Posted on 07/26/2006 6:39:09 AM PDT by gate2wire
KENNETT SQUARE, PA — According to Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro slept well after his left hind foot bandage was changed yesterday. “I’m happy with the appearance of this foot, which is doing as well as can be expected,” said Dr. Richardson. “Over the last several days, his temperature has been normal and his blood work has significantly improved suggesting that the infection in his right hind is under control.” His heart rate is also consistently normal now, a good indication that he is stable and comfortable.
Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of Penn’s George D. Widener Hospital.
The next update will be posted on Friday, July 28 unless there is a significant change in Barbaro’s condition.
Ping
Very good news! thanks for the ping.
Thanks. I was wondering yesterday how he was doing and had planned to look it up today. I wish him all the best and I am so happy the owners are able and willing to work with him. The feet are so crucial.
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like things have improved since two weeks ago.
Maybe they are waiting for leg with the plates in it to stabilize a bit more. As much as Barbaro is beating all odds, you gotta admit tht he is in rough shape as far as any horse is concerned! :-)
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Gail Luciani
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This colt seems to be a great patient.
Saratoga starts today. :-)
Oh - I'm not inclined to get involved... I'm just barely arrogant enough to opine about it here :~) I just wish they'd say.
LOL. I hear ya. I wouldn't know what questions to ask myself.
It might actually be the laminitic foot they're most concerned about too... If he's still laminitic, every step might cause coffin bone rotation, they'd want to keep him quiet till all danger of that has passed.
That's true too. I wasn't sure if he had an infection in both legs now, or one infected leg and one lamanitic hoof.
It was both. Yesterday, Doc R said he thought he would be changing the right hind cast this week sometime - which is a bigger deal than changing the left hind bandages.
I believe they at least have it down to using a local anesthetic and/or a sedative now, rather than putting him under for it and using the pool recovery. Could be wrong about that, but it was that way the last time (before his left hind was known to be so seriously laminitic.)
Doc R also said Barbaro has been really good about sleeping on his side at night, usually about 4 hours, which is helping a lot. B spends "a few hours" a day in his sling - I'm not sure if that is contiguous hours or a cumulative total. Some of that time, he is sitting like a puppy dog.
I misunderstood one portion of his recent treatment. The fresh bone graft was done to his right hind broken leg, which is mostly healing properly, but needed reinforcement in one area - the long pastern bone, I believe.
When the new bone graft was reported at the same time as the hoof resection on the left hind laminitic foot/hoof, I thought it was a reference to some fresh bone being implanted in the coffin bone of the left hind foot. Evidently, that is not the case, so I need to refocus my prayers - as I was wanting speedier healing than normal in his left foot/hoof.
They also said last week they were weaning him from the higher levels of pain meds, but I don't know the outcome of that - except that the doc says B's attitude has continued to be positive (which means to me he is not showing any great signs of discomfort).
*Keep hangin' in there, Barbaro - and swingin' that sling!*
Thanks for the update. Good news. This horse has an incredible heart.
Great news! I pray for him daily. :o)
good news ................. ping
Thank you so much for the good news ping. As long as Barbaro can hang in there, well, so can I.
With all the other "hot" news going on its good to know that, for today at least, I can rest easy about this lovely horse. He stays in my thoughts and prayers of course. Just not at the tippy top of the list, lol.
cheers ;~)
pattyjo
Hard to believe that these big strong animals can at times be so fragile.Thanks for the good news.
Thanks for the great news. This horse has a big heart.
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