sweetys offical foaling thread

[cassie]

Hi Jenny

I just want to say your little man is BEAUTIFUL!

I know it must be so hard for you, but I agree with the girls... hang in there, give him his four weeks, and re-evaluate then,

I know I'm more new to this then you, and I don't have any experience or knowledge to give,

but I am here for you Jenny, to support you n your little man....

hey he must almost be a week old... hmmm Thursday?

1 week little Beau!! hehe

still praying for you Jenny, and sending many hugs your way!!!!

 

[AnnaC]

It's his right hind leg Diane, BUT watching him run, play and buck (plus rearing up at his Momma!), he is dealing with life just like any other foal.

Sweety is extremely protective isn't she - to be expected, as I always feel mares know when something is not quite right with their babies, plus she had to put up with the vet 'doing' things to her baby more or less as soon as he was born, and this can affect some mares. I would not worry her any more at the moment Jenny, trying to get videos for us because I dont like to see Sweety push little Beau around when trying to keep him away from camera close-ups, he doesn't need to be pushed to use his legs more than he would be doing naturally - anyway the odd picture from now on will keep us all happy!

I am shocked at the cost of surgery - it would be way out of the pockets of most of us! But I agree with the others, you have a happy little foal and a happy mare, so I would just leave them be to enjoy life for now. I do think that you will still have to keep him separated from your other foals as he is not ready yet to start the rough and tumble, play fighting that goes on, but other than this, I wouldn't change anything.

Well I WOULD change one thing.......you seriously have to get that headcollar OFF Sweety - if Beau starts rearing up at her head (especially when her head is down eating) there is a 90% chance that he will slip a front leg through her noseband, with really tragic consequences.

I'm sure that if Sweety is not easy to catch, you can entice her into the barn/stable with a bowl of food and then put the headcollar on when you want to handle her, but remove is as soon as you have finished? Sorry to keep on about this, but just thinking of little Beau (plus the thousands of other 'accidents' that have happened to horses of all sizes through just being left with headcollars on when turned out.)

But aside from all that, I'm 100% behind you and am saying daily prayers for you and little Beau. Sending huge ((((HUGS)))) too - chin up, where there is life there is hope!

 

[lucky lodge]

thanks everyone he does seem to be a very happy little boy but the vet said he will run buck and jump because

he knows no different...it is his off side rear leg and it is heridiage so it could be my stallion so if saffire and dusty babys

come out the same..i will be a mental case. ive been waiting 4 years to breed these guys i will have to geld him.. i pick all my horse from the best studs in australia i had them trucked over

from the other side of australia which cost me $10,000 for the 3 of them... apart from sweety i bought her from were i live for $300 not like saffire dusty and lucky

the thing is sweety has had 4 other foals and never had that problam....

so were have i gone wrong

this is just braking my heart

 

[cassie]

you poor thing Jenny

I'm sure your girls will have GORGEOUS new babies for you and they will be fine

don't forget we are here for you

 

[Eagle]

I am so sorry that you are going through all this crop. It seems so unfair but PLEASE just try and enjoy him for now and wait and see. If you can find out that he won't be in pain or get arthritis why couldn't he just be your mascot.

Hugs

Renee

 

[lucky lodge]

THE vet said that if he was to be left and not do surgery he would end up very saw and have athritis bad

 

[lucky lodge]

this is the report from the vet

Problem

The right patella (knee cap) is luxated to the lateral side. The patella is not in the groove where it should be and it is on the side of the femure (thigh bone). The patella can be located in the groove but it does not stay there and it quickly luxates.

Some miniature foals have a shallow groove in the femur and the kneecap prone luxation. This problem is often inherited

Prognosis.

The foal is lame and the lamneness will continue until the foal has surgery to repair the problem. Radiographs ($250.00) will be required to determine the depth of the groove in the femur and how much deeper the groove will need to be made to correct the luxation. The prognosis will be determined by the amount articular cartilage that is disrupted when the groove in the femur is made deeper.

Surgery

Two sugrical procedures are generally required

(i) Make groove in the femur deeper. This involves elevating the cartilage and bone then removing the deeper bone then replacing the cartilage bone flap. The prognosis for soundness will depend on the ability to make the patella groove deeper without too much disruption of the articular cartilage.

(ii) Translocate (move) the tibial crest medial so the patella is inclined to run in the centre of the groove in the femur rather than the outside of the groove in the femur. This surgery involves making in the tibial crest loose then moving the tibial crest which is still attatched to the patella ligaments to its new location and fixing it there with bone screw(s).The need for this procedure would be determined after the patella groove was depened and the patella is located within the groove.

(iii) Following this the joint capsule on the inside of the joint can be tightened to help prevent luxation. Tightening the joint capsule without the above procedure(s) would be unlikely to be successful.

The cost for this procedure and post operative care at Baldivis Vet hospital would be around $3000.

The timing of the surgery is very important.Beau beau needs to mature enough to undergo a long surgery however if this procedure is left too long then it may be difficult to get the patella back in it normal position. Even as a day old foal it was difficult to reposition of patella.

Dr Robert Davies.

 

[Lindi-loo]

So So sorry to hear the news isnt good about lil Beau..Im with the rest of the girls after watching the video..he doesnt look in any pain at all..as he was born with it surely it wont be painful like a usual dislocation!!..I dont know and im not claiming to be an expert or trying to swing your decisions..thats totally your resopnsibility as hes your pony and sadly none of us would want to have to make choices for lil Beau as your having to do now..whatever you decide I personally will respect your decision as Im sure you wont be making any choices lightly!!..hes a gorgeous lil boy and hes lucky to have such two caring mummy's to watch over him..if he was to have the surgery..how would that affect him in later life..would he still suffer with aches and pains in the joint and how sucessfull is it??..does anyone know??

 

[Eagle]

One thing I would do before putting him down is call ALL the vet Universities and ask them if they would be interested in helping you, this would be a great experience for young training vets, I don't know if you would have to pay but maybe just the transport.

It's worth a try.

Hugs Renee

 

[lucky lodge]

One thing I would do before putting him down is call ALL the vet Universities and ask them if they would be interested in helping you, this would be a great experience for young training vets, I don't know if you would have to pay but maybe just the transport.

It's worth a try.

Hugs Renee

yep have asked them and thay also want 3 grand and also wonted to give beau to them to learn from

and thay said no thanks

 

[lucky lodge]

DID you read the vets report he says it inherited...

i am hoping and praying that its not my stallion

 

[lucky lodge]

So So sorry to hear the news isnt good about lil Beau..Im with the rest of the girls after watching the video..he doesnt look in any pain at all..as he was born with it surely it wont be painful like a usual dislocation!!..I dont know and im not claiming to be an expert or trying to swing your decisions..thats totally your resopnsibility as hes your pony and sadly none of us would want to have to make choices for lil Beau as your having to do now..whatever you decide I personally will respect your decision as Im sure you wont be making any choices lightly!!..hes a gorgeous lil boy and hes lucky to have such two caring mummy's to watch over him..if he was to have the surgery..how would that affect him in later life..would he still suffer with aches and pains in the joint and how sucessfull is it??..does anyone know??

if little beau got the surgery he will probaly still have a slight limp and would end up with arthritis

a friend told me about rubbing linseed oil on his joint every day so iam going to try that it cant hurt anything is worth

a try it probaly wont do anything but iam gunna try anyway

thank you everyone for being so surportive

 

[Eagle]

We are with you what ever you decide to do, this could have happened to any one of us and we totally understand how heart broken you are.

Could you try calling the local tv station? tell them about Beau's story and maybe you could do an "Open Day" to the raise money?

Do you have any famous tv people in Aussie that are known animal lovers that you could contact?

I am just throwing out ideas, I don't know if I am helping or being annoying

Sorry

 

[Wings]

I'm so sorry that you are going through this

I'm still here and watching, just so hesitant to offer advice as all we can see is a few videos and your descriptions. I tend to just defer to the vet on the ground in these cases as they are the ones there with the knowledge.

As Diane said this could just be a chance meeting of some bad genetics in this particular breeding. I would not actually repeat the breeding as the vet is leaning towards it being an inherited fault. But that is my opinion.

 

[AnnaC]

Diane, I immediately picked up on that OFTEN inherited too. So Jenny, this can equally mean that Beau's problem is just one of those things that happens sometimes, and neither your other girls, nor your stallion - or even Sweety - is likely to produce a baby with the same problem. I also like to think positive, although it is difficult sometimes.

I still dont understand why your vet did not put forward the suggestion of removing the kneecap completely (if indeed this is possible in horses the way it is in humans). If the kneecap is completely 'loose' as he says, just held on the outside of Beau's leg by ligaments, then you could say he hasnt got a kneecap? So if those ligaments were cut and the loose cap was removed, would he be any different??

Not the same as Beau of course, but I have a kneecap that 'moves'. The result of an accident that dislocated both of my knee joints. One knee healed completely, but the other has a 'loose' cap, with the nearside cartlidge popping in and out everytime I bend it. In 40+ years it has never caused me pain other than about once a year when I take a wrong step and give it a wrench! But then it is only a bit weak for a few days. If I crouch down I cannot get up from that position as the nerves in both knees simply will not/cannot obey the instructions given from my brain (but that might be the fault of my small brain LOL!), but from a chair I have no problem.

Anyway that is all bye the bye, it is just that I was trying to think of another way to perhaps deal with Beau's kneecap?? I do think that some vets tend to do the 'doom and gloom' thing, and seem to forget that we really love our animals and want to hear about ALL OR ANY WAYS round the situation. Might give my own vets a phone and ask them - they are equine only and have a hospital and are VERY VERY caring and interested in discussing 'alternatives'.

Meanwhile, try to stay positive, Beau is fine for now and enjoying his life, so no rush to make decisions for a while yet. Sending you big ((((HUGS)))) Jenny.

 

[lucky lodge]

well i have put little beau in the big paddock and hes running around like theres nothing wrong hes having a great time

i have put him in the paddock to let him have as normal live as he can in stead of being locked up

and when i see that he is in a lot of pain then that will be time i will have to say good bye

but iam hoping maybe him moving around may help ...I just dont no

 

[AnnaC]

Great Jenny.

Just let him and Sweety lead as normal a life as possible, enjoy them, spend time with them and let the future take care of itself.

 

[lucky lodge]

well little beau is a week old,,,, and i think ive run out off tears

 

[cassie]

Yay for beau!!!! Happy birthday little man! You have had a rough start but we know your a fighter and both your mummy's love you so very much!!

Give him a bday hug n kiss for me Jenny gorgeous little man! Have you got any pics of him in

The big paddock?!

Hugs

Cass

 

[lucky lodge]

will take some tomorow for you