Posted on 01/28/2007 3:00:36 PM PST by HairOfTheDog
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Racing Writer 40 minutes ago
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro suffered another significant setback over the weekend, and his fight for survival may have reached a critical point. After Barbaro developed a deep abscess in his right hind foot, surgery was performed Saturday to insert two steel pins in a bone, one that was shattered but now healthy, to eliminate all weight bearing on the ailing foot.
The procedure is a risky one, because it transfers more weight to the leg. If the bone were to break again, chief surgeon Dr. Dean Richardson said: "I think we'll quit.
"When things start to go bad, it's like a house of cards," he said Sunday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "If one thing fails, that puts more stress on another part. And if that fails, then you're stuck with managing two problems. That's why these are difficult cases."
The right rear leg was on the mend until recently. It's the one Barbaro shattered at the start of the Preakness Stakes eight months ago, and the three broken bones had completely healed.
Now this. The surgery, in which a cast was removed and replaced by an external brace known as a skeletal fixation device, addresses one problem but could create others.
Barbaro likely will have to bear more weight on his front feet because of his two ailing back legs, making him more susceptible to laminitis, a painful and often fatal disease caused by uneven weight distribution. Laminitis already struck Barbaro's left rear foot in July, and 80 percent of the hoof was removed.
"It's something that we are watching closely, and that could also be a thing that could lead to us quitting," Richardson said.
The colt was doing well Sunday, according to Richardson, and "we will continue to treat Barbaro aggressively as long as he remains bright, alert and eating," he said in an update sent out by the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.
Based on Richardson's advice, owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson have been making the decisions concerning Barbaro. Their major concern from the start has been to keep Barbaro comfortable.
"No one is interested in putting the horse through any type of misery," Richardson said. "We're going to treat him the best way we can as long as he stays comfortable. And we're going to stick with that no matter if his chances are 1 percent or 90 percent.
"If he gets to the point where we just don't think it's reasonable to go on, we will not go on."
Gretchen Jackson spent time with Barbaro on Sunday, and said her colt is "still bright-eyed and still eating.
"It's not over 'til it's over," she said. "I'd say he's comfortable and being treated very well. As long as he's comfortable ... Dean knows our feelings. We trust him."
After months of upbeat progress reports, Barbaro has endured several setbacks the past three weeks.
On Jan. 9, Barbaro had a cast placed on his left rear leg to help realign a bone. The next day, Richardson removed damaged tissue from the colt's left rear hoof, and Barbaro was placed in a sling to help him keep weight off his feet.
On Jan. 13, another section of his left rear hoof was removed, and a cast was placed back on his right hind leg for additional support. He was gradually improving, but last Thursday, Barbaro's left rear cast was replaced and a custom-made plastic and steel brace was applied to his right hind leg. The leg also was fitted with a special orthotic brace for more support.
In the latest setback, the right hind leg is again at risk.
The pins in the right rear leg are connected to an external brace, which is connected to a lightweight alloy foot plate. This results "in the horse eliminating all weight bearing from the foot," Richardson said Sunday in a statement. "The horse's weight is borne through the pins across his cannon bone."
Allowing the pins to bear weight carries "significant risk."
"We believed it was our only option given the worsening of the right hind foot problem," Richardson said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we felt we needed to take this risk because this approach offered our only hope of keeping Barbaro acceptably comfortable."
He explained Barbaro had been uncomfortable on his right hind foot because of an abscess that developed when the horse had a "period of discomfort" on the left hind foot.
"It is not laminitis, but the undermining of the sole and part of the lateral heel region are potentially just as serious," Richardson said.
Sunday, Richardson sounded as serious as he did on May 21, the day after the Preakness, when he delivered the news that Barbaro's chance of survival was a "coin toss."
"I'm upset, worried, not sleeping well," he said. "A lot of people are very, very committed and spent a huge amount of emotional sources on this horse. So it's very upsetting when things go badly."
:-)
Heartbreaking. With all the sadness during this time of war many people were routing for Barbaro's recovery. Sure wish this had had a happy ending.
well said
The movie Seabiscuit perfectly describes the fascination a nation can have with one horse.
I care more about reading about this horse than any of the many gossip magazines for Hollyweird celebrities.
What that nun said was a lie and I know
We got our first rabbit, a black mini-lop. What a character. She gives my dogs fits; thoroughly loves teasing them.
She has fits being left in her crate (we converted a huge dog crate for her); preferring to run around the house and explore.
I understand, it is sad, strange how emotional one can get over a horse that I have never met.
I think they will also
I thought of Seabiscuit too while reading this thread. I just saw the movie last weekend on ABC. While I enjoyed the book a lot more, the movie made those races pretty exciting. Seabiscuit offered a lot of hope to a nation that didn't have much during the Great Depression. He was a horse that most thought would amount to nothing, but Tom Smith and Charles Howard certainly knew better. Given the chance, he was one hell of a horse and a personality to boot. And I am not a horse racing fan! Seabiscuit is one of those stories that you just can't forget.
RIP to Barbaro and condolences to his owners and his fans.
Why do people like you feel compelled to state the obvious. Let us horse lovers have our sad time without making us feel guilty. Please.
I'm surprised she gets along with the dogs. Most of the time they get along just fine with cats (being the dominant one) but you must have very well-behaved dogs. Certain breeds just aren't a good fit.
Most rabbits like to have room - all of ours have run of a floor of the house. Once they're litter trained and altered, they won't wreak as much havoc.
Make sure you bunny-proof anywhere they can get - especially wires. They can go through lots of things very quickly (moulding, carpet, phone wires, furniture, to name a few).
Oh, dear. :*(
Rest in peace, Barbaro, and run free in Heaven. :*(
I figure there are going to be far more people at Barbaro's funeral blubbering than at mine. But, hey that is okay with me. Sad story. I am at work and I am going to have to go to the bathroom to shed a tear or two.
We were worried about the interaction too, especially given they are hounds and she smells ever so good.
But, we put up a gate in the hallway a few inches off of the ground so she can go under it to escape. She will lay right on the other side of that with her legs kicked out, just watching them. She comes out and sniffs them. When they are napping, she even walks up and checks them out all over.
Oh, and she adores the guinea pig. Last week when we brought her home she was not so happy. After a couple of days, we brought him in to say hi. That turned her around completely.
We are working on the houseproofing. She is staying in my room right now, and all of the lines are up, closet doors closed. Need to get over to home depot and buy something to cover the rest of the lines around the house.
Poor horsie. He was a brave boy.
Poor, dear Barbaro. What heart the dear boy had. He obviously struggled hard to stay with us. Don't know that I've ever heard of another horse with as much spirit and determination.
Seemed things began to go downhill for him over a week ago. How touching that Roy and Gretchen Jackson visited with him this morning. It must have been heartbreaking for them, as well as for Dr. Richardson and his fine staff.
I'm terribly sad. My only consolation is that I believe he's already been restored to his former self. May he play and frolic and joyously kick up his heels in heaven for all time!
Yes Man & beast have a soul. The difference is that man is created in the image & likeness of God. IMHO since animals have a soul we will see them in heaven. By the way, I am sure if you asked Jesus if you can have Fido back why would He say no. God can do anything. God is a God of love.
I was so sad when I heard this today.
God speed Barbaro......you can run fast and free now.
Thanks for posting the pics.
Ping for RR to a thread with no idiotic posts.
Beware the evening news clips on TV. I've never been able to watch the Preakness reruns, so I automatically look away - but the ones of Doc R grazing him recently called for a renewed Kleenex alert at my house just now.
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