June is Home!

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We have some bright news to share on this gloomy day – after 20 days spent in the hospital, June is home! She still has a ways to go before she gets the all-clear from our vets but she is doing very well, and improving every day.

Earlier posts about June’s rescue and hospitalization:
https://www.facebook.com/corollawildhorses.org/posts/443719614456460
https://www.facebook.com/corollawildhorses.org/posts/446395170855571

June has been settling in at the farm and we’ve spent the last few days getting to know each other and getting into a routine. She can’t be in the same paddock with other horses yet, but she’s sharing a fence line with Virginia Dare and Buttercup, and Junior and Riptide are about 20ft away from her so she’s got plenty of friends close by. She’s eating and drinking really well (gobbles up her meds twice a day like a champ!) and while she absolutely refuses to stand inside a stall, she’s got the option to go in and out if she wants to. She likes to be scratched on her face, and can easily be caught, led around, and cared for. She’s still a chestnut mare though, and doesn’t let you forget it – iykyk.

She will get her final dose of the pythiosis vaccine this week, and there have been no signs of the infection returning. While there is always a chance that things could go downhill again, at this point there is no reason to think she won’t continue on the right track. (It’s important to note that the vaccine has only been proven effective when administered after infection – it is not a preventative.) The wound on her leg looks fabulous, with lots of healthy new tissue growing every day. She is sound and showing no signs of discomfort.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you again for the support. June’s substantial vet bill is covered because of your generosity – everyone who donated, shared our posts, and wished June well played a large role in saving her life. And not only have we saved June, but hopefully what our vets have learned from her will help save other horses too. So little is known about this awful disease, and other horse owners dealing with it may not have the resources to put into treatment that we do. Vets may not always get the opportunity to follow through from start to finish, but with a case like June’s (and Riptide’s) they are able to learn more and more about the best ways to treat pythiosis. It’s also an incredible teaching opportunity for the NCSU veterinary students.

And speaking of vets and hospital staff, what can we say besides thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are so lucky to have such an amazing team of compassionate, brilliant people working with us. It has been a pretty awful month and a half for our staff and those close to our organization, and your support through June’s recovery and also during the week we were trying to save Ceres is so greatly appreciated. Thank you for the respect and empathy you’ve shown not just the horses, but us humans too.

In case you missed it, we are having an open house at the farm on October 15 from 10am – 2pm. If you are local or happen to be in town that weekend, please stop by and welcome June home! Check out our events page for more info.