Cookie – An Emergency Seizure Case
We were contacted last August (2021) by both state and local authorities asking if we had room for an emergency seizure. After a vet medicated the pony, she arrived here at our farm later that night, transported by a vet tech. The pony was in very poor condition and it was evident as to why this was an emergency seizure.
From what we were told, Cookie was an ongoing neglect and abandonment case. She was kept in a shed during the heat of the summer with no water. She could barely walk. Two days after she arrived, our vet and farrier began to work on her horribly neglected hooves to try and make her more comfortable. She was dehydrated, in poor condition overall, and ended up developing a fever. The decision was made to take her to Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center. (Special thanks to Laurel Fox and Mike Stasak for transporting her at a moment’s notice.)
Cookie remained at the Equine Medical Center for 14 days. She had a serious infection which was being treated with several antibiotics as well as IV fluids. Despite numerous tests they could not find the cause of her infection but, thankfully, she was improving and was able to return to the farm after 14 days. (Thank you Dawn from Dawn to Dusk for transporting her home.)
Due to the serious lack of hoof care and damage to her hooves she developed chronic abscesses. Bruce soaks her front hooves daily and medicates them, and then wraps them. Her hooves contained a lot of dead tissue that had to be removed. She has permanent bone loss due to the neglect as well. The vets believe she is about 15 years old.
Cookie requires a great deal of special care. She also has both food and environmental allergies. She is currently getting allergy shots to treat her itching. All of us, including our vet Dr. Hamorski and farrier Todd Huber, have been devoted to her care. We are happy to say she is walking much better and leading a more normal life.
Cookie’s condition remains guarded due to her multiple chronic issues, but she has such a sweet personality and a lot of spunk. She also has a wonderful little nicker, and she loves her horse cookies/horse treats (which is why we named her Cookie.)