blood drawn – I was very proud of him! His Cushing’s test was negative but a few others did test positive so they are getting a medication called Prascend. And I thought I’d just share a few other photos while I have a chance.
The Big Search!
On Wednesday, I saw two dogs posted on Facebook who were seemingly abandoned in the middle of a forest of an agricultural area, located close to the rescue. As I simply could not ignore these poor pups, I decided to go search for them which was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After searching for a few minutes, I stopped on the side of the road and said a prayer, and then, lo and behold, I saw ears! The dogs were a male and a female who had possibly been used for breeding purposes and I feared that they may have been dumped as neither dog was wearing a collar or tags. They were quite timid, but they did eat a few treats and were quite thankful for water. Both, however, did not wish to be touched.
I called Diane to ask if she could help as I didn’t have a cage with me at the time. After Diane arrived with her cage, we had absolutely no luck as neither dog would even go near it. As the heat was unbearable, coupled with my terrible reaction to numerous bug bites causing my tongue to swell, I knew I had to immediately get home as I did not have my Epi-pen with me. We had no other choice but to leave these sweet pups and return in the morning in hopes they would get used to the cage overnight. Prior to leaving, they were both fed and given water which would hopefully last until morning when I planned to return with a larger, remote-controlled cage. Needless to say, I did worry about them throughout the night and hoped and prayed that they did not encounter any predators, like gators, coyotes or other wildlife.
Happily, when I arrived Thursday morning, I was truly blessed to discover the good Lord had indeed watched over them; upon my arrival, both approached me, with tails wagging!
All Hands on Deck as Pigeon Fever Descends
I didn’t want to let another week end without sending out an update. To say we’ve been extremely busy would be an understatement. As some of you know, Valley Girl got sick about a month ago. It started with edema under her tummy. She was examined by the vet and blood tests were done. Over the next couple of days without improvement, the vet came back and did an ultrasound. A culture was also done and, unfortunately, the results were positive for dreaded Pigeon Fever. Valley Girl had already been separated from other horses and the barn was placed in lockdown. Valley has had a few abscesses rupture from her tummy to her chest. She had another, hopefully the last, to open yesterday.
A couple of weeks ago, we found swelling on Addi’s chest that was suspect, so we put her in quarantine. The vet examined her and performed blood tests and a culture. Most recently, Mo also had some chest swelling so the vet came again to examine him, do a culture and run blood tests. Cultures for both Addi and Mo came back negative, but, out of an abundance of caution, we continue to treat them as a worst case scenario. Since then, the vet has lanced the swelling on Addi’s chest in order to drain and collect the discharge, but there is still some swelling. Mo had one open under his tummy on Friday and although I collected the discharge, he continues to experience some swelling.
Pigeon Fever is transmitted mostly by flies carrying the bacteria when they land on a horse that has open sores or wounds. It is, thankfully, not transmitted nose to nose like strangles. We don’t know where it originated but we are located in an agricultural community and have farms all around us with cows, horses, goats, etc. and the flies are absolutely horrible this year. It is possible that it was already in the ground, but we’ve been here almost twenty years and never before have had this issue.
We’ve invested quite a bit into bleach, exam gloves, fly spray, SWAT, etc. If anyone would like to help, we would greatly appreciate it. Donations are tax deductible and no amount is ever too small. We don’t know how much the veterinary bill will be, but we will share it once it is received.
A few of our needs can be found on our Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/363QQBR2KM14O
Thank you and have a safe and blessed weekend.
Flint, the Boy with the Most Beautiful Smile
Flint, a very special and sweet Quarter Horse gelding with a heart of gold, went to Rainbow Bridge early Friday morning. He came to us back in December, literally skin on bones. He was a wise, grateful, and loving soul who always seemed to be smiling – and such a beautiful smile he had. His rehabilitation went well and he became wonderful friends with Kalista and Amira. He had been living a good and happy life.
Temperatures warmed up recently and when that happens, I think we all tend to slow down a little – both humans and horses alike. We’ve been dealing with some other issues which I will share at a later time, but we have been diligently checking each and every horse every morning for any signs of illness.
He was in a paddock at the south end of the property where he stayed with Kalista and Amira. I immediately went to assess him and he was up when I arrived. His respiration was slightly elevated, his gums looked good, and his temperature was normal, but he clearly wasn’t himself. I walked him up to the barn after giving him some Banamine and on the way, he wanted to graze, so we stopped for a bit and he passed poop which was a good thing. Afterward, he was tucked into a nice clean stall with fresh water so we could monitor him. He perked up, ate all of his mushy lunch, passed more manure, ate hay, and drank water. Since his eyes were bright, we let him out of the stall. He grazed for a bit and passed more manure.
By late evening, he wasn’t himself once again. Jessica was here and took his temperature and checked his vitals. His temperature was normal, his gums were pink and moist, but his HR and RR were slightly elevated. With this info, I called the vet and we followed instructions regarding what medications to administer and we were instructed to withhold hay and grain and to keep him stalled for the night. He passed more poop and drank more water before lights went out at about midnight.
When I checked on him at 6:15 yesterday morning, he had passed more poop and drank more water. He looked tired and worried, but not painful. I was going to call the hospital at 7:30 am but shortly after 7:00 am, he collapsed. There was no struggling at all – he was just gone. My heart shattered. We don’t know if it was a possible GI issue such as a rupture from a strangulating lipoma, his heart – or perhaps internal bleeding from a ruptured aorta, or some other issue. He was twenty-seven years old.
Flint knew love, received daily attention from multiple humans, was served nutritious meals multiple times a day, and he had many horse friends. He will forever remain in each of our hearts.
Easter Happenings Around the Rescue
It’s been another busy week with picture perfect weather as we prepared for Easter!
Please enjoy a little journey encompassing the daily happenings at the rescue whilst witnessing firsthand, our precious little herd experiencing the ‘Joy of just being a horse!’
Pictured from Left to Right Top Row
Pictured from Left to Right Center Row
Pictured from Left to Right Bottom Row
We truly hope you enjoyed this Easter week tour of Beauty’s Haven, a place where ‘Life begins, again!’
Wishing Everyone a Blessed Easter and Passover.
Valley Girl
The vet was out to see Valley Girl on Wednesday as she had some significant edema under her stomach. She seemed a bit off at the beginning of the week, but she did not have a fever. Her heart and respiration rates were normal, her gums were of normal color and she was eating her five meals a day.
Dr. Valle listened to her heart, lungs, etc. and did not believe there were any issues. Valley Girl does have an open sore under her tummy, which, when cleaned up, did exude some puss. Although Valley Girl’s bloodwork results were relatively normal, she has been started on antibiotics.
She has EOTRH Syndrome which involves degeneration of incisor and canine teeth which sometimes may involve cheek teeth as well. Over time, the roots of these teeth are resorbed or dissolved. Surgery can be performed while standing, but the horse must be heavily sedated. Without surgery, the disease will progress. Valley Girl is a bit up there in age, but aside from today’s edema issue, she is in good health.
Lastly, we are in the midst of ensuring that each member of our beloved herd have ‘Pretty Feet’ for Easter, so if anyone is in a position to assist with this need, both horses and humans alike, would be forever grateful. Just click on the ‘Donate’ button below.
Happy Feet for Easter!
Several members of our beloved herd are awaiting their turn to have “Happy Feet for Easter!”
Pictured Left to Right, Top Row
Pictured from Left to Right Center Row
Pictured from Left to Right Bottom Row
If anyone would like to help our beloved little herd have “Happy Feet for Easter,” it would be so greatly appreciated. There are at least a dozen horses scheduled for the farrier within the next few days so please click on the ‘Donate’ button below if you would like to assist with this need.
Thank you!
A Very Special Visit!
We had a very special visit yesterday from Dr. Christopher Burnham, D.C., accompanied by a great group of students learning about chiropractic on the horse. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore and correct spinal alignment while decreasing muscle tension, leading to increased flexibility and range of motion, thereby, helping to relieve pain and discomfort. And we most certainly, witnessed that today!
Mishka, Jo, Peaches, Valley Girl, Dancer, and Danni all greatly benefitted, but we saw a tremendous improvement with Mishka! After his treatment, it was so good to see him grazing and moving about much better. The look that came over Mishka during, and after, his treatment was priceless! We truly appreciate Dr. Burnham and the entire group for taking the time to come out today. Dr. Burnham may be contacted through his Facebook page or via his website. He is located in the Ocala area and I learned that he also works on Magnum, a horse that Dr. Bess Darrow adopted from us a few years ago!
We hope to see Dr. Burnham again in the near future. We can’t thank him enough for the relief he brought to many here today. And I do believe that Valley Girl has a new best friend in Dr. Burnham.
Many thanks to our volunteers who came out too – our Saturday crew today was Tara, Pam, TJ, Melissa, and Yessaira. We appreciate them all!
And Then There Were FOUR!
Beau is just the cutest boy! Not just because he’s an Arabian, but because he just is! Upon his arrival at Beauty’s Haven, Beau had a Nasal discharge and a cough which did get better over time. He was in QT for at least three weeks and then we moved him to the other side of the property away from the lime rock road which blows dust throughout the paddocks. While in his new paddock, his cough and nasal discharge continued to improve. He never had a temperature and he has always had a good appetite. Out of an abundance of caution, however, we had him scoped and he is now, thankfully, clean! As soon as we figure out where to put him, he will be sharing a paddock with other horses for the time being.
On the last Sunday in March, we thought we would be needing an ark due to the extremely heavy rains, but thankfully, we did successfully weather the storm! March truly did “Go Out like a Lion!”
Then on April Fools Day, Amira seemed to enjoy the joke that she played on us! The prior evening, we had gone to bed with the knowledge that there were only three horses in one of the paddocks. The next morning, however, we discovered that there were now, four! Amira had walked through the electric tape during the night, which thankfully, was turned off, to join her friends. And then there were four!
Lastly, CaryLou and Jazzy, together with JoJo, continue to bring us so much joy and laughter as they are always up to some type of shenanigans especially when it involves a golf cart!
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!