Ducky
Donation protected
I was recently made aware that there are some extraordinary people out there who were asking how to contribute to Ducky’s vet bills. While I understand that he is my horse and therefore my responsibility to care for, it has warmed my heart to know that there are people who care and would like to help. Below is a synopsis of what we have gone through the past week. Any donations are appreciated more than you will know. :)
On Sunday February 21, I received a call that Ducky was down in his paddock. Everyone who comes into contact with Ducky knows that he is an “in your pocket” type of horse, so it was pretty evident that something was wrong. After determining that he was colicking, I called the vet out. He treated him and we thought by that night he would be back to normal. However, over the next 6 hours he showed no improvement. Ducky is a curious, friendly, food-loving, mischievous horse who's interested in everything; seeing him laying down or standing in the corner hanging his head was alarming. The vet came out again and set up an IV in his stall. Mike and I treated him throughout the night, sleeping in the barn to keep him calm and still. The next morning he wasn't any better and my vet advised to take him to Auburn University's large animal hospital.
At Auburn, they treated his colic and found that his colon is displaced. This is usually fixed by very expensive surgery, though recovery isn’t guaranteed. We decided against this and for the next 4 days Ducky’s progress fluctuated. He would get a little better, then colic again. On 2/25 as I was trying to make the decision on whether to continue trying or to end his pain, he started to show improvement. His future is still uncertain, but he is no longer in pain and they have started feeding him small amounts. He has been at Auburn for 8 days now and will hopefully come home sometime this week, but obviously that level of care is quite expensive. Ducky has been my “sidekick”, partner in crime, adventurer, best friend, stress reliever and shoulder to cry on for over a year now. The least I could do is give him the best chance at continuing to live a full and happy life.
On Sunday February 21, I received a call that Ducky was down in his paddock. Everyone who comes into contact with Ducky knows that he is an “in your pocket” type of horse, so it was pretty evident that something was wrong. After determining that he was colicking, I called the vet out. He treated him and we thought by that night he would be back to normal. However, over the next 6 hours he showed no improvement. Ducky is a curious, friendly, food-loving, mischievous horse who's interested in everything; seeing him laying down or standing in the corner hanging his head was alarming. The vet came out again and set up an IV in his stall. Mike and I treated him throughout the night, sleeping in the barn to keep him calm and still. The next morning he wasn't any better and my vet advised to take him to Auburn University's large animal hospital.
At Auburn, they treated his colic and found that his colon is displaced. This is usually fixed by very expensive surgery, though recovery isn’t guaranteed. We decided against this and for the next 4 days Ducky’s progress fluctuated. He would get a little better, then colic again. On 2/25 as I was trying to make the decision on whether to continue trying or to end his pain, he started to show improvement. His future is still uncertain, but he is no longer in pain and they have started feeding him small amounts. He has been at Auburn for 8 days now and will hopefully come home sometime this week, but obviously that level of care is quite expensive. Ducky has been my “sidekick”, partner in crime, adventurer, best friend, stress reliever and shoulder to cry on for over a year now. The least I could do is give him the best chance at continuing to live a full and happy life.
Organizer
Melissa Sgambati
Organizer
Mary Esther, FL