Surgeon: Barbaro's Injuries Catastrophic

AP ^

[jern]

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was in surgery Sunday fighting for his life a day after breaking his right rear leg in three places at the Preakness, and the colt's surgeon said he's never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse.

[HairOfTheDog]

OK I'm wrong... I guess if we can think of it, 'somebody' has done it. But turning a horse loose in the road is an enormous liability issue.

[Salamander]

Aaaaauuugh!

[your wife is funny]...;]

[cusp]

it was Foolish Pleasure

[Salamander]

I just saw the clip of Barbero.
It was bad but not as bad as watching her.
Her leg was literally hanging useless and crooked and she kept going.
The jockey [bless his heart] forced the boy to stop and the horse [lucky for him] limped instead of going full bore on it.

[davisfh]

The owner left "Pretty Boy" with the neighbor overnight, came back and took him home the following day. My neighbor, Bryan, told me that she asked him if he would board Pretty Boy from time to time because her work requires her to travel and she has no one to take care of him. Bryan agreed to do that but expressed concern about the barbed wire fence on his place. We don't know what to do about that, but while Pretty Boy was quartered in Bryan's place, I don't believe that he ever contacted the barbed wire.

I don't even know if this is possible, but it appeared to me that Bryan's two horses were shepherding Pretty Boy. Surely, they could not have know that he is blind.

[Salamander]

No sweety!
I wasn't "proving you wrong"!
I was proving how stupid some 'owners' are!

[and if anybody here wants to 'turn a horse loose', FReepmail me for my street address and appointment]...;]

[Salamander]

If you'd read the entire thread instead of jumping on me, you'd have seen that we've already covered that error in great and endless detail.....:)

[cusp]

There are predators and prey. The predators are carnivores and the prey are usually vegetarians. Horses prey on grass.

[Salamander]

"Surely, they could not have know that he is blind."

See my squirrel story.
There are countless occurrences of dogs leading/feeding other blind dogs.
Horses commonly lead other horses with "deficits" around.
Google "horse rescue" and you'll read stories that will have crying for a week, at least.

My dogs "know" that I have a 70% hearing loss.
They bark "extra loud" for me but "normally" for hubby.
If it's really important, they come and -poke- me with their noses and run to whatever I need to see/hear/take care of.

One of my dogs once saved my life when my wood stove malfunctioned and smoke filled the house.
I can't hear smoke detectors and I was asleep, anyway.
She jumped on my chest and -clawed- me awake [I was already partly "out" from the smoke].

Animals -know-.

[Salamander]

"Horses prey on grass."

And watching them stalk it and kill it is a blood-curdling sight, indeed!



[LOL!]

[davisfh]

"Animals -know-."

I believe that you're right. They know far more than we give them credit for.

[Salamander]

I think if we knew what they *really* know, we'd be scared to have them around us....;D


Here's an update to this thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1636115/posts


Look at that X ray!

Ack!

[kstewskis]

That is some amazing carpentry by those vets.

I'm impressed!

[davisfh]

Thanks for the update. Sounds as though he is going to be OK. Let's hope and pray.

[HairOfTheDog]

It really is remarkable.

[CurlyBill]

The reason for this is simple. This was a high profile situation in a sport that cannot afford that. Saving this horse is a win-win situation. It helps the reputation of the sport and allows this horse to breed and pass down the superior genes. I'm praying for success and happy breeding for Barbaro.

[vetvetdoug]

You asked for a treatise that I am very ill prepared to give. First, there is going to be a lot of stress on the remaining healthy three legs. Any impairment of the circulation to the other three could greatly decrease the chances of successful treatment (laminitis). Second, the horses willingness to be treated has a significant impact on the outcome. Some horses will not tolerate the cast, will fight any injections given to it, bite at the person giving oral medications, and not tolerate "rest". Third, the cost of treatment/surgery and recovery is cost prohibitive for most horses. Horses are business in most cases and the potential for a horse to do his/her work after treatment has a great effect upon what is spent to keep them going. A pet needs to be comfortable but one will have a hard time spending $300K to save its leg. Barbaro can stand at stud and make a $1Mil/yr for breeding. Fourth, circulation of the arthrodesed leg will be of concern, amputation of the leg may be still an option. The pastern was communited which means exploded. The surgeons are trying to just save the leg, not optimal function. Fifth, some weight will have to be placed upon the leg to fulfill Wolf's law, which states "bone grows where bone is needed". No stress=no bone. It is going to be tricky to apply Wolf's law in this situation with all of the breaks and the angles involved in the rear leg.

I have been in seminars with Richardson, Sweeney, and Matz and have the highest respect for them and the New Bolton Center's ability to achieve the impossible. If anyone can save the leg, they can.

Most horses cannot overcome the variables involved or are not valuable enough (or the owners not rich enough...Lisa Marie Presley had her 30+ year old pony's leg fixed at an astronomical cost but she could afford it and it had significant sentimental value to her, Elvis gave her the pony).

Barbaro will be a success story if he gets through this alive. One can't help love a horse, especially one with heart.

[kstewskis]

Barbaro will be a success story if he gets through this alive. One can't help love a horse, especially one with heart.

I really hope that he will be a success story to share at future conferences, not only for his big heart, but for the hopeful good outcome of this case, medically speaking.

Thanks for sheding some light on the situation, and your expertise, Dr. Doug!

[HairOfTheDog]

I have been in seminars with Richardson, Sweeney, and Matz and have the highest respect for them and the New Bolton Center's ability to achieve the impossible. If anyone can save the leg, they can.

Here's a picture of their work:

That was quite the trip to the hardware store :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

He's standing on it.

In this photo provided by the University of Pennsylvania, veterinary resident Dr. Steven Zedler stands in the stall with Barbaro after the Kentucky Derby winner underwent more than five hours of surgery Sunday, May 21, 2006, to repair three broken bones in his right rear leg at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.(AP Photo/University of Pennsylvania, Sabina Louise Pierce)

Barbaro's Survival 50-50 After Surgery