Rescued Standardbred Horse needs eye treatments
Donation protected
In August, the Standardbred Retirement Foundation pulled a critically injured, 16 year old, Standardbred mare from a kill pen in Shippensburg, PA. "My Face" tattoo #0B205 had been kicked in the face; fracturing her orbital bone. Her wound had become infected, she was extremely thin, and in dire need of veterinary care. They moved her to a quarantine barn, did an initial surgery, and then, a week later, sent her to me for fostering.
I immediately fell in love with this incredibly sweet mare who was covered in 163 wounds, scrapes, scratches, rope burns, etc. Her bones were showing and her coat was dull, but I knew we could help her heal. Mya, as I call her, has a debilitating eye condition called uveitis. Uveitis can be caused by injury, bacterial or viral infections, or it can be an auto-immune disorder. As we do not know Mya's full history, we can only guess, but it is obvious that her former owners did not address her eye condition. When she came to me, she could not see out of her right eye and she had extremely poor vision in her left eye. Her wound from the kick while in the kill pen was also infected and determined to have a sequestrum (a piece of dead bone) which required an additional surgery to remove the dead bone. We immediately put Mya on antibiotics for her eye wound, banamine for pain, as well as atropine and an antibiotic/steroid to treat her uveitis.
We are now at 8 weeks since Mya came to foster with us and her eye wound has healed, her weight is currently optimal, but her eye condition remains chronic. Her vision has improved to the point where she has some vision in her right eye and she has much improved vision in her left eye. Mya will require eye medications for the rest of her life. Uveitis is a debilitating disease, but with proper care, we can keep blindness and pain at bey. Mya will require banamine for pain during flare-ups, diclofinac ointment daily as well as atropine and Neo-poly-dex ointment to treat during flare-ups. All of these medications add up, especially when they will be required for the rest of her life. Funding from this campaign will go towards purchasing medications to treat her uveitis. If we get enough funding, we would like to have our holistic veterinarian come treat Mya with acupuncture and an herbal uveitis medication that is given orally. Both of those treatments are costly, but in the long run, will help Mya's quality of life.
This lovely mare, through no fault of her own, landed in a kill pen after being used up by her former owner. No people from her past have been found to help with her care (though we would be incredibly grateful to accept any aid they might offer). Not the farm that foaled her, the owners/trainers that raced her, not the farm that used her as a broodmare, and certainly not the person who dumped her at the auction, damaged and skinny, which landed her in the kill pen. I am asking for help, not for myself, but for this lovely mare who deserves a chance at a better life. Mya is the most polite horse I have ever worked with and I've worked with hundreds over the past 35+ years. She deserves to be healthy, loved, and cared for in her retirement.
I will be adding photos of Mya's journey over the past 8 weeks. I hope that someone out there will see her transformation and decide to help me to help this lovely mare.
Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit "My Face" aka "Mya" Tattoo #0B205 owned by the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.
More information about Standardbred Retirement Foundation: Standardbred Retirement Foundation provides humane care and services for horses in need of lifetime homes, and in crisis, through rehabilitation, training, adoption, lifelong follow-up, or lifetime sanctuary; and offers therapeutic equine opportunities for children, and adults.
I immediately fell in love with this incredibly sweet mare who was covered in 163 wounds, scrapes, scratches, rope burns, etc. Her bones were showing and her coat was dull, but I knew we could help her heal. Mya, as I call her, has a debilitating eye condition called uveitis. Uveitis can be caused by injury, bacterial or viral infections, or it can be an auto-immune disorder. As we do not know Mya's full history, we can only guess, but it is obvious that her former owners did not address her eye condition. When she came to me, she could not see out of her right eye and she had extremely poor vision in her left eye. Her wound from the kick while in the kill pen was also infected and determined to have a sequestrum (a piece of dead bone) which required an additional surgery to remove the dead bone. We immediately put Mya on antibiotics for her eye wound, banamine for pain, as well as atropine and an antibiotic/steroid to treat her uveitis.
We are now at 8 weeks since Mya came to foster with us and her eye wound has healed, her weight is currently optimal, but her eye condition remains chronic. Her vision has improved to the point where she has some vision in her right eye and she has much improved vision in her left eye. Mya will require eye medications for the rest of her life. Uveitis is a debilitating disease, but with proper care, we can keep blindness and pain at bey. Mya will require banamine for pain during flare-ups, diclofinac ointment daily as well as atropine and Neo-poly-dex ointment to treat during flare-ups. All of these medications add up, especially when they will be required for the rest of her life. Funding from this campaign will go towards purchasing medications to treat her uveitis. If we get enough funding, we would like to have our holistic veterinarian come treat Mya with acupuncture and an herbal uveitis medication that is given orally. Both of those treatments are costly, but in the long run, will help Mya's quality of life.
This lovely mare, through no fault of her own, landed in a kill pen after being used up by her former owner. No people from her past have been found to help with her care (though we would be incredibly grateful to accept any aid they might offer). Not the farm that foaled her, the owners/trainers that raced her, not the farm that used her as a broodmare, and certainly not the person who dumped her at the auction, damaged and skinny, which landed her in the kill pen. I am asking for help, not for myself, but for this lovely mare who deserves a chance at a better life. Mya is the most polite horse I have ever worked with and I've worked with hundreds over the past 35+ years. She deserves to be healthy, loved, and cared for in her retirement.
I will be adding photos of Mya's journey over the past 8 weeks. I hope that someone out there will see her transformation and decide to help me to help this lovely mare.
Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit "My Face" aka "Mya" Tattoo #0B205 owned by the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.
More information about Standardbred Retirement Foundation: Standardbred Retirement Foundation provides humane care and services for horses in need of lifetime homes, and in crisis, through rehabilitation, training, adoption, lifelong follow-up, or lifetime sanctuary; and offers therapeutic equine opportunities for children, and adults.
Organizer
Maria Green
Organizer
Spring Grove, PA