Finally heard back...

from the vet yesterday afternoon.  Looks like we're going to be making our way back to Cornell on Monday for x-rays and foot trimming.  We all agree that the foot needs to be trimmed, but there is no way of knowing just how to trim it without the x-rays so, it is over hill and dale and off to the hospital we go.  Actually, we'd have gone today if I could have lined up some transportation.  I sure wish I had a truck and trailer.  Little Ramsey isn't quite little enough for the back of my car.  I just might have gotten away with it a few months ago, but not now.  I don't have a sunroof - his ears would never fit.

Saving Up

"What are you doing Ramsey?"

"IT'S BEEN SOOOOOOO COLD AND WINDY, BUT THE SUN HAS PEEKED OUT FOR JUST A TINY MOMENT.  i THOUGHT i'D TRY TO FILL UP MY DISH SO i CAN HAVE SOME FOR LATER."

"YOU WANT SOME?  i'LL SHARE."

"What do think Ma, are you going to explain it to him or do I have to?"

"I say we just let him be.  Who knows, maybe he'll save up enough for a miracle and this darned wind will stop.  It can't hurt to try and it's not like there is much else to do when it's 8 degrees and the wind is howling."

Complaint Department

"You know Ma, I have a complaint."

"Oh yeah Emma, what's the problem?" 

"This is my third February and it stinks.  Can't you do something about this?"

"Uhmmm, what did you have in mind?"

"Well I don't know, you could start by getting rid of the nasty snow and make the temperature just a bit higher.  Can't you at least make the wind stop?  Honestly, we really have had quite enough of this.  Just. Make. It. Stop. 
Or hey...I know, you could build us a bigger barn, something we can run around in.  Say....something in the vicinity of, oh let's say 100,000 square feet....something about the size of your average Walmart maybe.  That'd work."

"Jeez Em, you don't ask for much do you.  You donkeys already have the whole barn.  The horses are relegated to the shed.  You know...the shed that was supposed to be for machinery and then was going to be for you, but now has two horses crammed into it instead.  Really Em, you may as well ask me to just get rid of the month of February."

"Ma!! I KNEW you'd come up with something.  That's a great idea!  I haven't been able to think of a single redeeming aspect of February, let's just do away with it!"

"YEAH, MOMMY'S RIGHT.  LET'S GET RID OF FEBRUARY!  DOWN WITH FEBRUARY!!!"

"Yeah, sure guys.  I'll get right on that for you...."

Hauling Groceries

The Good & The Scary

I haven't heard back from the vets at Cornell yet.  They are usually very prompt at returning emails and calls, but a friend mentioned that it may be Spring break for the school.  If that is the case, I doubt I'll get anywhere till break is over.

Reddunappy asked if Ramsey had foundered on this foot.  The answer to that is a qualified no.  There was a massive infection in the foot which can be very similar to founder/laminitis.  Also, about 1/4 of his coffin bone was removed during surgery because it was infected.  I really don't know if removing that much bone can cause it to rotate, I suspect it is very possible.  I also don't know how that kind of infection might affect the rest of the internal hoof structures and how they grow in the future.  The effects could be similar to laminits.  I hope to discus all this with the vet some more.

I know it will take at least a year to grow a new hoof.  At this point, I am just trying to keep everything stable and healing so that healthy growth has a chance to occur.  I don't know if this foot will ever be "normal" again.  Sound and functional is what I am looking for.

Ian asked for comparison photos so I took some this afternoon.  You can get an idea of just how goofy this foot looks at the moment.  That cute little foot on the right is a much more normal baby-donkey foot.

I believe that the odd texture of his bad foot was caused by the constant bandaging.  It is a perfect example of how anything that effects the coronet band effects the hoof.  The bandage had a nubby texture, so now the foot has a nubby texture.  That shouldn't hurt anything though.

The normal hoof.

For the Vet

This post is for the vets and farrier at Cornell, but is also an update on Ramsey's foot.  I have been trying to send them pictures, but keep having technical problems so I am putting them up here where everyone can see them.

The foot is not bearing weight evenly.  When he is standing square, all of his weight is on the back of the heels and the toe does not touch the ground.

He generally moves well and seems sound on it, but occasionally the heel become a pivot point and the whole foot drops down with the toe pointing upwards, stretching the pastern.

It seems like the foot needs to be trimmed back so that it will bear weight and land properly, but there is still a hole in his sole and the sole seems too thin to trim any more. 

There is also some separation at the white line in this one area.

 

Questions:
Is this normal hoof development after such surgery?
How/should I trim this?
How long is it likely to take for this hole to close?

I have finally been able to bandage the foot without covering the coronet band or his heel bulbs, which are doing much better without the constant irritation.

Where's Ramsey?