Another Bump in the Road

The past few days here at the farm have been ridiculously busy, so I apologize for not posting updates sooner. We have completed preparations for our summer programs, along with yardwork, barn cleaning, and fence-fixing - enough chores to keep us busy for months!

Linus

Linus had made absolutely amazing improvements in such a short time! The weight tape says that he has put on 40 pounds so far, which is just incredible. He looks a million times better than he did back on June 2nd and I am consistently pleased with his demeanor and attitude. He is such a sweetie!

He is all set for surgery on June 30th. We recently received a written estimate from the clinic for the procedure, pictured below. The estimate totals $1711.96 but may change depending on any issues they encounter during the procedure, if he needs additional anesthesia, etc.



Faith, the Good

Then there's my dear Faith. Let's start with the positive...

Faith absolutely loves getting a massage! Shirley Fraser graciously volunteered to donate her time towards Faith's recovery. Faith has never been one to enjoy people touching her, she is a mare after all, but after only a few minutes of grouchy faces she realized that Shirley had quite the magic touch!

Faith enjoying her massage with Shirley Fraser on June 19th, 2009.

Shirley worked on all of Faith's sore spots, mainly her neck and back. There were quite a few knots, and Faith graciously let her loosen them all up for her. Faith eventually got over herself and enjoyed it. She leaned into Shirley's hands, dropped her head down into the crossties, and closed her eyes. She looked so peaceful and relaxed - it was great to see!

I am very impressed with Shirley's knowledge and ability, and highly recommend her to anyone who needs a massage therapist for their horse! She can be contacted at (617) 290 1200 or through email at svf59@hotmail.com.

Faith, the Bad

Dr. Barnes came to reevaluate and readjust Faith on Thursday. The first part of his visit was wonderful - Faith showed a zero response from her pressure points on her back and hindquarters. The second half of his visit was not as exciting. We narrowed down where her front end lameness is coming from...

Faith has arthritis in what I consider the worst joint to have pain in: her knee. Unfortunately when dealing with arthritis in a knee, it's difficult to treat. The knee has three main joints made up of seven different bones. These bones are lined up in two different rows, held together by ligaments. With the combination of having all of those components in one joint, and it being a highly weight-bearing joint, there is a lot that can go wrong.

There are a few things that we can do to nurse the symptoms, but nothing we can do to fix the joint. If we can narrow her pain down to a specific joint, our vet can do direct injections with hyaluronic acid and depo-medrol. If we cannot narrow her pain down, we can give her systemic injections of either glucosamine and chondroitin, the HA/Depo mix, or Legend or Adequan.

Before we do that, we must figure out exactly what is going on in her joint. The next time Dr. George comes to the farm, we will have him take five radiographs of her left knee, as well as three of her right knee for comparison. Once both he and Dr. Barnes look at them, we will figure out which treatment will be the best one to take.

It seems as though once things start to go right, we hit another bump in the road. All I want is for this grouchy old diva to be comfortable and happy. Is that too much to ask for?! :-)

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