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And… Hope is Back at UF

On her first day home Hope had a good day with the exception of not having a substantial bowel movement. She did have a BM on the way home on Thursday, once more in the evening, and then again sometime during the night. On Friday morning, she made a tiny BM but her temperature, heart and respiration rates were all normal. She had a great appetite all day and munched on soaked hay but didn’t care to drink. Late morning, she walked in a circle and stretched out – not at all good signs.

I tried different concoctions to get her to drink but she simply wasn’t interested. Last evening she circled and stretched out again so I contacted her vet at UF and was instructed on what to do.

Hope seemed fine but she just would not drink. By late evening, she did more stretching so I called the vet once again and we decided taking her back to UF was in her best interest.

The vet said with the drastic change of weather, many horses are having issues regarding not wanting to drink which can lead to colic.

When we took Hope to UF on December 4th, she weighed only 88 lbs. and scored a 2 on the Body Condition Scale. When they operated on her that day they removed a lot of sand and a fecalith – she was truly lucky to be alive. Hope is only three years old and deserved a chance. She has come too far to go backwards so taking her back to the hospital was, in our opinion, the right thing to do. Upon arrival at the hospital last night, she did have a good BM so we are optimistic. Please say a prayer for our little girl.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Our Little Girl is Home!

Our little girl is finally home and she has settled in nicely, surrounded by all her new friends at the rescue! She was absolutely perfect during her ride home from the University of Florida! Because of her extended stay at the hospital, however, her bills continued to mount which is quite understandable, so if anyone would like to assist with her additional medical fees, it would be so greatly appreciated. You can donate via various means by simply clicking on the ‘Donate’ button below.

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Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to help our special little Angel. We could not do what we do without your love and support. Thank you, too, to Hope’s amazing care team at UF. You truly lessened our worries knowing that our little mini girl was in the very best of hands. We are truly, so very blessed!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Hope Never Gives Up

I was so hoping to bring Hope home today! However, when I spoke to the vet at UF this morning, he expressed concern about Hope potentially having Peritonitis or some lingering Pneumonia. Her heart rate was elevated and her temperature was at the high end of normal. Although the hospital was willing to discharge her today, there is no way that we would risk bringing Hope home since the hospital staff can immediately respond to any issue that may arise.

We decided that Hope will remain at UF until her symptoms subside, which of course, is in her very best interest.

We are so very grateful to each and every one of you for your generosity, love and support, which has up until recently covered both Hope’s surgery and hospital stay. But due to her recent setbacks requiring her to remain at the hospital for a longer period of time, we must regrettably continue our fundraiser to cover her additional hospital fees.

If you wish to help Hope donations may be forwarded in a variety of ways here on our website (CLICK HERE), or via PayPal. Please designate your contribution for ‘Hope.’ If you are unable to donate at this time, we truly understand, but you can still help by sharing this post amongst family and friends.

Thank you all so very much for your understanding and please continue to keep little Hope in your prayers.

God bless,
Theresa

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Setback extends Hope’s hospital stay

Little Hope is experiencing a setback as she has developed pneumonia but she’s on antibiotics and has a good appetite. She’s even had a BM a couple of times which is good! We are very grateful for her team of caregivers at UF, I think she has them wrapped around her little hoof.

Following any major surgery like hers, the days after can be a roller coaster ride but Hope has toughed it out and I’m sure that prayers are helping.

Hope will remain at the hospital until she is stable and comfortable. There, she’s monitored around the clock and, should something arise, they are able to diagnose and treat her right away. As badly as we want her back at the rescue, she’s right where she needs to be for now.

Thank you all for caring and please keep this little angel in your prayers.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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High “Hopes” for Mini Mare’s Recovery

Little Hope, our new mini mare surrender we took in on December 3 that was presenting with colic, made it out of surgery. Whew! It turns out she had a double whopper – not only a horrible sand issue but also a fecal impaction which would have never resolved without surgery.

Hope will have to stay at the hospital for a few days but I’ll post pictures when I get them. The wonderful people at UF Large Animal Hospital are smitten by her and promise me that she is in good hands. What a relief!

Now we pray for a non-eventful recovery with no issues with infection or other complications. So please keep Hope in your prayers.

Thank you all for your support. It takes a village and I’m so very thankful for all of you!
Theresa

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Colic Emergency for Precious New Mini Mare

Okay, Village, we need prayers for this wee young mini mare we have named Hope. She is suffering from colic due to sand in her gut, and we are desperately hoping to save her. Below is an account of her status, observations, and care thus far.

December 3, 2020

5:22pm – Hope is suffering from an impaction and the vet arrived to tube and oil her. No gut sounds.

11:50pm – A few gut sounds heard, finally. She’s on IV fluids and medication will be administered as needed. If she does not have a bowel movement by late morning, our vet will do an ultrasound. She is exhausted and is quietly resting at the moment.

Please pray that this precious little girl makes it through the night.

December 4, 2020

4:51am – No poop yet but better gut sounds.

10:05am – God’s light shined down on little Hope this morning as Dr. Templeton worked on her again. Unfortunately, x-rays show quite a bit of sand in her gut. Hope is on her way to UF. Sand impactions are never a good thing and neither is colic. But she’s only three years old and a real trooper. She’s such a sweet little girl that deserves a chance at life.

With the drastic weather changes we’ve been having, please make sure your horse is drinking. Provide good quality hay which will help the gut to work more efficiently. Don’t put their feed tubs in the sand. Feed hay in hay feeders or bags. Give psyllium for a week each month. Do everything you can to minimize sand intake.

11:00am – Little Hope is now in surgery, more prayers needed.

If anyone would like to help Hope, donations can be easily made by clicking the button below, through Facebook. or via PayPal. No amount is too small. All donations are greatly appreciated as her medical bills will be sizable.

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Thank you, all & God bless.

Sincerely,
Theresa

 

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Update on Aries and Raz

Here’s a quick update about Aries and Raz, the two Thoroughbred mares that we recently took in at the rescue. They had a spa day yesterday. Their physicals were done. They both scored a 1.5 (barely) on the Henneke scale. Their teeth need help badly and Dr. Bess will hopefully be out this coming week. Raz appears to have had a couple of her top front teeth knocked out at some point. There is a large gap which has caused her bottom teeth to grow up and out, which, in turn, have irritated her upper lip.

We will better know what is going on once we get the blood tests back, but both Aries and Raz appear to have jaundice, are likely anemic (they were loaded with ticks), have uterine infections, heart murmurs, horrible rain rot, very loose stool, lots of sand in the gut, etc. I’ll post an update about their blood work once we receive the results and consult with Dr. Julia.

After their physicals, Aries and Raz each got a much needed warm bath thanks to Jenny. She managed to get the knots out of their tails and their sores/rain rot were treated. The mares already look much better and I truly believe they feel much better as well.

Many thanks to Equiderma – they recently made a very nice donation of products which are truly making a difference to many members of our beloved little herd.

Then it was time for the farrier. Aries’ and Raz’s feet were absolutely horrible. The impact of their long feet upon their tendons, ligaments and whole body was quite significant. Raz had gone down in the trailer on the way to the farm and was a bit sore, so it took Stephanie quite some time and work to get her feet as good as possible on this visit, but she did a great job.

Raz went first and after her trim, she stood there for a bit like she knew something was different and had to adjust. Then she took a couple of steps towards Stephanie and put her head down in front of her as if to say ‘thank you.’ Then she looked at me and yawned and yawned which is a very good thing. Aries was a very good girl as well, and you could also see relief in her face as she walked away with her ‘new’ feet.

Raz and Aries have a ways to go in their rehab, but they have strong wills and the light in their eyes gets brighter each day. We appreciate the love and support for Raz and Aries – they are truly deserving.

We have promised them that all of their tomorrows will be what all of their yesterdays should have been – their needs will never be neglected again.

Thank you all so very much & God bless.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Welcome Back, Sweet Nash

We continue to remain busy here at the rescue and the days are over before we know it. The temps are down a bit, which thankfully, provides some relief for both horses and humans alike, but especially for our horses who don’t sweat.

Some of you may remember Nash. He’s now back at the rescue – a rainbow appeared out of nowhere and welcomed him upon his arrival a few days ago! He’s another precious senior, born in 1992, and is a grandson of Dash for Cash.

Nash is in need of sponsors to help with his vetting, farrier, dental, and routine needs. These are his health issues we are currently treating:

  • He has infections in 3 of 4 feet – he was CleanTrax’d yesterday.
  • He’s underweight so his diet has been modified to better suit his needs.
  • His bloodwork indicated that he’s anemic and there are some other highs and lows as well.
  • Nash has a high parasite load (1500+ EPG) so we’ve started him on a deworming protocol as prescribed by the vet.
  • He’s being treated with Succeed for ulcers – this will also help his immune system.
  • Once his immune system is improved, he will need vaccinations. He will also require a Panacur PowerPak as well as be seen by Dr. Bess, our equine dentist, for dental work.

Would anyone like to help sweet Nash?

If so, you can make a one-time donation or sign up to make an automatic monthly recurring donation (which you may cancel at any time), via our secure Donate page. There, you also have the option of making your donation in honor or memory of someone. If you wish, you can donate via Network For Good or JustGiving. You may also donate via PayPal.me or via the ‘Donate’ button below. Please note that your donation is for ‘Nash.’ All donations are greatly appreciated and no amount is ever too small.

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If you’re not in a position to donate, we completely understand, but you can still help by sharing this email amongst family and friends or via social media.

Thank you, all, so very much!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Warrior is Ready to ROLL!

As promised, just a quick update about Warrior. His bloodwork came back and all was okay! Please watch the video above, it will truly make your heart sing!

Warrior still needs assistance with his veterinary fees, so if you would like to help, please click the ‘Donate’ button below, and note that your donation is for ‘Warrior.’ All donations are greatly appreciated and no amount is ever too small.

Many thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers for sweet Warrior!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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When it Rains, it Pours

Yesterday, Warrior sadly had a bout of colic which worried us greatly. The vet was immediately called out and Warrior was tubed and oiled. Thankfully, he did have one bowel movement soon thereafter. Blood tests were done but he just was not feeling great. Early this morning, however, we discovered three piles of poop! I’m still anxious to get the blood work results back and will update you all as soon as I can.

If anyone would like to assist with Warrior’s veterinary fees, please click the ‘Donate’ button below, and note that your donation is for ‘Warrior.’ All donations are greatly appreciated and no amount is ever too small.

Thank you for your love and support!

Sincerely,
Theresa

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