We are pre-empting news of Tex's latest adventures to report on the current condition of Pookey Bear, aka Absolutely Impulsive, Mr Nickers, The Wonder Horse, etc. We will be using this space to post daily updates of Pookey's condition for a bit so that we do not have to 'ding' in to interrupt family and friends at work to tell them, "Pookey just took a step!" Here is a bit of background...
Nearly a week has passed since Pookey first foundered, a sad sequela to what we suspect was likely insulin resistance syndrome, or just an acquired inability to handle carbs. At any rate, it has been nearly seven days since we last saw him prancing around the pasture: today, he stands quietly in his 'hospital' stall, munching low carb hay and watching the world go by.
After spending several days with his new friends at La Mesa Equine Lameness Center, under the expert care of Dr. Alan Donnell and his kind staff, Pookey is back home in his familiar stall in our backyard, hopefully to heal quickly and thoroughly. While he has experienced some rotation in both front feet, with the right foot more affected, we are praying that his condition will stabilize and that corrective shoeing will make him almost as good as new.
This morning he was lying down when we went out to feed, but was able to stand with little effort and immediately began to nicker for his breakfast. Upon initial assessment his pain rated about a 6 on a 1-10 scale, definitely better than yesterday morning, when he was at about a 7. He was able to move carefully around his stall to drink, eat his hay, and hang his head out the front door, which we have placed a stall guard across (okay, it's a lead rope).
Dr. Donnell had immediately placed Pookey in a pair of Soft Ride boots, which seem to greatly ease his pain and help him stand quite normally. Here is a photo of one of his trendy black 'tennis shoes':
I am a real believer in these boots! They feature a tough-gripping urethane sole, a comfortable nylon upper, sturdy velcro fasteners, and a soft but durable gel insert that supports the sole and helps relieve strain on the deep flexor tendon. For Pookey, they have been a real God-send: he could barely take a step on concrete without them, but with them, he is able to motor around relatively normally when needed.
Of course the only place he is going right now is from water bucket to feeder to window. I do worry about his circulation being impeded with so little movement, but right now it is important to keep concussion and strain to a minimum, so he is staying in a deeply bedded stall at least until Monday.
Tomorrow, more pictures, and some particulars about his care.
Until then, thanks for caring about Pookey Bear!
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