Twins Update - Cam Trouble or Not?

[pahobs]

Little Surprise will be in my prayers too - please keep us updated and hopefully, you'll get that cam up soon and we can see her.

[risingrainbow]

Thanks, everyone, for the prayers. I spoke with Surprise's primary vet from Pilchuck today and we outlined a more specific treatment plan. She(the vet) is going to send a make shift brace to my vet here to put on Surprise before the custom brace is ready. Also, she wants to x-ray Surprise's front legs as well, since there were issues with both hinds, even though the thing on the one leg was very minor. Also, wants x-rays on Trouble since his is susceptible to anything that she is, and we just want to be sure we're on top of anything instead of behind like we were with Surprise. We modified their diet so hopefully they won't be jumping out of their skins on this 2 months of stall rest. But hopefully 2 months is all it will be. She approved the move to the larger stall and hopefully we'll be able to get that done here soon. Will get the camera set up for that location because it's a straighter line to the house and more likely to be able to get it to work there. I got a donation account set up for the ongoing expenses for these two. I made the initial arrangements for the custome brace and once they heard that we had a donation account set up, he dropped the price of the brace from $395 or $205 (bless his pea picking little heart!!). The brace is very specific, he will be able to make adjustments based on the vet's discription of the injury to support where it needs support and flex where it needs flex and whatever else her needs might be. Very Cool! But we have to take a cast of her leg for the fit. It takes 5-7 days to make the brace. We can't send the cast until we have his specific order form that has all the pertinent vet questions on it though so am waiting for that. AND.......after all of that and working 4 horses, I'm dead. But at least I feel like help for Surprise is finally moving along! Surprise, BTW, would like to see far more visitors at the barn. She thinks being cooped up isn't nearly so bad when there are humans there to play with., after all, Trouble is just a dumb old boy and you know how those boys are.

[h2opony]

I am SOOOOO happy to hear that this was going somewhere... my vet told me to have you x ray troubles legs too, and to have her front legs done as well... great minds think alike... the Arizona Equine Institute vets suggested the brace that flexes in certain areas as well!

Wish we could get those x rays digitalized!

[risingrainbow]

Yes, I'm glad it's finally going somewhere too. While I don't feel confident that things are under control yet, I do feel confident that we're at least moving in the right direction.

As for digitalizing the x-rays, can I go to Kinko's or something and get them scanned onto a disk? Will that work?

Also, would like some input from folks about the name we set up on the donation account. It needs to be something simple that folks will remember. The account person at WAMU put "the rare twin foals" as the account title. I'm a little worried that the word "the" will make it difficult to locate. For 30 years I have run a out of home business titled "The Kat's Kupboard" and I can't tell you all of the issues that word "the" has had for me in name recognition. My husband said I was just splitting hairs. Would sure appreciate some input on whether I should get that word dropped off the name before the TV station publicizes this. Any and all thoughts would be most helpful!!

[Heather T]

I agree with dropping the "the" from the title. I think I'd want it to be Twin Foals...Not sure anyone would search for the word "rare" either. Just my opinion.

I'm so glad to hear about the brace situation and the discount...this is wonderful news!

How are the twins fairing? Wish I lived closer so I could come visit and play with them. I love to play with the babies. Yours would seem like full grown horses to me. I could bring a mini foal and they'd think it was a toy.

[risingrainbow]

I'm not sure about the comparison to mini foals because I've never seen on in person but I do know that they started off about the size of my friends minis.

[risingrainbow]

Yes, I'm not sure about the "rare" part either but all of the press has been Rare Twin Foals, and every time they do a story on KOMO they start it off with a billboard that has a pic of each individually each in a cameo and in the middle the words "Rare Twin Foals" so thought that might be what is stuck in their minds. It's hard not really understanding if the bank program will let them search for one word in the title or not.

[Heather T]

Did you figure out how to do the digitalizing with the x-rays? You suggested Kinkos - I think that's a great start. They seem to be able to do EVERYTHING. ha

Let us know the link to the bank account or where donations can be made to help. is it up and ready to roll? Also - is your vet aware of the fund so they are patient and not harassing you? Just curious. Some vets are impatient. Ours is wonderful.

[risingrainbow]

I don't know about the digitalizing on the x-rays yet but do know that my local vet has a new x-ray machine that produces them in that format so all the new ones will be that way. I was hoping h20pony could tell me if that scan in method would produce what they are looking for.

Tried a test on the bank account yesterday and it's not in their system under the right type of account so have to go back today to get it fixed. Sure glad we did the test!! Will get the information about a link at that time. Also, my vet is a sweetheart,, so no problem with him but the vet hospital requires payment at the time of service or no service. That has been hard.

Did put a smaller jolly ball in the stall with them yesterday and they are both kicking it around. Surprise would like to pick it up by the handle but the handle is too big for her mouth. Probably will have given up before she grows big enough to do that. Will try to get pics.

[h2opony]

I have no idea if Kinkos will scan the X rays... but they have done pretty much everything i have asked of them.. so i would give it a try!

Sorry my internet has been down so i have not been able to do anything... i felt out of touch with the world! EEEK!

Hugs, carrots, sugar cubes, and prayers to Surprise and Trouble

[twnpnds]

Please post pics of the babies playing with their ball. Just has to be too cute. So glad to hear there's hope and that prayers are being answered. We just love these sweet babies. Stay with Rare Twin Foals. Everyone seems to know them as this and it will be easier to locate. You may not be able to ride her but you will have one very special pet. You might also be able to use her for public relations events for Arabians. And like I said in an earlier post you might even be able to do some light driving with her. Only time will tell. Please know that prayers will continue coming your way and we all stand behind you 100%. Thanks for keeping us posted. Hugs and kisses to Surprise and Trouble. And an especially big hug for you too.

[devotee]

Twnpnds, a regional sportscaster here has twin appaloosa foals, born several years ago, and he named them Hugs and Kisses. Funny coincidence with your message - reminded me of them. Best of luck with Surprise, Risingrainbow. We're all so grateful for your determination to get her the best of help.

[h2opony]

RisingRainbow i found a wonderful site with all kinds of radiographs of foals both normal and those with ALDS

I found it completely awesome! Hope it is of some help!

www.upei.ca/~vca341/equinelimbs/foal.html

[Linda]

Oh my gosh, they are just beautiful girls. I sure hope you can find something to help Suprise so she can go have some fun with her sister in the fields. Prayers for a fast recovery and in finding a good brace for her. God Bless............Linda

[risingrainbow]

Hi Linda, I have to say I'm laughing, I can just imagine Trouble's face when he hears he's been called a beautiful girl I'm pretty sure he thinks he's quite a little stud muffin. TThanks for the kind wishes. I'm not so sure at this time that Trouble will be romping the fields anytime soon either. I'm really glad that we're going to x-ray his legs as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up in braces on both hinds. Hopefully, he doesn't have any fractures going on like his sister, but I'm pretty sure he's going to require some intervention for angular limb deformity. Both foals were windswept at birth with ALD being a typical symptom of that and the vets thought they were straightening on their own but I think this is taking longer than is wise to not address with some form of intervention. Hopefully we'll get them both straightened out soon.

h2opony, thanks for the link on the neonates. It really is a great resource. I'm going to passis on to my vet.

The weather here hit the 90s today and with our humidity that is darn hot. The stall the twins are in got very warm, I'm going to have to see if I can dig out a couple of box fans to hang for them. Poor babies.

devotee - thanks for the encouragement on hanging in there with Surprise. Not everyone is so supportive. It has been amazing to me the things that people have said. Just this weekend I had someone tell me the thoroughbred people bash in the heads of at least one if not both of the twins because they're such a problem. And then added that they had the right idea. Believe it or not, heard the same thing for a vet very early on in this ordeal. I can't even imagine how anyone could think that way. Sure glad that Trouble and Surprise arrived on my doorstep instead of with someone like that. While these foals have been a lot of work they have brought us all a lot of joy. They are so amazing.

This morning when I was cleaning the stall, I brought a bag of pellets in and set it on the ground to open it, and silly Surprise came up behind me and began scratching her face on my butt when I bent over to open the bag. Seems she's always doing something like that. Yesterday she and Trouble were attacking my shoelaces. They each had a foot and they worked at it until they had both untied. Then, of course, they tried to take the shoelaces with them when they walked off, a;lmost knocked me on my fanny. There's never a trip into the stall without a story.