Velvet Update

[jenharmon]

Aw, I've been reading ur updates on poor little Velvet. You're such a caring person for taking her in and doing all you've done for her. She does look better in the last pics. What a pretty girl. Will continue sending prayers and good thoughts yalls way. I'm glad she found someone as caring as you!

[cheri]

What an improvement! That is one very lucky little mare! Prayers still coming.

[lynntn]

Hugs to you, Julie and Velvet.

[Sherrie]

Julie said she got Velvet some third cutting alfalfa and she likes it so she is eating a bit more.
I plan on going to see her in the next couple of weeks and take her some more donations.
Julie is now back at work and still mending so she is able to spend more time with her.

[Sherrie]

This is GREAT news

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!

Just got back from Velvet's 7:00 p.m. check up. We have a blizzard going on again here. Knee high drifts all the way there but my trusty truck made it through - barely.

She is still going strong! I am thrilled to say it has been 2 full days of non-stop eating, pooping and gaining strength.

Her temperature hovers between 99.9 and 101.0. This is a bit elevated but okay. I take her temp twice a day with evening usually being higher. She is eating fantastic. Seems to like one thing for a while and then changes her mind and wants something else. I have a whole range of items for her to choose from - per the instruction of my vet. Since she is so underweight, we want her to eat eat eat. So, she has grass hay, grass mix hay, and a third cutting alfalfa. We also have a small amount of equine senior, 4-way sweet feed and a 4-way with some "Amplify" supplement added. At CSU she seemed to like the senior the best. She has taken to the 4-way now. Not to worry - I check her digital pulses regularly as well as check for heat. Yes - all that sugar and protein is a concern but given her body condition, founder does not seem to be a problem. As she gains weight, she will be restricted to grass hay. Unfortunately, we do not have a scale so cannot tell what she weighs now.

In the meantime, whatever she doesn't eat when I come in gets thrown away and fresh is put down. Thursday through last night - she needed meds at 7:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. We are down to just 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and just one med. Doxycycline. She has 3 more days of that. She finished up the Metronidazol on Saturday. She gets a 1/4 tube of gastroguard in the am and her meds with molases. Hasn't needed banamine since she was discharged from CSU!

She is definitely feeling better as the oral meds and temperature taking are proving more challenging every time. She has decided she doesn't like the oral meds even with molases mixed. She also does not want to stand still when I am taking her temp (who could blame her). Her feet are in good shape, no pulse or heat at this time. Her incision is just gorgeous - no swelling, no heat and absolutely clean.

I went to take pictures tonight for updated photos and wouldn't you know it, I turned the camera on and it promptly turned off saying I needed new batteries. Phoey!! So, sorry to say, no updated photos right now.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for all they donated towards her costs. It is a tremendous help! I am going to continue updating my ebay auctions and there are a few other auctions still running out there for her benefit so - please bid if there is something you want.

As for my credit cards - I have paid almost $3000 off with your generous donations and gifts!! I still have about $1500 I still need to pay off for CSU and about $500 to my boss. THIS IS AWESOME!!! I can't believe how you guys came through for us - for velvet! She so deserved it and she is such a spitfire - I can't wait until she is running around in a pasture kicking and bucking - that will be a good photo!

Please continue to send healing light - she is not out of the woods yet - we still have about a week to turn that corner. Until then, she need us to keep sending love to her. Thank you again!!

Julie

[Linda]

Sherrie, thank you so much for sharing Julies updates with us. I am so happy to hear all this good news with Velvet. To all that have helped Julie with all these vet bills, God Bless you all. I think this is so awesome and I'm so glad to be apart of such a wonderful marestare family.

[BettyB]

Thank you for the updates. I very much appreciate knowing how things are going.

[Sherrie]

your quite welcome.

[Sherrie]

Just recieved this from Julie

Just wanted to give everyone an update on the little one. She continues to improve with each day. She is such a doll - nickers every time I walk by her stall which is quite often because I like to check in on her.

I still check her temperature twice a day and it remains between 99 and 101.5 which is good. She is having completely normal bowel movements and a lot of them at that. She is fiesty and full of zest when I check her temp and insists she have something to eat before I even attempt to see her backside. In fact, all I get is her little nose unless I give her something to munch.

We finished the antibiotics on Wednesday I think and things are going well. She is now medicine free and has been for a few days. I feed her several small meals throughout the day consisting of grass hay with some alfalfa leaves mixed in. See right after surgery we fed her straight alfalfa because she wouldn't eat and that was the only thing she seemed interested in. Well, now that she is feeling considerably better, we want to slow down the intake of all that protein so I am trying to get her on plain grass hay. She needs to gain weight but she also doesn't need to founder. She doesn't like this plan too much and instead gives me that baby doll look and softly nickers and knows I am helpless against it - it is a clever tactic on her part, so . . we compromised. I give her alfalfa but just a tiny handful and I hide it within the grass so she eats some of the grass trying to find the few alfalfa leaves. She also gets a bit of equine senior to try and help put on some weight and a bit of 4-way for texture. She LOVES it! I also just got today some really cool feed designed by vets called Revolution - I started her on that tonight. It is supposed to be really good for post colic horses and helps build weight without too much protein. She also gets three meals of timothy hay pellets soaked in warm water. She likes that too. The quantity of this stuff is about this - 1/4 measuring cup of senior with a sprinkle of 4-way 3 to 4 times a day. 2 cups of timothy hay and a sprinkle of the revolution. Free feed on the grass hay.

We also started the Gastroplus product today (generously donated) since she has finally gotten the last of the antibiotics out of her system. Her first doses was this morning and all went well. So - we have her on a pretty good regimen. She gets her water changed out at each meal with luke warm water (so it doesn't get too cold for her) and she gets lots and lots of scratches! Finally, she decided on Wednesday or Thursday (can't remember which - all the days kind of blur together lately) that she no longer wanted to wear her blanket. So, she took it off. She put her hoof down on that one. So - for now, no blanket. Unless our temps go way down again, that shouldn't be a problem. We do check her incision on a daily basis and she really hates that!! We don't even have to touch it. I guess she is just shy and doesn't like the scar. Although I would think she should be happy with her tummy tuck - she looks very sexy. The staples should come out soon.

She did go for her first walk outside on Wednesday night. Didn't want to make her too tired so we were only out about 10 minutes and she did have her blanket on. She was very excited and promptly sought out any blades of grass she could find which wasn't many with all the snow we've had. We walked at a brisk rate - at her insistence - and she was bright and alert.

We took a blood sample on Monday. She was about the same as she was when she left CSU which is okay - not fantastic - but okay. At least she hasn't gotten worse. I am told it is a slow thing to change after such a surgery. Yes, I did consult the surgeon who worked on Velvet and asked her about the new bloodwork compared to the bloodwork from CSU on the 11th and she was very pleased and felt things were going just as needed. We took another blood sample today (much to Velvet's protest) and will get the results from that either tomorrow or Monday morning. I am really hopeful the protein will improve as well as a few other things.

I have attached an updated photo taken on the 16th. I meant to get more photos today and of course, forgot my camera. I am hoping to remember it tomorrow when I feed and get some of her (and she will be naked - hehe).

As for her auctions . . . Not sure on all of them but I do know the water color ends tomorrow so if you haven't already checked that out - please do and bid! All the books from C. Kirkham are sold! The rest of the items will remain open until the 27th. I did a tally of donations and costs and am only about $1000 to $1500 in the hole. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! These auctions will help with that and hopefully your continued support will too.

On that subject - Thank you again for all of your support, well wishes, healing light and amazing generosity!! This has truly been an AWESOME experience knowing all of you were out there thinking of us and helping us - and financially pitching in! It has really taken a whole lot of stress off me getting the donations. I just don't know what else to say. Thank you.

Please continue to pass the word on Velvet and if you know anyone who wants to help her, we still need it. We also always always always need that healing light!! She is not out of the woods yet - she is very close - but we still have founder and laminitis to watch for and that healing light has gotten her this far - please keep it going!

Velvet sends hugs and kisses to all - and a really sweet nicker too.

Julie

[ForMiniReasons-->Devon♥]

<3 Prayers

[Linda]

I'm so happy to hear that little Velvet is doing good. I think she captured all our hearts. Thank you for the update Sherrie, it was very much appricated.

[devotee]

Thanks for the update, Sherrie. Julie is a real hero, and so is Velvet. Here's to a long and wonderful partmership between them! Well done.

[rayna]

Im new on reading about Velvet, what was wrong with her? Glad to hear things are getting better.

[Sherrie]

Go back a couple pages to the thread

Velvet mini fights for her life - HELP NEEDED Long
« Thread Started on Jan 7, 2007, 7:57pm »

[rayna]

OK thank you Sherrie.
omg poor baby girl. Good thing someone cared for her. So glad she is coming along. Best wishes, i will keep her in my thoughts.