Hydrotherapy For Willow
This beautiful girl is making huge progress! Her bandages used to be soaked-through nearly top to bottom when we changed her, and now it's limited to the lower portion of the leg. If you look at the progress photos (lower left) you can see the enormity of her leg improved SO MUCH through day 28! She is on her last rounds of treatment for infection.
The difficulty with fluid buildup in the leg is that it hinders blood flow. So wounds just don't want to heal. We'd been researching unique treatments (we didn't rule out leaches!) and Dr. Avery recommended salt water therapy. We happen to have one of the premier hydrotherapy clinics in the country, just 20 minutes from the ranch! Equine Salt Water Therapy. Willow would need to be transported, and stay for several weeks at the center to receive daily cold salt water therapy treatments where 35 degree water with epsom salts envelops the leg to encourage blood flow and healing.
Like sending a child to camp for the first time, we ACHED to see her. Loading her on the transport was eye opening - Stryker, our large quarter horse, was whinnying, and she was crying back from inside the trailer. Stryker began bucking and kicking and charging all over the pasture - making it difficult for our team to get out. He stood and looked down the road for over a half hour after we pulled away. The emptiness in the pasture was unmistakable. What we worried about most is that she would wonder if we, too, had decided to throw her away like her former owner. We really struggled with this. So we visited constantly for weeks!
Look at her gorgeous leg in the photo of her standing in the dirt arena at the facility after 10 treatments! The wounds are nearly healed and the size of her leg is so greatly reduced. There is no mistaking the benefits of this treatment for injuries. They've even had success with baby sheep, goats and calves born with no muscle mass. With a hydro treadmill, they're able to help the body grow the muscle with incredible success and save lives!
We are so grateful for the opportunity to heal this young horse that has so quickly captured our hearts! She would not have lived to experience life with friends in a pasture if we did not step in, and it is all made possible through you and the purchases of our products. We are so thankful! And we are looking forward to her reunion with her new family back at the ranch soon.
