Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Home again, Home again

After yet another last minute rearrangement in transportation, Ramsey and I have once again made it to Cornell and back.  Ramsey was greeted with the, by now almost normal, fanfare, hugs, scratches, treats and kisses.  Along with many cell phone photos. 

His foot was examined by a whole fleet of vets and students and he had a whole new set of x-rays, which show that his foot is healing very well.  I finally saw some of the x-rays and honestly, they were a bit scary looking.  I hadn't seen the films before and it was kind of a shock to see just how much of the coffin bone was removed.  It looks like something came along and took a great big bite out of it.  However, all signs of infection are gone and the bone appears stable.  The end result is that the farrier was able to trim off a great deal of the excess hoof.   I know these are terrible photos, I will try to get better ones tomorrow, but they do show how much better his foot looks.

The good news is that Ramsey doesn't have to wear a bandage anymore as long as there is no mud.  Which means (God help me!), I am actually hoping for more snow.  Oh my GOD I can't believe I just wrote that!

The not so good news is that the lateral side of Ramsey's hoof wall, where the bone was debrided, is never going to have good connection between the outer hoof wall and the inner laminae (remember that separation I pointed at in my last foot update?).  Because so much of the bone is gone, it is physically impossible.  What this means is that the hoof wall has to be kept trimmed very short in this area in order to minimize any leverage action, which would open the foot up to reinfection.  What that means is that his foot has to be carefully trimmed every three weeks for the rest of his life.  Good thing I've been practicing my farrier skills huh?.

15 comments:

  1. I home you don't take this offensively but everytime I see the pictures you post of his feet it's usually just the front two, and it reminds me of tumnas's feet from lion the witch and the wardrobe! They're so little and cute!

    I'm glad to hear he's healing well!! I have not been a blog follower long enough to know what happened but I will have to go back and read from the beginning!

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  2. Wow! I'm guessing you've had an extremely long day but yet you update us at the end of the day on how Ramsey is doing. Thanks for taking the time to keep us informed. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who checks their computer periodically to see if there is any new news. The photo of his trimmed hoof looks pretty darn good. Yee-ha! I'd be interested to see today's photo compared to a recent photo before the trim job. Keep up the good work. You rock!

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  3. So glad to hear that "our" little Ramsey came though the vet visit with flying colors. :-) It truly looks like you did the right thing in picking up farrier skills as they're going to be put to good and regular use from what you tell us. He couldn't be in better hands that's for sure. Kudos to you Kris for all you've done in helping Ramsey come through this very trying and scary experience. You're a great mom!!

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  4. Yay! so pleased the vets thought Ramsey's foot is so much better. Dear little chap, give him a big hug from me.

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  5. Your photos are fine! I'm wondering what the farrier did with the sole though?
    Glad you made it to Cornell & back safely & I'm Ultra Glad that the news was so good.

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  6. You are a brave and dedicated girl! Ramsey is very lucky.

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  7. Thank God for X-rays. The feet look balanced and much better from the last comparison! I feel sorry for the farrier having to remove that much hoof.

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  8. That is good news indeed & I'm sure Ramsey will thoroughly enjoy the (Hopefully imminent) Spring weather without his boots :)

    I'm also really glad you are allowed to do your own trimming. The laws here in the UK are very restrictive, and only really allow registered farriers to carry out anything other than 1st Aid work. I guess it's supposed to be in the horse's best interest, but it's fearsomely expensive too. Not always a good combination, as I know many people who go 6 months between farrier visits!

    Mine get seen every 6 weeks & then I wonder why I'm always penniless. LOL

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    Replies
    1. Dougie Donk! Why aren't you blogging? Would love to follow your story!

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    2. Goodness, thanks for the interest, but I don't have any interesting stories to tell & never get home early enough to take decent photos!

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  9. Look at those almost matched little hoofies!! Yes, a trim every three weeks will definitely further hone your farrier skills!
    Glad you made it and back.

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  10. I've tried three times to post a comment but my dang computer keeps getting in the way!
    I think he is looking good considering what he has been through. I also think it is a bonus that you will be able to trim him, knowing the whole story and what is going inside that hoof that no one else can see.
    He is lucky to have an awesome mom like you.

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  11. So glad he had come along great!!!

    Yeah having our own farrier skills saves a lot!!! LOL

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  12. That hoof is looking sooo much better! You are doing an awesome job and the hard work is paying off for everyone. Frequent trimming is a small price to pay for a pretty solid hoof that isn't making him limp. We're supposed to get snow and cold so maybe you can do without that bandage.....at long last!

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