From: Michelle Ormond/Rancho Refugio

Today, we gave Caylee our final gift......crossing the Rainbow Bridge. It was a beautiful Spring day and the air was sweet. Caylee got a chance to nibble on her favorite grass and take in her surroundings. Dr. Larry Martin (LAVA) was there to help us for which we will always be appreciative. We have posted pictures of Caylee in a photo album. Each of these passings is difficult but this one, particularly so as Caylee was so full of life and energy. We miss her already but knowing she is free from pain and suffering gives us peace that it was the right time and place. We so hoped it could have been different.....but it wasn't and we have the joy of knowing her as the gift we will keep forever.

Thank you for all your good thoughts and kind words. For those of you who held a special place in your heart for her, know she suffers no more.

News came back on Caylee that she has squamous cell carcinoma. Prognosis is death by the disease (it will soon spread to her spine) or euthanasia. The Vets at San Luis Rey (we counseled with 3) said it wasn't that she was exposed to the sun but rather the injury was so bad on her back that it would have never healed.....no matter what we did. And, that, given the circumstances, we treated her properly....which is very little solace. The area of damage was far too large to ever heal properly. They have another horse there now, with the same thing, who has been to Davis for radiation and back to San Luis Rey for chemo.....with money being no issue....The carcinoma has returned...which is a common outcome because the cancer is so aggressive.

It wasn't what we were hoping for as Caylee is so full of life.....We are crushed.......

Michelle

Caylee is now at Rancho Refugio in Ramona, CA under the watchful eye of Michele O.  Caylee now has a home for life where she will have her very own special housing!  Thank you to Michele for stepping up to provide Caylee with the care, attention and love that she deserves!

For those of you on Facebook, Michele put up new pictures:

Caylee's New Home:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2844246338987.2134176.1044222053&type=3

Caylee is now at FalconRidge Equine Rescue.




Caylee was brought to TIER 2 days after her arrival at Riverside Animal Control because their staff was not in a position to administer the care she needed for her wounds. She was under AC's 14 day "hold" period initially. During that 14 day hold period we networked to find a rescue that had the resources to provide her with long term care for her wound (possible skin grafts, etc.). Caylee would need a stall that would protect her from the sun and rain (her ears are burned off and rain would go directly into her ear canal). She would also need long term and constant wound care each day and, of course, veterinary care.

FalconRidge agreed to take her in. TIER & FalconRidge work together on trying to help horses. Sugar Bear is one of the horses at TIER that is a "shared rescue" with FalconRidge.
AC agreed to release Caylee to FalconRidge after the "hold" period was up. Caylee remained at TIER for further wound treatment (daily wound care & then the 1 week stay at the vet clinic for her IV antibiotic treatment). Once the treatment was completed she went to FalconRidge where they will continue her care. They have been busy with taking care of her and rescuing horses. We hope to receive an update on how the wound is doing soon.

10/24/2011 - Update from FalconRidge is that wound is doing good. Yay!

Per our vet, Dr. Thomas Hoyme, Caylee's wound has responded quite well to the IV antibiotic treatment. Woo Hoo! It appears that the infection of her back wound is under control.

As for topical wound care, once the wound responded to the antibiotics they applied Biozide Gel to the wound and placed a pad on top. (Urinary pads like they use in hospitals). This has worked well although at times she removes the pad when the healing/itching starts.

Wound care after she leaves the clinic will focus on keeping the wound clean and moist. Care of the scarred areas will continue with the use of Derma Gel and Aloe Vera so that the scaling/scabbing remain moisturized.

The next step will be a skin graft. Caylee is scheduled to leave the vet clinic tomorrow and the vets that will do the pinch grafts (or whatever type of skin graft that will be used) are on board awaiting her arrival.

We are so pleased with Caylee's progress! She is such a lovely mare with a warm personality despite all she has been through. She is very well mannered (except at feeding time when she gets a bit demanding! HA!) and loves attention.

We haven't reached the goal for the remaining funds needed for Caylee's IV Antibiotic treatment and stay at the clinic just yet. We thank those generous folks who have donated for her care and prayed/sent healing thoughts for her recovery.

WARNING! GRAPHIC PICTURE OF WOUND BELOW!

Caylee getting ready to step on the trailer to go to the Vet Clinic.

Originally, we had planned to have the  IV antibiotics for Caylee's chronic wound adminstered by us at TIER via a catheter.  After consulting with our vet, considering the recent rainy weather, the possiblity of her pulling the catheter out (100 for the catheter which would mean 100 for replacement), etc. it was decided that the best option was to send her to the vet's facility.

By going to the vet's facility he will be better able to monitor the wound's response to the antibiotics and continue topical care of the wound and the scaling areas.  It is hoped that the antibiotics will clear the infection and she will start to form healthy tissue around the edges.  In order for the wound area to be able to have a skin graft (at a later date) the area needs to form healthy granulation tissue so the graft will have a better chance of taking.

She will be in a contained stall, receive IV antibiotics twice dailyand topical care for the open wound.

Thanks to the folks at Veterinus Derma Gel (THANK YOU!) the scaling areas are improving! Previously dry, cracking skin with LARGE thick scales of damaged flesh and scarring covered her withers, top of her rump, hips, buttocks and portions of her face.  Thanks to the generous donation of 40 lbs. of Derma Gel and applying it daily, these areas are now healing wonderfully!  The scaling has reduced dramatically.  The skin is no longer dry/cracking.  When it is applied directly to the open wound on her back, it provides healing and a protective cover.

The wound is rinsed with oxygenated water donated by a TIER friend.  That is allowed to dry and then the Derma Gel is applied.  The major issue is that as the wound heals, it begins to itch and Caylee uses her mouth to scratch the wound or she rolls.  She will do well for a few days and as the healing/itching starts she will then open the wound by scratching or rolling.  It is a contstant battle.  Due to the burns on her neck/shoulders, we've hesitated to use a cradle to keep her from being able to reopen the wound.  Our vet indicates that now that the Derma Gel has done such a good job on the shoulder/neck area that if need be, he has a type of cradle that he can use if necessary.

Caylee's stay at the vet will of course cost a bit more than if she was treated at TIER.  But, considering that she will be monitored by the veterinarian, wound care, no catheter fees (which would have entailed stitching the catheter in), etc. we felt sending her to the vet's was the best scenario for her to heal properly.

Thanks to donors, some of these costs have been covered.  We still need 650.00 to cover all costs.  Caylee will be at the vet's for 7 days or more. Any help with these costs would be greatly appreciated.

Ingrid Leading Caylee to the Trailer

WARNING! GRAPHIC PICTURE OF WOUND after Caylee has rubbed it and rolled to relieve the itching.

VolunTIERs posed with Caylee after a hard days work cleaning pens, scrubbing water buckets, etc. etc.

She really likes the attention and is not a bit camera shy.

Lab Reports: Our vet suggested the most cost effective antibiotics to use would be Enrofloxacin & Amoxicillin. His suggestion was to administer IV for at least a week or until the infection is gone. This would most probably require a catheter. Approximate costs (depending on cost of antibiotics as costs seem to fluctuate) would be 40-50 per day.

Caylee is doing well.  She sure has an appetite.  We are awaiting results of the culture/biopsy so that we know what bacteria we will be fighting on the large open wound on her back and how to proceed. 

No major changes in the wound.  Areas of scaling are continuing to exfoliate.  Large pieces do come off, but we cannot pull them off as that would just cause another wound for Caylee.  It will be a long/slow process to get that area reduced to less scaling.

8:00 AM PST - Just spoke to the vet.  Histopath will probably take a few more days as it is an involved process.  Should have news by the end of the week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histopathology

9/7/2011 - Vet did the Biopsy & Culture.  Again, Caylee was the perfect lady.  A little bit of tranquilizer helped too!  Vet was impressed with the healing of the smaller open wounds (which are clearing up!) and the progress of the chronic large wound on her back/withers.  Once the results from the biopsy/culture are in we will know how to proceed with the wound.  The scaling on her rump, withers is the worst and we will continue to moisturize this area.  Some of the scaling is coming off...a little bit at a time.

The folks at Veterinus Derma Gel are donating some product which will help considerably on areas that are open and bothered by flies.  Thank goodness, because that stuff is pricey and I had run out!

We cannot thank you all enough for the encouragement, donations and support for Caylee! She is doing well.

Her full cover shelter has been completed to "try" to block as much sun as possible.

I have been in contact with a rescue located in Oklahoma who also had a horse with severe burns and one of the recommendations for treatment of the NON open wound areas (scabby/flaky skin) is from BeeCeuticals. They have a body balm made from beeswax, honey, etc. We are looking into getting some of this. The original company no longer manufactures the product, but there is still some out there at various sites. So, the hunt is on for BeeCeuticals Body Balm or another moisturizing bee product.

Vetrycin is applied several times a day. The Vetrycin does not deter the flies so we have also been applying Animax. Fortunately, we have a prescription on file for Animax and have ordered the jumbo size bottle which should arrive soon.

Farrier was out 9-5-2011 to trim Caylee's feet. She is such a lady! Her feet were a bit overgrown and cracked but are now looking good. She stood for the farrier without any problem whatsoever!

The Vetricyn & Animax have helped her wound considerably. There is of course some "weeping" down her side and I have been using Horseman's Dream & Vaseline to keep the scalding down to a minimum.

The vet will be to do the culture & biopsy so we can identify the particular bacteria causing the infection. Once the results are in the vet will be better informed on the type of medication we need to help this girl in her recovery.

Again, thank you all!

The first thing our vet said when he was introduced to Caylee was..."Wow!" He paused and said "What a nice mare, good conformation, possibly Running Quarter...but Wow!" He thinks she is 7-8 yrs. old.

The vet does not have a good idea of when the burns occurred. His thoughts were that she could have possibly been in a fire and the roof collapsed on her. But the burn patterns are somewhat odd. No eyelid/nostril disfigurement, raw places under her mane..but her mane is intact, etc. Who knows? He said we could sit around and theorize all day but would never know what happened. He feels it did not happen within the last few weeks as there are healed areas and scarring. There is a major non-healing wound on her back, other smaller open wound areas on her neck/shoulder, hip & flank, along with thick scabs on her rump. He recommended Vetrycin for all the wounds right now and Caylee was treated with Vetrycin today.

Vet would like to do a culture and biopsy of the major wound on her back in order to define what bacteria is present so that we can obtain the proper medication to treat the wound.

WARNING - GRAPHIC PHOTOS

Vet feels this will be a long healing process. Once the bacteria causing the infection/non-healing of her back is identified, we can begin to address this with the proper medication/treatment. Once the infection is under control, he feels that a skin graft would be needed.

The skin on the back is thin and since it was destroyed, he feels there is not much chance of it forming granulation tissue therefore the skin graft. He feels the smaller open wounds will heal if treatment is diligent.

There is some regrowth of hair in the scarred areas, but he is doubtful that she will get a full coat over those areas. He does not think that she is in pain.

The area on her back oozes/drains and she will whip her head back to scratch it. Flies are a bit of a problem and we cannot put a turnout sheet or fly sheet over her because it will stick to the wound.

Caylee is eating and drinking well. She is well mannered, listens well, ties, loads, stands, etc. She is even flirting with the boys and they all think she is gorgeous! Beautiful large eyes, long white lashes and she gently takes treats from your hand. She has a very sweet nature and loves to be scratched on her chest & belly and is glad to see you...especially if you are carrying hay!

After the hold period she will be going to FalconRidge Equine Rescue for more rehabilitation and she can hopefully recover and  grow her coat back.

Please share and donate now to help Caylee directly!  

While we don&rsquot have a high number of horses come through our rescue, we know that we do make a difference to each one that finds its way to us.   This is what TIER & Falcon Ridge do give them a new start.  We do what we do because YOU make it possible!

Be Kind To the Animals for They are The True Innocents.