Rescue Journal

hope floats

Carol  ·  Jul. 25, 2011

minnie pearl likes watermelon rinds...yay....it saves me having to get up from my chair and toss them in the garbage.

i contacted Dr. Paton's equine clinic last week regarding pops..i was forming a medical plan in my head for him that possibly included acupuncture AND physiotherapy to try to relieve his contracted tendon and they are the only clinic that offers a whole range of various services including both of those. anyway out they came today...2 vets and a tech....REALLY super nice folks.

they took a bunch of photo's, some video of pops walking and of course a bunch of xrays....pops was so cooperative and good...no sedation needed. Dr. Paton told me he was a bit worried on his way out here...he had seen the pictures i sent of when pops came in..and frankly he was worried that maybe we were over our heads and not able to provide the kind of care that he needed..in other words...(less politically correct ones)..that maybe we were lunatics trying to save a horse that we had no idea how to care for.

he said he was relieved when he got here to see we were doing a pretty good job...whew! don't want to be sucking here in looking after our dear precious pops!

they are taking everything back to the clinic and will include our vets who know pops so well ( and who Dr Paton says have done a great job on getting his feet as good as they are now)...and Dr. Cruz and who is apparently an awesome equine orthopedic surgeon and their other vets who provide physio and less invasive treatments..all of them involved in a team discussion on what if anything is the best to do for pops. maybe they will recommend surgery (which scares the crap out of me) maybe they will opt out for some combination of accupuncture/botox/orthopediac shoeing/ physiotherapy...or maybe they will say...you know what carol..this is as good as it gets and it is downhill from here so maybe we should think about letting him go without messing around with something that can't be fixed and is about to get a lot worse.

i don't know what the end result will be...but i am so grateful for everyone's expertise to help us make the best decision for pops....right from the start we have all been on the very same page here...what is in the very best interests of pops.

up til now i just didn't know...somedays i was ok just going with the flow...some days i was frightened out of my mind..some days i went back and forth. and really i did feel at all times, that i WAS over my head... i just did not know enough to be calling the shots.

i am so glad they came..i am so relieved that all of the experts can bring all of their extensive knowledge and all of their experience and all of their combined gut feelings to the table. i am so glad our vets will be involved and that Dr. Paton and his crew actually met and touched and personally experienced the actual pops..his kindness, his patience, his great heart for enjoying living.

he is not just some poor, broken, disabled horse in a picture...he is real flesh, blood and incredible spirit.

i am so glad they came here today to help us make whatever decisions we need to make.

but....

now we wait for them to have the discussions to see what they think we should do....waiting sort of sucks a bit tho...but.... hope is floating for now so that's good.

Comments

Cathie k

Jenn: I would like to sponser Carl's harem:Annie and Elizabeth and Caroline..Plus start the rabbits off with O'Grady and Thumper.. I'll send the monies along with the cheque I'm mailing to Sheila K...Thanks Cathie K

Bunny Horne

Jenn, just to be clear....

Mini Me - Bunny
Carl - Bunny
Pops - Bunny

Ellie Mae - Brent (previously Floyd)

Hope this makes sense.

Bunny Horne

Jenn, regarding Brent's sponsorship of Floyd..... Looks like MISS ELLIE MAE doesn't have a sponsor yet.... If she isn't sponsored move Brent's $25 to the Pink Princess.

Did you see my post about Leia Cairns sponsorship of Joey?

lynne

have you got me down for minnie pearl big bambi and al i will sponsor more when i can.

leila

Bunny, Floyd is being sponsored by KO but Brent can still sponsor him if he likes. I also put you down for Mini me. I will keep you on the sponsor list for Pops - so far, he has 3 sponsors - Wendy, Laura and Bunny.

Bunny Horne

The BIGGER the list of POPS sponsors the better. I just thought someone should get the ball rolling. Just imagine a life sized photo full of names.

laura

Yes Bunny I agree Pops needs sponsorship but feel if the vets decide to go ahead with treatment...our Pops needs a lot of people behind him and deserves his picture to be full of names...thus I will add my name to sponsoring Pops as well...anyone else....

Bunny Horne

My coworker - LEIA CAIRNS is sponsoring JOEY for $25. I have her cheque, will bring it with me on Monday.
Thank you Leia.

Bunny Horne

Jenn, Carol, et al..... If the following SAINTS are not sponsored we will do the following:

POPS - Bunny - $25 - I can't believe he's not sponsored and I can't handle it so I'm gonna do it

MINI ME ME ME ME - Bunny - $25 - maybe she's too little that no one can see her her her - so I will sponsor her if she's not already been sponsored

FLOYD - Brent will sponsor the Redemption Island Duck for $25

CARL - oops I almost typed Carol, but meant Carl - Bunny will sponsor the ever elusive Carl for $25

Let me know if any of these critters already has a sponsor. If not you can make these revisions to your list. We will bring the $$$$$ on Monday when we come out to work.

Mo

Totally off topic.. but Emma if you are reading this can you send Carol your phone number.. I would love to talk to you about cats pooping ..or not pooping really.

When I spoke to carol last night about the visit from Patons & Pops.. I cried too.. tears of happiness that so many people can come together to help an old pony who had been neglected..

Bunny Horne

Hang in there Pops, We are all praying that the news is good. WE LOVE YOU, we are here for you.

Ann C

I'll sponsor Harrison, Jesse, Lucky, Dusty, Mystic & Bud. I'm working on a table sponsorship. Thinking of Pops.

lynne

i am going to change my sponsorship because he is already sponsored from shane to al thanks. i love al anykway.

lynne

crap. i hope pops is okay. on another note i am going to sponsor shane, minnie pearl and big bambi for 25 dollars each will do more later if am able.

Carly

We'll support you in whatever decision needs to be made for Pops.Our neighbor had a horse in his back yard for years too.He pretty much forgot her.He only had her for "farm status". Her condition never got as bad a Pops, but the spca did seize her after numerous attempts to get the man to care for her.She hardly had any teeth left(I know because I looked)from chewing on the back of an old tailgate left in the yard.She had no food and hardly any water.She had a sweet temperment like Pops though. We're here for ya Pops!

Brent

Which everway Pop's treatment is to proceed, I am sure of one thing. The love that surrounds him at Saints.

Carol Ann

I will muster up all the hope I can for our beautiful Pops. If tears help then I am helping a lot. At least he is getting a lot of expert care along with the love.

info

i did my large animal practicum with them from school. they have an amazing facility. if he needs surgery he'll be in great hands.