Little Velvet

2007-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Febuary 4, 2007
New Velvet "Movie" on youtube.com
Little Velvet is become quite a star! Besides gaining international support, Julie has produced a "Mini-movie" to honor Velvet's heroic comeback! It will bring tears of sadness and joy to your eyes. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP1s-g6Zad0

The update on Velvet is that last week she had a very slight down turn that caught the attention of her caretakers including a slight temperature. She was fine the next day and is doing really well.

Here are Julie's comments on Velvet over the last few days. Sorry I was gone and a bit behind on getting these online for everyone. I am again running out the door and will post pictures tonight or tomorrow for you all. Meanwhile, be sure to check out the movie!

-Taz
= = =

January 3, 2007

It was an eventful week!! Ups and downs!

Tuesday the 30th Velvet had her staples removed (all twenty plus of them). We sedated her and for the best result we picked her up and gently laid her on her side. She wasn't too sure about this process but did not put up much of a fight. I think she understood what was happening. She lay very still the whole time and the incision was inspected and healing very nicely. When we were done, we stood up and back and she just laid there. I think she decided she liked the belly rubs. Then she quickly came to her feet and slept off the rest of the sedative.

Also on the 30th, we took another blood sample and had a large animal profile done on her. I was really hoping to see improvement in the red blood cell count, hemoglobins and hct. I have had her on Red Cell since her last test to try and boost her count. I was also hopeful her platelet count would be down.

Wednesday, the results came back. Red blood cell count, hemoglobins and hct still decreasing. Less than last blood test and to top it off, her white blood cell count which was normal the last time was now also low. Her platelet count was a bit less than last time but still very high. Her bilirubin and creatinine were low and her BUN was high. What scared me the most was her potassium level - which was normal last time - was OFF THE CHART. My boss said it was not conducive to life and must be an error. He said any horse with that level would not be alive. After another vet gave me her opinion, we believe that it must be an error and will recheck in a few weeks. Clinically, she is doing well. Of the levels that seemed off, the vets felt part of it could be the sample was compromised as some of the cells were separated in the tube and part of it was - to put it simply - her little body has been through a heck of a lot and considering that - her bloodwork looked pretty promising. I should mention her protein level was back to normal. Something CSU was very concerned about from the time she arrived on the 6th of January.

So - next blood test we will be more careful in collecting the sample. I believe I will do that in about two weeks. I get the blood tests for cost being that I work at a vet but each time it still costs me $45 a pop. They are expensive. My boss has been more than gracious about this whole thing - giving me every discount he can and allowing me to go out to the barn multiple times a day to care for her. As it stands, with all the blood tests, the exams, the room and board, the medications, the fact that she's been at the clinic almost a month - my bill there so far is only about $350.

On a side note - the original owner, although promising me over and over she would pay the rest of her bill from prior to the surgery, still has not come in to pay anything nor has she called. She still owes my boss $413 and that was after he deducted it about $350 for the services provided the last 24 hours care prior to surgery. I will most likely try to pay him the $413 myself. He spent his time for 3 days working on this little one the best he could given the restrictions the original owner put on him. Monitored her 24 hours a day, set fluids, used his inventory and equipment - he deserves to be paid for that. As for her surgery bill - thanks to all the generous donations and contributions, it is almost paid in full. I just have a few hundred more dollars and it is paid. I just have to pay the before and after care and we are good to go! I think I am about $1000 in the hole and considering the total amount put out was over $5500, THAT'S JUST AMAZING!!!

As you know - Thursday proved to be a bit of a scare. She went a little downhill. Her temp was up, her spunk was down and she just wasn't herself. There was great concern. However - the healing power of her followers brought her through it. Friday she perked up and by Friday evening and Saturday morning - she was more talkative than ever!!! I wanted to get some updated photos. Our weather here hasn't cooperated too good. We had sunshine today but bitter cold temps when the wind picked up. Later in the evening, the wind died down so we went out to take her for a walk and got some pics. It was dusk so the color is a bit dark but you can still see that she is feeling fantastic!! She even got to talk to a new friend - a yearling who belongs to the vet. WOOHOOO - I am so very glad she is feeling good. You can also see from the pics that she is filling out quite nicely. I think we are almost to a normal spot and we are playing with the idea of bringing her home. I am working on getting her to 2 meals a day instead of the 3 she is on now. When I do that, she can go home and be with other horses and run around. Let's keep everything crossed that we can do that very soon!

Thank you again to all of you who have been supporting us through this amazing journey. Thank you for the healing light and thank you for all the contributions and donations. None of this could have been possible without all of you. She needed not only me to take her to surgery, but she needed all of you to send her hugs and light to get her through her darkest hours and deepest pain. We truly, sincerely, from the bottom of our hearts can't thank you enough for that! Thank you!

And now - may I present - [drum roll please] - THE NEW AND IMPROVED . . . . . VELVET!!

Julie and Velvet

= = =
February 1, 2007

I will post a more detailed update for Velvet in the next day or so. In the meantime, I am asking for just a bit of healing light from everyone. She seemed depressed today. Still eating (although not as fierce) and still normal bowels but just not her spunky self. Then this evening the barn manager told me she didn't talk like she usually does. Her temp was also higher than it's been in over a week. Still normal but not what it has been. So . . . please send some hugs her way. Maybe she is just having a bad day - but I don't want to chance it. Any light you can send is much appreciated.

Thank you.

Julie in CO

= = =
February 2, 2007

I knew the healing light would work!!

Velvet whinnied this morning when she heard me. Her temp was back down to 100.1. The barn manager said she was more chatty today - better than yesterday. She is still not quite as spunky as she has been but better. I was hoping to get her out of her stall and see if that would lift her spirits but our temps today are minus 15 without the wind chill and so she would only get to walk inside the barn - but something is better than nothing I suppose. I think she is doing okay for now. Thank you for the wishes and hugs. She needed it!

I will try and get more pics and send a more detailed update in the next day or so - weather permitting for the pics of course. Thank you again for all your support!

Julie

2007-01-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

January 26, 2007
Velvet News, Pics, and Auction Update
Velvet is continuing to improve for the most part. A couple of problems, but we are hoping they will also improve under Julie's care.
The details are below as well as her update to the ongoing auctions that will be ending soon. Happy bidding!

-Taz
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Well, here we are at another week and things are continuing to improve little by little!!

Velvet has been gaining strength by leaps and bounds and is getting quite demanding with her feeding needs. Right now we are at three square meals a day. Those meals consist of mostly timothy pellets, 1/4 coffee can of Revolution (an amazing prescription diet for horses needing help with digestion and gut motility), just a sprinkling of equine senior for taste and a supplement called Restore that goes with the Revolution all soaked in warm water. For more info on the Revolution - go to www.biovance.com and check out the feed. I was pretty impressed.

She really likes the sweet stuff (ie the equine senior) but too much of that for any horse is not good; especially one who underwent such a severe trauma and surgery. So, once she established her good appetite, I backed off on the sweet stuff and am now trying to focus on the healthy stuff. At first, she protested. She would nudge through the food and look for the senior. Now she gloms down whatever she can get her little nose in. At lunch I mix it up a bit and don't soak it in water. I also add a small apple cut up for variety. She gets mostly grass hay with just a few leaves of alfalfa mixed in, again for taste. She likes all the stuff that's bad for you - a girl after my own heart!

She is on a regular schedule of 2 Gastroplus doses in the am before her breakfast and 2 Nitroxide doses in the pm before her dinner - much to her chagrin that is. These products were generously donated to Velvet to help her heal and prevent laminitis. For more information on these amazing products, please contact Dana at DANATOTALHEALTH @ MSN.COM [Remove the spaces around the "@" sign].

We did a full panel of bloodwork for Velvet last Saturday. Most of her vitals were improving. However, her red blood cell count, hemoglobins and HCT were continuing to decline. Also notable was her platelet count which was still extremely elevated. After discussion with the vets at CSU, it was decided to try "Red Cell" and see if that would boost her red cell count. So, with each dinner, she gets one ounce of Red Cell (as directed). I will be rechecking her bloodwork this weekend and hope to see improvement there. Her temp remains within the 100 to 101 range which is very good. She has consistently gotten more irritated with the temp taking process however - and doing so is proving more challenging each day.

We are planning to remove the staples on Monday. We've been devising a good way to do that. She is so little, it is hard for the vet to get under her and see to do it - so we believe myself and the other tech can hold her and possibly get her to lay down and then the vet can get them out. We shall see how that goes.

Velvet did lose a fairly large patch of skin and hair on each of her hip bones. The vet advised that this is most likely pressure sores from laying down during the colic. So far, only skin and hair about the size of an apple have fallen off. There is fresh skin underneath and hopefully, hair will grow back in. She still is quite thin with protruding hip bones and her back bone is prominent as well. However, her ribs aren't nearly as noticeable (course all of this is by touch cuz who could tell with all that fuzz and hair).

We took Velvet outside today in the sunshine and boy did she love that!! She actually reared and bucked and ran around in circles. It was just AWESOME to see. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to catch a one on film. Maybe next time. We did get these shots of her. You can see the patches of skin where she lost her hair and her naked belly but most importantly, you can see that sparkle in her eye!! That sparkle that was so diminished for so long. Velvet is back and she wants everyone to know it!!

Thank you again to all of you!!! We could not have done it without your donations or your healing light. I am so grateful to everyone who pitched in and/or sent well wishes - and fought right along with me to get her on the mend. I don’t think I can ever repay you. Perhaps seeing the sparkle in her eye will help express the gratitude we both feel towards all of you. Thank you so very much and please continue to spread the word about this amazing little girl with such strength and will. We still need you!!

Julie and Velvet
= = =

Hey everyone - just wanted to send you a reminder that we are on the final days of most of the auctions out there for velvet so please check them out and BID BID BID. Spread the word of the auctions to anyone you know!!

Dianne Dakowicz's breathtaking watercolor sold on Sunday the 21st for $300. Congratulations to Vicki on that!! Enjoy that wonderful painting.

All of Christy's books flew out of here like lightning. Thank you Christy!

Still open are:

1. Original hand crafted wire friesian sculpture by the amazing Ann Jeffree in Australia. This beautiful truly unique figure is made of black wire with beads in the mane and tail. Totally three dimensional and one of a kind!! It is about 7 cm high by 10 cm long. Bidding will remain open until Saturday the 27th. Shipping is FREE!! Please contact Ann Jeffree at annj @ alphaling.com.au [Remove the spaces around the "@" sign] and place your bid. See photo attached entitled "wire friesian".

2. Brand new still in the box NYLINT Friesian stallion figure. This figure is slightly larger than the Breyer horses. This figure is no longer available and the company who made it is no longer in business. This is a rare keepsake friesian figure that is brand new. Shipping is free!! Bidding will remain open until Saturday the 27th. If you are interested please contact Karen Jones at sixguns @ hiwaay.net [Remove the spaces around the "@" sign] and place your bid. See photo attached entitled "NylintFriesianoutside".

3. Peter Stone - stone metals friesian statue. This gorgeous piece is about 2.5" by 4" and is a genuine Peter Stone. Bidding will remain open until Saturday the 27th. Shipping is free!! If you are interested, please contact Karen Jones at sixguns @ hiwaay.net [Remove the spaces around the "@" sign] and place your bid. See photo attached entitled "peterstone-outside".

4. Hand made quilt wall hanging. This amazing design was hand appliqued by Rael Rodning and features a fantastic friesian horse portrait. It measures 2' by 2'. Bidding will remain open until Saturday the 27. If you are interested, please contact Rael Rodning at rael.rodning @ karvelrodningllp.com [Remove the spaces around the "@" sign] and place your bid! See photo attached entitled "Quilt Wall Hanging".

5. Finally, I have nearly 50 teddy bears from my life long collection of over 400 listed in my store. My bears have been collected through decades, have remained in pristine museum condition and come with tags and certificates where applicable. The bears range from inexpensive mass produced teddy bears to one-of-a-kind, hand made, numbered, fully jointed bears of all shapes and sizes. They are from all over the world. Please check them out at my store at http://stores.ebay.com/Julies-Teddy-Bear-Boutique.

Winners will be notified by the artist upon closing of the auctions. Payments can be made by contacting the artist and/or by sending a paypal payment to Julie with PayPal ID DasGus @ msn.com [Remove the spaces around the "@" sign].

Thank you again to these wonderful people for contributing to Velvet in such a wonderful way.

NOW - Get out there and BID!!!

Julie and Velvet

2007-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2007
More Good News and Pics
I was out for the weekend and came back to a great post and some pics of Velvet! She is doing great and starting to bond with Julie.

-Taz
= = =

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

2007-01-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

January 16, 2007
Auctions still going for Velvet
Karen's and Dianne's auctions are still running for Velvet. These are a private auctions and at this time the bids are $28 on the Nylint, $15 on the Peter Stone and $250 for the watercolor painting of a Friesian stallion.
Julie (the lady who came to Velvet's rescue) has posted four of my donated books for sale in her ebay store. Be sure to buy a signed copy from her! Item #180075756284 http://stores.ebay.com/Julies-Teddy-Bear-Boutique
See pics below with contact info.
To contact Karen about the auctions send her an email to sixguns @ hiwaay.net [remove the spaces around the @].
To contact Dianne send her an email to customdesignart @ aol.com [remove the spaces around the @].

Here are the pics:

One is a brand new in the box NYLINT Friesian stallion, which is larger than a Breyer's model.

sixguns @ hiwaay.net [remove the spaces around the @]

One new in package a Peter Stone- Stone Metals

Silver metal cantering Friesian horse statue approx 2.5"x4" BEAUTIFUL!!

sixguns @ hiwaay.net [remove the spaces around the @]

This stunning watercolor is a 12"x18" of a magnificent Friesian stallion. The retail price is $600. The auction will be open till Sunday the 21st.
customdesignart @ aol.com [remove the spaces around the @]

Ebay Item #180075756284

Wounded by shrapnel, scared and alone, the stallion runs until exhausted and collapses in a ditch.

Niesje Brouwers is helping her aunt and uncle with the morning chores on their dairy farm in the The Netherlands not far from Belgium and the three day old war. She sees a figure lying near the road. Discovering the injured, bloody stallion, her uncle feels it should be put out of its desperate misery.

Can the stallion be saved?
Will his owner find him?
What adventures await?

http://stores.ebay.com/Julies-Teddy-Bear-Boutique

2007-01-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2007
More good news for Velvet!
As things settle in for the little gal, updates will be slower I think. Here is the latest from Julie:

= = =

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

2007-01-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2007 Evening
Thanks to the support of so many of you and Julie's credit cards, Velvet has been released!
Rather than waste your time I am posting Julie's posts from this evening.

-Taz
= = = = =

Velvet will now be at Range View Equine Associates - 13175 Murphy Road, Elbert, CO 80106; the phone number there is 719/495-2508 (this is where I work). I will be back at work tomorrow although not too sure I am ready - but need the money.

Just got Velvet all settled in. She is still extremely weak, lethargic and walks very slow. Still just as skinny as a rail. She has dropped another 20 pounds but I am told that is expected with such a serious surgery. So she is currently at 148 pounds. I bought a blanket for her and she is keeping warm inside the barn. She is "home" - which for now is the clinic. Not nearly as nice as CSU with their heated barn and 24-hour staff but, still out of the weather and has everything she needs. She is still getting medicine every 6 hours and I am taking her temp, etc. She got her last dose at 8:00, and her temp was 100.8 which is good. I will be going back in at about 1:00 a.m. for another dose of meds. We will run some more bloodwork on Sunday I think when she is done with her antibiotics to make sure things are still looking good. She nibbled all the way home and she has been nibbling ever since we got her to the clinic. I have some phone calls to make to CSU with some questions I had but other than that - She seems content although very tired. I am exhausted and sore.

BTW - Her total bill at CSU came to $4,746.23. I put this on all the credit cards I could gather with enough of a balance. I have transferred the generous donations from my paypal to my checking account (which was about $2500) but that will take a few days to clear.

In the meantime, with all the donations to date being about $2500, the total bill at CSU being $4750 - that leaves me with $1,983.23 that I will need to pay off. $2000 is better than $5000. It wouldn't have been possible without all of you!! Thank you so very much!!! I must admit, I am still hoping some of the auctions come through and perhaps a few more donations roll in to help with the $1900. BUT - All in all, I just can't believe the support from all of you. Thank you so very much!! what else can I say - thank you - thank you - thank you -

Please don't stop sending healing light though - we still need it. Velvet still needs boosts - so please continue to think of her and wish her well! Think eating thoughts and pooping thoughts - we still needs those. Here is a shot of velvie as we were loading her up.

Julie

= = =
WOW Dana - I couldn't have said this better myself. Thank you - and truly from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you. Your thoughts and well wishes kept our little girl going. She still needs us though so please keep sending the healing light.

I will be posting another update here shortly. THank you again!

Julie in CO

2007-01-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2007
GREAT NEWS!
Velvet is being released from CSU today. She will be going to Julie's local vet clinic to continue her care for a bit longer to get her up to strength to go home. Their info is:

Range View Equine Associates

Randy Parker DVM

13175 Murphy Road

Elbert, CO 80106

719/495-2508

Looks like there has been a lot of you helping with donations to cover the medical expenses. Wow! I know Velvet is feeling all the love you are all sending, too. Still not totally out of the woods yet, but there is lots of sunshine warming her back from all of you. Please continue to help financially and if you can, call CSU now and help get Velvet out!

Enjoy the update below and added more after the update:

= = =
Hi! Still kind of out of it as the drugs empty my system so sorry if I sound like I'm babbling.

CSU called - Velvet can come home!!!! My husband is going to help me go get her today. I am still sore but better than yesterday.

The vet said I will be amazed at how great she is doing. The plan is to basically transport her to my boss' clinic where she will still need round the clock surveillance but at least she will be here close to me!

They did not have all the charges in the computer so I do not know what the total bill is yet. I paid $1700 of it up front on my credit card. I also have . . . wait for it . . . $2493 in my paypal account which will help tremendously!! Apparently there were approximately $150 in donations made directly to CSU. I also received the books Christy sent (haven't had time to list them yet but will) and several auctions in progress so that will help too. I received a few checks in the mail from friends of mine so another $150 there. I should be able to put most of the charges on my credit card and pay those with the paypal funds.

So - that means, anyone else who wants to make donations, either needs to call CSU now or needs to put them towards my paypal account. I believe we are about half way there. My estimate is that her bill is about $5000.

Finally - THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE for all the well wishes, help while I myself was out of commission, and for the generous generous donations! This would not be possible without all the healing light sent her way in her darkest hours. I will have more time this weekend to update auctions, and post more. Right now, still out of it from drugs I am on and elated from possibility of bringing this baby home alive!

So - for those of you continuing to send healing light - thank you, we have a long trip home and she will need the prayers. For those of you continuing with ebay auctions and donating products, thank you - we will need those as well.

Keep the prayers coming and I will post more later. Thank you again to all of you!!

Julie
= = =

From Dana:

I am just overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and prayers and donations in such a short time. Reading Julies AM post, then she called me while on her way to CSU to pick up little Velvet and she shared w/ me how much has been donated so far, and I am just so thrilled so many have been able to jump on board to help. We are probably over half way there!! What a group this is!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am remembering Scout and Cally and how everyone just dove in feet first to help in any way they could, and it is really something to be part of such a truly special group of people. Thank you to everyone, I know Julie thanks each and every one of you, and a tiny little pony mare who had previously lived her whole 3 years of life, unloved and un cared for, and probably thought this world was just a hard hard place to be, and was certainly going to be left to die an agonizing death. Well, now, she has her whole life ahead of her, and not only did we all dive in to help her get this chance, we all came closer together too. All because of one tiny little bundle of matted hair, named Velvet and Julie who fell in love with her and wanted to give her a chance.

Thank you again everyone, I am proud to be a member of this wonderful group of people!!

Dana

2007-01-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

January 10, 2006
(Correction to this Jan 10 post - Not offered on ebay so I am taking out references to it. This too is a private auction. It is offered by Karen who may be contacted at sixguns @ hiwaay.net [remove the spaces before and after the @ please]
Added below is the picture for the Leanin Tree print depicting a very precious moment. I have also added size info to the descriptions below.
Happy bidding!)
Offered are the following items. I don't have a picture of the mare and foal print yet.
I lightened the pictures, but they may be too light for your computer. I posted both versions here: http://www.tordenspage.com/actionauction.htm
Karen's auctions:
= = =

I have some items I'd like to donate to the auction for Velvet.

Pictures to come tomorrow.

One is a brand new in the box NYLINT Friesian stallion, which is larger than a Breyer's model.

One new in package a Peter Stone- Stone Metals

Silver metal cantering Friesian horse statue approx 2.5"x4" BEAUTIFUL!!

A mare and foal Friesian horse Leanin Tree print ( a mass produced print purchased at Horse Town in GA)with cardboard backing and sealed in plastic. It is 16"x20"

I'll look to see if there's anything else we may have around here I can contribute to the cause.

I'll send funds to the vet and will cover shipping for the items.

So...pix to follow tomorrow. The ones I took tonight in the house are crrrrrappy!

Thanks!

Karen
sixguns @ hiwaay.net [remove the spaces before and after the @ please]

2007-01-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

January 10, 2007
Update on Velvet

= = =

Short story - velvet continues to improve!!! They are even thinking of taking her cathader out. She continues to eat and they are very pleased with her progress. They were handling quite a few emergencies when I called this morning and so couldn't go into too much detail. Bloodwork is improved, condition improved. I am still very tired and sore and dizzy. Will post more later - thank you so much.

Julie in CO

= = =

This is fantastic news and you are all part of the recovery of this sweet little mare!

-Taz

2007-01-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Private Auction for Velvet, Part I
Here is one of the auctions I wrote about in the last update. This adorable 2.75 inch tall Friesian horse wire sculpture is from an artist in Australia! Velvet has become an international star!!!
You can view more pictures of this item at http://www.tordenspage.com/actionauction.htm where I am posting all the pictures that come in for these auctions.
Please contact Ann directly at annj @ alphalink.com.au [remove the spaces in your email] This ends soon so don't tarry. :) Her website is listed at the end of her email to view her other many talents!

= = =

Hi guys

I thought I'd contribute something I've made... so I made the little statue you can see in the photos to auction. I thought we could auction him privately rather than on ebay, with the winner of the auction sending their highest bid to Julie, and I'll post them the statue for free. Feel free to cross-post this to other lists if you want, and people can send their bids to me privately, and I'll keep them posted on the progress of the auction.

If anyone has any problems with this, let me know...

Little "Gibraltar" (in honour of Susan Elliott's beautiful boy) stands 7 centimetres high. He is made of black 24 gauge craft wire, and his mane, tail and forelock are little beads. I call them "oilslick" beads, but I'm sure they have a proper name - they reflect purples, blues and greens in the light.

The poor digi nearly died trying to photograph him as he's so small, so my apologies for the poor quality of the images.

I'll close the auction in three days time (Friday), at 8pm my time (it's currently 7:30pm my time).

:-) Ann
Pet Portraits and Wildlife Art
http://home.alphalink.com.au/~annj/

2007-01-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

January 10, 2007
Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday. Julie was in surgery and we didn't get an update until this morning. She is still unable to get to her computer so a friend posted for her.
What was great about yesterday is that there are a number of private auctions being donated. I do not have permission to post them here yet, but will if I get permission.
Apparently there is a little confusion about who is doing what and of course a question about scamming comes up. Can't blame anyone for questioning things these days.
I am Christy Kirkham. I do not own a horse, nor have I personally met Julie. That said, I have participated on a Friesian horse mail list for months and Julie is a great participant and has shared a lot about herself and her life with us. I believe her to be a very honest person. Her communications are from the heart. I posted this blog as so many people were having to repeat themselves to tell the story over and over, so by pointing people here, it saves the voluteers hours of time and everyone can see and judge for themselves. Because of the question, I felt I should be able to say I know this is happening for a fact and called CSU using the phone number listed on their website for their vet hospital (same one Julie posted earlier). I confirmed the case. Any donation can be sent directly to CSU so you do not have to worry if anyone is 'getting' something from it. I am reposting the CSU contact info as stated below for your convenience.
CSU case # 81420
Address: 300 West Drake, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: 970.221.4535
Don't let the last bit of discussion bring you down. This is a very positive effort with a lot of people doing what they can even if it is just a prayer. IT ALL HELPS! Thank you everyone! Go Go Velvet!!!

Anyhoo, to the update:
= = =

Hello Everyone,

Julie just called me and asked me to let everyone know that she just spoke with the vet at the hospital and Velvet is doing better, is eating a little bit now, so she's improving! Also Julie said to say hi to all, she is doing ok too. But, she sounded very very tired herself on the phone. She said she won’t be able to get to the computer yet, but wanted to me to let everyone know the news, and sending many thanks to everyone who is out there sending love and prayers and healing light and for all the donations for the tiny little Velvet princess!

Keep going everyone! You folks are absolutely INCREDIBLE!

Thank you!!

Dana

= = =
This little mare has a great desire to live and with so many pulling for her, I think she has a great chance now!

-Taz

2007-01-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

January 8, 2007 evening update:

= = =
I just got back from CSU. I drove 2 and a half hours to see her. She looked brighter but still very depressed. They informed me that they weighed her after surgery Saturday night and she came in at 252 pounds. They weighed her today . . . 168 pounds. I was afraid she was underweight but that shocked me!!

The good news is she has round the clock attention. She is given a physical every 4 hours. She is currently on IV with electro-lites and glucose. They want her to eat so they offer her equine senior, 3-way sweet and alfalfa leaves. Not much eating today but when I got there, she took a few bites. This was encouraging for all of us. The tech on call spent all day with her - Velvet is the only patient right now in that wing. She is getting lots of love. This tech (I am so sorry I forgot her name already) is very sweet and Velvet seems to fancy her a lot. She is still having bowel movements although they are infrequent and a bit runny - which is to be expected. She is still passing a considerable amount of sand but it is passing which is a good sign. However, her guts are still extremely irritated and she is in quite a bit of pain.

I was only able to spend about an hour with her. I had to suit up in latex and paper so could not touch her with my bare hands but - still rubbed and scratched what I could. The tech from last night spend a lot of time brushing her as you can see from the photo - she is much cleaner and I was so glad to see this. I was not allowed to bring my brushes in as they were not sanitary. She gets tired very easy. At only 168 pounds, she is extremely weak and not eating a whole lot doesn't help! So, after about an hour of all the love I could pour into her - I said goodbye and told her there were no ifs ands or buts about it - she had to eat and even more importantly, poop! Those are her orders!

There are some special products being sent her way and hope they get to her in the am and should help stimulate appetite and ward off laminitis.

As for me - I have my own surgery tomorrow. I should get an update on Velvet first thing in the morning but will not be able to get to a computer until late tomorrow night. The current total on Velvet's fund is just over $1300 and so, she needs more donations if anyone has any ideas, please feel free to forward her story. Of course, prayers and healing light is most important right now so please keep sending that. Again - thank you to all who are helping and have helped. It means so much to me and I know it means the world to Velvet.

On my 2 and a half hour drive home, the new Avril Lavigne song came on - the one from Eragon. The words to this song made me cry! They say just what I wish for her - So . . . right now I am sending those thoughts to Velvet.

Avril's song goes like this - "Please hang on, you know we'll get through this, get through this

Just be strong, you know I'm here for you, here for you

No matter what you say, no matter what you do - you know the truth

Please hang on!"

Velvet - please hang on!

Julie

2007-01-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

Monday Jan 8, 2007 Update:
Be sure to use the CSU case # if you contact CSU directly - #81420
Address: 300 West Drake, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: 970.221.4535
= = =

They called this morning and are very concerned for her. Very depressed and not eating. New bloodwork will be done, she is on iv fluids and I guess they will call me later. They said she is really skinny ... so it has stunted her immune system. Please send some light her way - please. We've come so far . . .

Julie in CO

2007-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Jan. 7, 2007
Hello everyone!

Here is a sad story (hopefully with a happy ending) playing out in Colorado on the horse-related email list. This person can use your help if you are at all interested in helping her out with her newly adopted mini that has managed to survive the last few days.

The Short Story: Julie the vet tech (I think) was concerned about a cute little mini-horse that came in with colic. Her weight seems ok but she had a rusty hanger entangled in her tail and lots of scabbing and seemed generally unkempt. The owners have little money for vet care so they refused the suggestion for surgery and said to just wait and see. On the third day, she and the vet got the owner to sign over Velvet to her. So in a blinding snow storm she drove the mini to CSU for immediate surgery and almost had a bad accident. Impaction by sand colic was the finding and she was almost gone. So far she is recovering well but the surgery was $4000 and there is the matter of the original vet bill, which –although reduced- I am thinking Julie must pay too. She has no money for this.

If you can help at all you can call CSU at 970-297-4471 (case # 82420). The bill has to be paid off for Velvet to be released. There is also a paypal account set up. This is not a foundational fund so it’s not deductible, but your help is still needed. Even a small gift of $10 helps! Please help by passing this request along.

You can send a donation here: Paypal at DasGus @ msn.com [remove spaces in email] or you can purchase an item from her store on Ebay where she is selling her teddy bear collection and let her know you are buying an item for "Velvet". Here's the link to her store - http://stores.ebay.com/Julies-Teddy-Bear-Boutique. She can put whatever in her store and have the proceeds go to Velvet. I am sending her some of my Torden books to sell.

You can email her to make other arrangements at:
DasGus @ msn.com [remove spaces in email].

I have included a synopsis of the story’s emails from Julie from early to current. She has such a big heart!

= = = = =

Jan 5, 2007

Ø ----- Original Message -----
> From: JULIE
> Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 10:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [Friesians] Mini at vet needs surgery.
>
>
> I was going to take photos today with my phone but the batteries ran out
>so
> I charged it and then forgot it at home. I definitely want to get some
>pics
> - she is just cute as a button.
>
> She is still hanging in there. She tries so hard to nicker when you come
>in
> the barn. She is hurting but alert and friendly. We think it might be a
> foreign body in her intestines. Doctor says she needs the surgery but
>the
> owners won't pay so instead they are just giving fluids and waiting and
> hoping it will pass on its own. Most likely if she isn't better soon -
>they
> will just put her down. It breaks my heart to see such a young little
> helpless thing. I would really like to have her checked and am thinking
>of
> approaching the subject of maybe taking her or seeing if the owners will
>let
> her go to me. I called the surgeon who does colic surgeries in our area
>-
> just to look inside her would be $1500. They would then consult with me
>and
> to get her off the table would range from $3000 to $5000 with the
> possibility of going as high as $8000 depending on how serious. I don't
> have that much I could put into her.
>
> I do appreciate all your thoughts for her - I really think it got her
> through another night. Any suggestions you may have would be greatly
> appreciated. I have many messages to still read so if stuff has already
> been suggested, I apologize
>
> Anyone out there want to sponsor a mini surgery - let me know. And
>please
> keep the thoughts coming her way. Her name is Velvet by the way.
>
> Julie in CO

= = =

Those were my thoughts too - the sooner the better. The longer this goes on
the more toxic she will get. She is still alert and in good spirits
although really bloated and painful. It has been 2 days since her last
bowel movement and the longer that goes - the worse the situation.

I am not sure the surgeon will take payments but if I knew there was some
relief - I could maybe put it on my credit card until I could get help or
sponsors or something. I don't know. In the meantime - please think LOT OF
POOP!! She needs to poop! Have poopie thoughts everyone and if you do want
to help - please email me privately with what you could do. I would like to
get an estimate of how much help might be there before I took the plunge and
got myself in a bind. I will try and get pics of her for everyone - have to
get my camera from home.

Julie in CO and Velvet

= = =

Here she is - anyone interested in helping to fund her colic surgery -
please let me know. I will gain custody of her before any surgery is
attempted as she will not go back to the original owners.

Anyone who can help or who can cross post this - please do so.

We are running out of time for her. Yes, there are risks and yes, she may
not make it. But, she deserves the chance. She has fought this long. She
is only 3 years old, came in matted, caked in mud, scabs all over her tiny
body and a rusted coat hanger tangled in her tail. Supposedly the owner's
husband tried to "clean her out" by inserting a garden hose in her but it
didn't work. The current owners say she isn't worth the money to put her in
surgery so instead they just want to wait and see what happens. In the
meantime, she continues to get worse.

I can take care of transport to and from the surgeon, and pre and post care
and can even keep her if I can get help with her bills. If someone wants to
pay for the surgery, she is yours. I can keep her until she is ready to
ship. Estimates start at $1500 and go up depending on how serious it is.
Anyway - let me know if anyone has any ideas or contacts. Thanks.

Julie in CO

= = =

That is a fantastic idea - if anyone here know of a forum they can forward
this to, please do.

Anyone know of friends who can forward this, please do. I just got off the
phone with CSU - we need to move now. There is a storm going on so it will
be a long drive but I am ready to do this for her as long as we can get
through the snow. I have my 4x4 and am ready to go. Unfortunately, weather
will probably prohibit me from getting to CSU but I will try and get to
Littleton instead. I will not be able to post much

Gotta go and do this. Anyone can start the ball rolling with auctions or
donations please help me out here - I've gotta be on the phone now and make
arrangements.

Julie in CO

= = =

UUUUGHHHGGGGG!!!! I just spoke with the owner of velvet. She wants to just bring her home ... I told her if she relinquished ownership, I would take her and get surgery on her. She said maybe she can think that over tonight or something.

I don't know what to do!@!@

Julie in CO

= = =

Okay - the owner of velvet is thinking things over. The vet is on call and knows to call me when the okay is given. I will take Velvet to the surgeon in Littleton, Colorado. Luckily, the vet heard gut sounds tonight at 5:30 and her heart rate was still lower than when she arrived 2 days ago. He is hopeful for her. After what the owner said about her this evening, I am hopeful she will just hand her over to me!! So . . . as it stands we are confident she will be good through tonight which is good because with our most recent snow storm - travel to the surgeon at this point would be really tough. So . . . we are in a holding pattern. Should things take a drastic turn for the worse however, I have my 4x4 and my trailer and am ready to go. Otherwise, we will see what her condition is in the morning and hopefully by then the owner will make a decision.

For now, the owner has paid $500 towards her care and owes us another $450. My boss has graciously deleted his after call charges from last night and tonight and put her on another 5L of fluids at no charge (about $250 of savings God bless him!). Depending on how happy he is tomorrow with her condition, I may just tell the owner I will pay the $450 and maybe that will get her to relinquish ownership. Still in the works.

I will let you all know when I know and thank you so very much for all your well wishes and your donations. Please continue to pass the word if you know of anyone and don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

Donations can be sent to me via paypal at DasGus @ msn.com {I added the spaces to avoid spam] and will be refunded if things don't turn out the way I plan.

I can be reached at xxx [I removed her phone number] - leave message if no answer - service out here is sketchy - I will call back.

The doctor is monitoring her all through the night and will call me with any changes. I will be in there first thing tomorrow morning. Let's all hope either 1) she poops or 2) the owner just relinquishes her and I can finally get something done.

Julie in CO

= = =

Jan 6, 2007

First off - thank you so much to all of you sending wishes Velvet's way. I
think it has kept her going. We both very much appreciate all the support
for this little one that most would just give up on. Especially since this
is a friesian list and I do understand this is way off topic and so
appreciate the followers. Also, thank you so much to those who are giving
towards her pending surgery. She can't thank you enough for having faith in
her.

Melissa - Yes - going to our local news station is a fantastic idea - and I
am trying to do something like that and be as PC as I can. I do have to be
careful however . . . as the vet in this case is also my boss and I don't
want to put him in an akward position or lose my job. He gets a lot of sick
horses and wishes he could help them all but as we all know - we can't help
them all. So helping this one is wonderful but don't want anyone to get
offended that we didn't do something similar for their sick or injured
horse. We also have to be careful about the owner. Although we do not
agree with her care giving, it is a delicate situation to convince her to
give up the horse without making her mad and having her take the horse
somewhere else and putting her down. As angering as it is, she does have a
right to take her horse to another vet. If we protest there is animal
abuse, like I posted before, that takes time to go through the channels and
again, that is time we do not have to dink around with.

So - as it stands now - Velvet is still up, still on fluids and is still in
decent shape. The vet thinks she is a great candidate for surgery and is
confident her intestines are not yet compromised. As we all know though,
the longer this goes on, the worse the situation can get. So . . . he is
going to contact the owner one last time this morning and see where she is
with the situation. Hopefully, she will let her go to me. If that is the
case, I will take her to the surgeon today and get the ball rolling,
whatever that may be. It could be they monitor her longer, run an abdominal
tap and perhaps an ultrasound. Since she does have gut sounds and her heart
rate is still in good shape, it may still pass on it's own. That would be
awesome because of course, would not cost as much. However, if not, she can
go into surgery. My vet says she is an excellent candidate.

Everyone keep their fingers crossed - we are making progress here towards a
good resolution. Most people don't bother going through this much trouble
for a mini. She was lucky to have crossed my path. That is why she touched
my heart - she has a huge hurdle to get over and needs help. I am here for
her.

My vet said, it's nice to see because most of the time when someone is a
bleeding heart, it is for a horse that could end up doing something for them
later like ridability or breeding. THis little one is just that, a little
one. To most, she has nothing to offer. To me, she is a living creature
that deserves a chance. And although I can't save them all - lord knows
I've seen many I wanted to help and couldn't - every one makes a difference.

Julie in CO

= = =

Just got word from the vet - The owner will relinquish ownership and I will
be taking her to CSU for surgery. Still have to have paperwork signed but
we are in the process and things are looking good.

Anyone that wants to call CSU and donate towards her bill - please feel
free. Dr. Joyce will be the surgeon handling the case. The office is on
emergency hours today so not a receptionist but you can call 970-297-4471.
You can also send to my paypal account - ID is DasGus @ msn.com [I added spaces in this to avoid spamming her].

Anyone who wants to pass this message along to others who may be able to
help, please do. I have already contacted some equine rescue places and
hope to get a little assistance from them as well. We already have some
funds for her but have a long way to go to reach our goal. If someone wants
to sponsor her and perhaps give a monthly donation - she would appreciate
that as well.

I will work to exhaust as many options as I can as far as promotion and fund
raising.

In the meantime - please keep sending thoughts her way. Things are looking
up!!

Julie in CO

= = =

Still Jan 6 at almost midnight:

PHEW!!! What a day! I just got back. She made it through surgery!!!!!

As you know, weather here in Colorado has been horrific. Well, the 2 hour drive there was a little rough. There was one area I thought we were goners. A truck a few hundred yards ahead spun out so everyone in front of me started slamming on the brakes, well they all started spinning out and sliding around! The trailer started fishtailing. I took my foot of the gas and squeezed the brake controller to try and straighten my rig out. In the meantime, people on either side of me backed off. I was all over the road. Poor little velvet. squeezed the brake controller again - eased the brakes on the truck - and the rig straightened out nicely.

We made it to the hospital just in time. She was in bad bad shape. She was so distended and swollen that it was cutting off the circulation to her belly and legs and she had pitted adema on her belly and stifles. It was bizarre. They ultrasounded, drew blood and sent her right to anesthesia. There we found out her heart rate was over 90 which is horrible. Xylazine was administered and the surgeon came in to assess the situation. She was at that time concerned she wouldn't make it through the anesthesia. It was rough, her oxygen level dropped, they rushed to get her intubated and on the table. There was a whole crew working on her feverishly. Her blood pressure was dangerously low the whole time but the anesthesiologist on call there was AWESOME and kept her going.

Long story short - she was packed with sand (something the owner swore could not have been the problem). They had never seen that much sand and that much distention in an animal that was still walking around and conscious. They got her cleaned out - no intestine had to be removed and no compromise was found. They worked for an hour to get all the sand out of her, painstakingly palpating each inch of her small and large intestine to push it out. The whole thing was just AMAZING to watch. What a team and what a feeling it must be to be part of that team.

We then rushed to recovery. She had an oxygen problem as you know and so they didn't want her off oxygen too long. She stood up after about only 30 to 45 minutes and was coming out of it well. This was when I needed to talk with the doctors and take care of at least half of the estimated bill.

I am going to take care of her after care and that should help. They think she should get out the door for about $4000. Unfortunately, I myself have surgery set up for Tuesday and will most likely be out of commission for at least a day. I could pick her up on Monday (if all goes well) but then, my boss would have to take care of her and not sure I want to burden him with that while I myself am out. Will have to decide on that. I have my pre-op app on Monday and may go get her after that.

In the meantime, she needs to recover without any complications so we still need well wishes sent her way. As in any surgery, infection is a concern and given the extent of sand she had in her tiny system, colitis is another concern. She will require delicate hourly monitored feedings for the next several weeks. Everyone please keep thinking good thoughts.

I just drove back home, leaving her in very capable hands. I will be updated on her progress in the morning . . .er uh, I guess later this morning.

Now - for all those who have donated and who are launching auctions and benefits . . . well . . . I just don't know what to say!!! Thank you so very much. I am in tears of joy as I write this right now knowing I have not only financial help out there from you guys but also so much emotional support. I am at a loss of what I could ever do to repay you all. Velvet is a precious precious little creature and she is so very grateful to all of you!

So far so good. I will keep you posted!

As for me, I'm exhausted to say the least and am going to try to get some sleep although my mind might not let me.

Julie in CO
= = =

First I want to say thank you to all who are sending well wishes and healing light as well as donations. I can not say it enough - thank you thank you thank you. If little velvet could talk - she would thank you too.

Status as of about 5:15 p.m. tonight. She is stable. They are feeding her small amounts of a selective diet (including alfalfa leaves) every few hours and she is cleaning that up. She was systemically compromised and due to the overwhelming amount of sand inside her - her colon and intestines are severely irritated. Thus, she is at high risk of colitis which in some cases can be deadly in and of itself. They are administering as much medicine and giving her highly calculated feeds and supplements to try and counter act this. She also runs the risk of laminitis. As of tonight, no digital pulses are felt for now so that is good news on the laminitis end.

The bad news is she seems to be depressed and does lay down a lot. I think she is exhausted. 3 days of severe pain, not eating, almost dying, major surgery, it has all started to take it's toll. She had a bit of diarrhea this morning and hasn't had a bowel movement since. This is expected as she was pretty cleaned out during surgery and her severely irritated colon needs a rest anyway. Apparently she prolapsed her colon with the diarrhea and they had to re-insert it. This is an indication of how severely irritated her colon is and is also not uncommon but an added risk. She has been given Biosponge and partial doses of Banamine which help clean out toxins in her system which, as you know, after 3 days of waiting, she had a lot of toxins. Her bloodwork seems to indicate she is handling everything okay. Glucose levels have been a concern and they are working to keep that in check.

Finally, they estimated her weight at check in to be about 450 pounds. Today, they estimate it to be about 250 pounds. Most of that was the sand inside her. This leaves her underweight and she will need to put on some pounds. The pitted adema in her belly and stifles are beginning to resolve itself which is good because it is not a common condition to colics but to another more serious condition. However, due to being so severely distended, they believe the pressure alone cut off the circulation and thus caused the adema.

As for her trust fund - we are currently at just over $1000 and counting. We have at least $4500 I will need to pay off and this is an excellent help. Still have a ways to go so please keep passing the word and sending me those fantastic ideas about raising more funds. Most importantly, please send thought her way - she needs them right now. She needs encouragement and needs our support. I will be driving up there tomorrow after my pre-surgical appointment for myself to give her some encouragement of my own. Hopefully the roads are more cooperative and so the drive will be less eventful.

Thank you again truly from the bottom of my heart and from Velvet's huge enormous heart she thanks you too!

Julie in CO

= = = = =

This is posted simply to help someone who obviously loves horses and needs help. Please help if you can.

-Taz

What would you do if you found an injured horse on your doorstep?
info @ TordensPage.com [remove spaces in email]
www.TordensPage.com