On Saturday morning, we were faced with yet another medical crisis. Aaleyah went down with colic.
I immediately called the vet and then administered medications. After the vet arrived and passed a tube, she determined that Aaleyah required hospitalization. As we were loading Aaleyah, Chloe become very stressed. Aaleyah and Chloe have been best friends for many years and I was so worried that Chloe, too, might colic. I made the decision, despite a terrible migraine, to remain at the farm while Jenny followed Bob and Aaleyah to the hospital. I gave Chloe a little sedative to calm her down and approximately forty-five minutes later, she felt better and went off with Peaches who is, once again, on ‘friendship’ duty. I’m sure Peaches knows that Chloe needs a new friend while Aaleyah is away.
Once Aaleyah arrived at the hospital, Dr. Hughes called and stated that she felt Aaleyah’s Issue could be managed medically vs surgically – they would treat her and give her some time. As we waited, Jenny stayed in touch and after a bit, she called to say that it would be best if I got to the hospital as soon as possible. My migraine had subsided, Chloe had settled down, and I was very concerned about Aaleyah, so off to the hospital I went. Upon seeing Aaleyah, my little voice told me she needed surgery sooner than later. Jenny then tracked down Dr. Hughes to let her know that I had arrived.
After discussing the issues with Dr. Hughes, I asked that she set the process in motion so Aaleyah could go into surgery immediately – a decision which literally, saved Aaleyah’s life.
During surgery, Dr. Hughes discovered that Aaleyah’s colon had been displaced. However, the blood supply to it was good. The bigger issue was an epiploic foramen entrapment. There is a small slit next to the liver and stomach (which is normal) but somehow, about six feet of Aaleyah’s small intestine had become entrapped in that slit. The blood supply had been cut off but the intestine was not dead so Dr. Hughes opted to put back the section of small intestine where it belonged versus resecting it. Afterwards, she observed the intestine moving and ‘coming back to life.’. She stated that part of the intestine was ‘sick’ but it was not ‘dead,’ and thought it best to let it be. She also said that Aaleyah needs to go on a serious diet! I don’t want to be the one to tell Aaleyah that – she only gets a little Safe Starch Forage with a ration balancer as it is.
When Dr. Hughes called this morning, she stated that Aaleyah had had a bumpy night which was to be expected following major surgery. She promised to call me if there was any change for the worse. Sadly, since I could not be in two places at once and with Jo and Gabe having issues, I opted to remain at the farm today while Jenny went to check in with Aaleyah at the hospital. I was happy to learn Aaleyah had passed a small amount of poop! She is also talking to a cute gelding across from her and her eyes are a bit brighter.
She is not out of the woods yet and will remain at the hospital for at least five to seven days.
How to Help
If anyone would like to help with Aaleyah’s medical/surgical fees, donations may be called directly into Peterson Smith Equine Hospital: 352-861-1251 or 352-237-6151. Account #95501. Donations for her may also be made in a variety of ways by clicking on the button below.
Thank you, all, for your love and support and please continue to keep Aaleyah in your prayers.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Aaleyah Needs You Now
Aaleyah Belle thankfully continues to do well since her return to the rescue following her surgery at PetersonSmith Equine Hospital. Although she would prefer not being in a stall, she can, at least, still gaze out over the farm from her window. Aaleyah can also see her best friend, Chloe, from afar and needless to say, she was completely over the moon when Chloe got to visit with her from the paddock outside the barn area over night. I know that both girls will be happiest when they are together once again.
Sadly, in the world of animal rescue, especially with equines, who, despite their size and grandeur, are really quite delicate beings, unexpected medical emergencies can arise in the blink of an eye, emergencies which must be acted upon quickly in order to save a precious life. And since we depend solely upon contributions and grants to ensure the safety and well-being of each and every member of our beloved little herd, we are now, desperately seeking your help. Aaleyah will be so very appreciative of any contribution designated to her surgery/hospitalization. Just click on the ‘DONATE’ button below to make a contribution directly to her Facebook Fundraiser.
Thank you, all, for your continued generosity, love and support. *Please click on the image above to view a video of Aaleyah, our beautiful girl who ‘never gives up.’
Sincerely,
Theresa
She Never Gave Up!
Aaleyah Belle is back at the rescue! Colic can happen at any time and I still cannot believe that we lost Oasis a couple of weeks ago to this insidious condition. And then it hit Aaleyah Belle out of the blue! Aaleyah so loves life and I am so very grateful that she got through this. She never gave up! Life can truly change in a blink of an eye. Thank you, all, so very much, for your good thoughts and prayers. We have been blessed many times with answered prayers. This is yet another blessing.
We have currently posted a fundraiser on Facebook to help cover the cost of Aaleyah’s surgery, hospital stay and veterinary care. If anyone would like to help with this need, you can visit our Facebook page (CLICK HERE), or if you prefer, you may contribute directly to Beauty’s Haven by clicking on the ‘DONATE’ button below. Please note that your contribution is for ‘Aaleyah Belle.’
Thank you, all, for your continued generosity, love and support. If you would like to see our girl up close and personal, just click on the image above.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Life is About Determination
“Life is about determination! Don’t give up just because of the obstacles. Regardless of what obstacles face you, just keep going! Go through, go around, go over or under – but never give up!”
Aaleyah Belle, thankfully, continues to improve daily. On Tuesday, Dr. Hughes reported that Aaleyah’s heart rate was still elevated, albeit it had come down a bit. She is eating hay and passing poop. She was so happy to see Jenny and Jen walk through the door when they visited with her on Tuesday!
On Wednesday, Aaleyah was beyond thrilled to no longer be muzzled and she happily, munched on her hay. She is still not out of the woods as yet, but we are cautiously optimistic. This mare never gives up!
And, poor Gabe! He is just so anxious for his corneal ulcer and abscess to heal. We are administering quite a bit of eye medications and thankfully, the lavage has truly made a world of difference.
Please continue to keep both Aaleyah and Gabe in your prayers and if anyone wishes to contribute to their medical fees, it would be so greatly appreciated. Once again, donations for Aaleyah may be called in directly to PetersonSmith Equine Hospital at 352-861-1251 or 352-237-6151 (account #95501). Our website also offers a variety of options in which to contribute. Just click on the ‘DONATE’ button below.
Thank you, all, for your continued generosity, love and support.
Sincerely,
Theresa
When it Rains, It Pours
On Saturday, when I was at the hospital with Aaleyah Belle, Jo somehow managed to lodge a sliver in her neck which became quite swollen and sore, but we are treating her accordingly, and she is, thankfully, doing okay. And then there is Gabe, who somehow injured his eye which caused him much discomfort and despite our daily administration of eye medications, there was little sign of improvement.
Since I had to attend to Jo and Gabe, I decided to remain at the farm on Sunday and asked Jenny to visit with Aaleyah at the hospital. I also decided that it would be the perfect time to call the vet out to assess Gabe’s eye. Upon examination, the vet discerned that not only does Gabe have a corneal ulcer, he has an abscess as well! Gabe’s eye medications were adjusted accordingly and a subpalpebral lavage was put in place which will make it much easier for us to treat his eye.
Chloe is, thankfully, doing okay – she has settled in nicely in the main paddock with her ‘new friend,’ Peaches, eagerly awaiting the return of her best friend, Aaleyah. Mo is adjusting to the loss of his beloved Oasis, thanks to our resident ‘wise old soul,’ Waylon, and his happy go lucky sidekick, Walker. I also visited Aaleyah today. She is having a fairly good day but she is not at all happy with her muzzle or stall. She did slime Jenny today so I’m taking that as a good sign!
Our vet bills are growing exponentially, so if anyone would like to assist with Gabe or Aaleyah’s veterinary expenses, it would be so greatly appreciated.
Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Aaleyah Belle Needs Prayers
On Saturday morning, we were faced with yet another medical crisis. Aaleyah went down with colic.
I immediately called the vet and then administered medications. After the vet arrived and passed a tube, she determined that Aaleyah required hospitalization. As we were loading Aaleyah, Chloe become very stressed. Aaleyah and Chloe have been best friends for many years and I was so worried that Chloe, too, might colic. I made the decision, despite a terrible migraine, to remain at the farm while Jenny followed Bob and Aaleyah to the hospital. I gave Chloe a little sedative to calm her down and approximately forty-five minutes later, she felt better and went off with Peaches who is, once again, on ‘friendship’ duty. I’m sure Peaches knows that Chloe needs a new friend while Aaleyah is away.
Once Aaleyah arrived at the hospital, Dr. Hughes called and stated that she felt Aaleyah’s Issue could be managed medically vs surgically – they would treat her and give her some time. As we waited, Jenny stayed in touch and after a bit, she called to say that it would be best if I got to the hospital as soon as possible. My migraine had subsided, Chloe had settled down, and I was very concerned about Aaleyah, so off to the hospital I went. Upon seeing Aaleyah, my little voice told me she needed surgery sooner than later. Jenny then tracked down Dr. Hughes to let her know that I had arrived.
During surgery, Dr. Hughes discovered that Aaleyah’s colon had been displaced. However, the blood supply to it was good. The bigger issue was an epiploic foramen entrapment. There is a small slit next to the liver and stomach (which is normal) but somehow, about six feet of Aaleyah’s small intestine had become entrapped in that slit. The blood supply had been cut off but the intestine was not dead so Dr. Hughes opted to put back the section of small intestine where it belonged versus resecting it. Afterwards, she observed the intestine moving and ‘coming back to life.’. She stated that part of the intestine was ‘sick’ but it was not ‘dead,’ and thought it best to let it be. She also said that Aaleyah needs to go on a serious diet! I don’t want to be the one to tell Aaleyah that – she only gets a little Safe Starch Forage with a ration balancer as it is.
When Dr. Hughes called this morning, she stated that Aaleyah had had a bumpy night which was to be expected following major surgery. She promised to call me if there was any change for the worse. Sadly, since I could not be in two places at once and with Jo and Gabe having issues, I opted to remain at the farm today while Jenny went to check in with Aaleyah at the hospital. I was happy to learn Aaleyah had passed a small amount of poop! She is also talking to a cute gelding across from her and her eyes are a bit brighter.
How to Help
If anyone would like to help with Aaleyah’s medical/surgical fees, donations may be called directly into Peterson Smith Equine Hospital: 352-861-1251 or 352-237-6151. Account #95501. Donations for her may also be made in a variety of ways by clicking on the button below.
Thank you, all, for your love and support and please continue to keep Aaleyah in your prayers.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Nadia and Venus, Together Again
Nadia has had DLSD for a long time and we have worked with traditional vets, a great farrier, and holistic vet over the years to try to keep her comfortable. But she has grown more uncomfortable over the past few weeks, and over the past couple of days she has made it clear to me that she’s tired.
Upon consultation with the vet, and what I had already felt deeply in my heart, we made the decision to help our beautiful Nadia reunite not only with her beloved Venus, but with all of her other friends who have crossed before her and are now galloping happily with the Heavenly Herd. They shall all remain forever in our hearts.
To view a video of our two beautiful Arabian mares, CLICK HERE.
Sincerely,
Theresa
A Message from JoJo as Idalia Approaches
Yesterday afternoon, JoJo was concerned because he heard a hurricane might be coming – he saw a kayak on Frosty’s Knoll and Lucy wearing a snorkel. Well, we definitely have a hurricane coming and Lucy was definitely in a snorkel, but I was really proud of her because she was already wearing her EquestriSafe ID collar! We have a ton of things to get done in a short period of time and I’m very thankful that we have collars for the other horses and the dogs.
Please click on the ‘DONATE’ button below if you can assist us at this time. And, see sweet JoJo’s message up close and personal by watching the video below, straight from the donkey’s mouth!
Thank you, as always, for your love and support.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Godspeed, Beautiful Oasis
Last evening, Avie discovered Oasis down and cast in his shelter. She contacted me over the radio and I immediately responded. When I saw him, I knew it was very bad. I called the vet and administered IV medications as instructed, to aid Oasis until the vet arrived. He was able to get up but would immediately go down – he was in excruciating pain. While waiting for Dr. Madera to arrive, Bob prepared the trailer in order to transport Oasis to the hospital.
Oasis, an elegant and proud eighteen year-old Arabian, loved life and made many humans laugh with his antics. He has always been healthy and as he had a strong heart, it took much longer than the norm for the medication to take effect, which would help him to peacefully transition to Rainbow Bridge. However, the longer transition did make it very hard on us humans. The entire time, his best friend, Mo, together with myself, Bob, and Dr. Madera, remained by Oasis’ side.
Our beloved Oasis is now majestically galloping at Rainbow Bridge with all the other members of our herd that have gone before him. He leaves behind all who loved him dearly, especially Mo and his entire Beauty’s Haven family who are beyond devastated. He had a very special place in my heart and always will.
Oasis will truly be missed and his heartbreaking departure leaves an irreplaceable void. Please keep Mo, and all of us here at Beauty’s Haven, in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you, as always, for your love and support.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Maggie – Near or far, she’ll always be in our hearts
Maggie came to us last November as a county seizure. She had been living alone in a small sand paddock for many years. The case is still pending, but last week we were advised we had to release her to her previous owner. She was picked up on Saturday. It broke many hearts – especially Gabe’s. I can only hope and pray that there were lessons learned and that Maggie will be loved and properly cared for this time – and that she will have a friend. She truly appreciated having companionship.
Walking her to the transport trailer was a very hard thing to do and I feel like I betrayed her. I had promised her safety, food, and happiness. I’m sure she didn’t understand that we had no choice – we do have to follow the law. We all adore this mare and we cherish the bond that these two horses, each one having lived alone for many years before coming to us, had formed.
Updated to address questions: We know where Maggie went. The State Attorney approved of the boarding facility where she was taken which is a couple of hours away. It’s off the beaten path so there is really no way to check on her by doing a drive-by. There was no restriction put on how long Maggie had to stay at the boarding facility.
Sincerely,
Theresa
Match Game!
We are also truly pleased to announce that a dear friend and supporter has come forth and has offered to match all donations up to $450 designated for the fence boards. Any overage will be applied to filling the in-ground Propane tank that feeds two generators so they will be ready for potential hurricanes.
If you are in a position to help with this need, please click on the ‘DONATE’ button below where there are many options in which to forward your contribution. Please be assured that all donations are greatly appreciated and no amount is ever too small! Please note that your contribution is for ‘Fence Board Match Game.’
Thank you, all, for your love and support.
Sincerely,
Theresa