Shiloh Horse Rescue: Arson Vet Fund! 9/26/08

The Arson Vet Fund

Well, it was another Vet Day for us at Shiloh! We got to the ranch, ready to get alot of things done and of course, we had to head back out to the Vet...

Arson, an OTTB who was rescued from a CA auction during the CA wildfires last fall, has had a bad foot ever since he arrived. He has always had a bulge on one side in his hoof wall and abscesses off and on. As soon as we would get one abscess cleared, another one would come. This morning, he was very sore on three legs and his hoof wall was actually breaking down. We decided to bring him in for x-rays to see just what is going on in there.

Arson goes in for the x-rays...

Getting ready...

Dr. Ballard checks out the abscessed area.

Sally demonstrates the Glamour of the horse rescue world- nice dress and boots Sally!

The x-rays showed that part of his Coffin Bone is actually eroded away by an unseen infection (see photo below). Possibly from a fracture on the track or something like a sole puncture during the fires, whatever it was, it has wreaked havoc in his foot. Arson will have to remain in the clinic for the weekend where he will have the hoof wall cut away, cleaned out and flushed, and the bone scraped. Then it will be packed with antibiotics and will have to be kept sterile. He will need to wear a customized Z Bar shoe for support. The vets are hoping that they can get it cleaned out while he is standing, but may need to lay him down on the table to make sure everything is kept as sterile as possible.

Arson's prognosis is pretty good, it will remain to be seen just how much he will be able to do after this problem is taken care of. But his friendly personality, otherwise good health, and age, all helped to make the decision to do whatever we can for him so that he can have a quality of life. If we were to do nothing, his bone would eventually become so infected that it would cause severe rotation in that foot and possible sloughing off of the hoof capsule.

We have opened a Arson Vet Fund on our Emergency Fund page. His care in the clinic is estimated at $1500.00, any amount of donation will help and will go directly to paying his vet bill.

Donations for Arson can also be called directly into the vet clinic and put on Shiloh's account.

Please call Desert Pines Equine Center at 702-645-2247 and tell them it is for "Shiloh's Arson".

Huge thank you to everyone and as always, I will post the final vet bill as soon as we know what it is.

THANK YOU also to the volunteers this morning who stepped right up to do the daily chores when we had to leave. We appreciate your support and commitment to the Shiloh horses so much.

On a very good note- Shiloh volunteer, Laurie adopted Noche this morning! Her husband Alan surprised Laurie with the adoption. Laurie has loved Noche for quite a while and we all could not be happier for the match! Here is Laurie and Noche pictured together a few days ago:

And, while we were in the vet clinic-we had a little Shiloh reunion! Marianne, Shiloh adopter of Galt and co-Shiloh website manager, stopped by after seeing our truck. She boards Galt next to Desert Pines. And adopted Shiloh Horse, Sutter came in to the clinic to have some fluid drained off of his knee! It was so great to see Sutter- he looks fantastic!