Update on Ziggy: part 3

The last few months have been a slow one for Ziggy. His exercise has increased to at least 15 minutes a day. Some days you can really tell when he is stir crazy because he can be a real butt when you are trying to walk him. He just wants to run!!! And dad has created a monster!!!!! I don't even want to know how many cookies he gets a day from dad during their walks! Good gravy!!

When he first had his surgery, he got it for a clubbed foot. Now however, the left foot..which was the worst.. kinda has the opposite problem! (the right foot is great and has really healed up nicely!!) His "ankle" joint or his fetlock has now become hyperextended when he walks. The vet said that he needed to increase his exercise time to try and strengthen the muscle. We tried this for a few weeks and even found a brace that was supposed to help support the suspensatory ligaments. It seemed to help a little bit, but some times when he was walking, it would make your stomach churn for how extended it was getting. Obviously this was a better problem to have than what he had before the surgery, but it still needed to be corrected.

The last time Doug was out, we called the vet who did his surgery to find out if there was anything else we could do or that she would recommend to help this. She said we needed to put on a shoe that has an extension on the back to make it so he can't flex as much. She also said that we needed to continue back with the wrapping of his leg with the cotton wrap and the vet wrap and that he needed to be back on stall rest with no more than 5 minutes a day of exercise so that the leg can now heal more and hopefully tighten up.

His new wrap.. don't you love the hot pink zebra?? :)

His new kicks

again

the best pic of it that we could get. you can see the shoe and then the added part that comes out the back. It was amazing to watch Doug make this and to actually put it on. I've never seen a horse get a shoe before!

The bad kids

Camie making a mean face

Playing in the snow

Bolt about to get Camie

He is getting so pretty. and Big!!

I think she was tired?

"This is my good side"

Bolt is about to get Camie again!!!

Bolt getting some lovin' from mom!

Having some fun

running around

Update on Ziggy: part 2

So about a week after his surgery, Doug the ferrier came out to take care of Ziggy's feet. He had to add a toe extension like I said in the last post. Ziggy was being bad, so we had to call our vet Holly to bring in reinforcements. She gave him some drugs and then he was a good boy for us.

I'm also added some pictures of the other babies so you can see how big everyone is getting. Bolt is turning into a big butthead, so we really need to get our round pen situated again so we can start teaching him some good manors.

Ziggy out for another walk

What his left incision looked like about 1 week post op... i forgot to take pics of the right foot incision...

The left foot again

Doug's first time working with him after surgery

Adding a toe extension

The tow extension was kinda like caulking stuff. it came out of a gun thing like that. He heated it up and then put plastic wrap around his foot after he molded it and it dried.

After that, he applied a really sticky tape to the bottom to keep it on..

that would have been a good shot, but his hand got in the way!

The final product. We also added duct tape to the bottom to keep it protected so it wouldn't fall off.

The other babies enjoying some hay

Mom walking the two of them up. It was at this point that she was asking for help. 

Camie girl. 

Camie again

Bolt is back by the tree, Camie is close, and you can see Ziggy off the top left walking with dad

"Hey ziggy, want to play?"

How is she so dirty??

Bolt getting ready to run!

weee

He looks so pretty when he runs!

more running

still running

Ok.. i'm tired now.

Camie: "what are you looking at bolt?"

The two goof balls

Update on Ziggy Part 1

Hello everyone,

Sorry I have been horrible updating, but school has been crazy! I'm planning on putting several posts on here to show the progression of things so far...

After we brought Ziggy home from the hospital, he was on stall rest for at least 60 days. He was only allowed out for 5 minutes a day, and that's if he wasn't limping. He was doing pretty well! the first day he walked all the way down the drive way and then then only starting limping on the way back to the barn. Other than that, he was walking really well.

We had to change his bandages every other day. I took some pictures of his incisions. they actually looked great!! His bandages consisted of a non-stick gauze pad over the incision, brown fabric wrap, gauze wrapping, then thick cotton wrapping, then it was held up with Vetwrap. Each layer had specific instructions. Like the brown wrap needed to be overlapped 75% each revolution. And the Vetwrap needed to be overlapped by 50%. For the most part Ziggy was good about this. I was only kneed in the head twice! They had to be changed about every other day or so for 14 days.

Doug, our ferrier, also came out at least once a week to trim up his heels, and they were really thick from not touching the ground. He also needed to have a toe extension put on because he had completely worn off the front of his hoof. Doug said that it was so thin, that if he would have even bumped it on something he probably would have bruised his bone!

Ziggy's first walk!

Ziggy, dad and Stefan

The geese being our wonderful helpers are clearing the way!

On the way back down the drive way

The white things is just a wedge to help the pain. We have to lower this slightly every week other wise the pain will be too much and he will just go back into a contracture.

just another shot

"we're the three best friends that anyone's ever had!"

Camie: "hey, you smell funny."

His shave patch where the IV went

His new friend since he isn't allowed to be with his friends for a long time.

Another walk the next day. Eating some grass!!

First time changing his dressings. Taking off the brown gauze stuff

What was under the vetwrap and the brown stuff

His incision on his left side.

a close up. This is i think maybe 3 or 4 days post-op

putting the dressings back on.

gauze, cotton, brown gauze....

...then vetwrap

Taking off the other side...

only the gauze and gauze pad left

his right side incision

a close up

re-wrapping

the finished product!!!!