Bilbo's
Story...
Bilbo is a big heavy cob, who was destined for the dinner table...
Bilbo was born around 1996 - he has a lovely kind face with big eyes and although he has enormous feet, has a surprisingly light footfall!
In May 2007 we feared we may lose Bilbo – he developed ‘Sinker Syndrome’, which is an extremely painful and life threatening condition of the foot, where the bone inside the hoof detaches and nearly comes through the sole of the foot. There is no rhyme nor reason why some horses fall victim to this, but the severity of Bilbo’s condition gave him less than 1% chance of survival.
Vets agreed to let us try to manage and treat his condition and, with the help of the vets and an exceptionally good remedial farrier, Bilbo made very good progress and by March 2009 he was 95% on the road to recovery, despite one or two worrying set backs. What helped was Bilbo’s total acceptance of his discomfort and pain and being ‘boxed’ for 16 months – fortunately he adores people and has thoroughly enjoyed the attention.
As of 2009 Bilbo’s feet were pronounced 100% - despite all the odds he made it and he now enjoys life at the sanctuary with his friends.
What a brave and lovely boy...
Below is the story of Bilbo's remarkable journey of recovery from beginning to end...
Bilbo was born around 1996 - he has a lovely kind face with big eyes and although he has enormous feet, has a surprisingly light footfall!
In May 2007 we feared we may lose Bilbo – he developed ‘Sinker Syndrome’, which is an extremely painful and life threatening condition of the foot, where the bone inside the hoof detaches and nearly comes through the sole of the foot. There is no rhyme nor reason why some horses fall victim to this, but the severity of Bilbo’s condition gave him less than 1% chance of survival.
Vets agreed to let us try to manage and treat his condition and, with the help of the vets and an exceptionally good remedial farrier, Bilbo made very good progress and by March 2009 he was 95% on the road to recovery, despite one or two worrying set backs. What helped was Bilbo’s total acceptance of his discomfort and pain and being ‘boxed’ for 16 months – fortunately he adores people and has thoroughly enjoyed the attention.
As of 2009 Bilbo’s feet were pronounced 100% - despite all the odds he made it and he now enjoys life at the sanctuary with his friends.
What a brave and lovely boy...
Below is the story of Bilbo's remarkable journey of recovery from beginning to end...
Below the postings that appeared on our website at the time...
June 07
Our lovely young cheeky Bilbo’s life really does hang in the balance and we are very worried that we may lose him, after being originally rescued from the meat trade.
Bilbo’s clinical signs first appeared as severe laminitis. This was unusual, as he had never had laminitis before. An initial veterinary examination showed him to have a fever and maybe a viral infection – there was no doubt he was extremely unwell and we kept vigil 24/7 after administrations of antibiotics, painkillers and drugs to lower his blood pressure.
After his temperature came down his feet remained very hot and the laminitis showed no signs of improvement after two or three days. Bilbo’s laminitis could have been caused by something he ate that may have been toxic to his body – once horses have toxins in their system it can clinically show as colic or laminitis.
Now after 6 veterinary visits and x-rays to all Bilbo’s’ feet the damage has become clear – the pedal bones in the feet have sunk as low as they can go and Bilbo will lose all four hooves. This in itself is often the end for a horse. Bilbo’s ‘ray of hope’ is that he, so far, has been a good patient and has taken the pain very stoically. What is crucial, if he is going to survive, is that the ‘dead’ hooves, although detached from the sensitive laminae of the foot, stay on for as long as possible (three months at least). This could allow the new growth to start developing underneath. If this is can happen, the next worrying aspect is whether the new foot will grow a sole strong enough for weight bearing; he is a big heavy horse.
There are so many ifs and buts for Bilbo, but we have to give him a chance. He may well face box rest for 12 months; all we can do is wait and watch. The vet and remedial farrier will visit Bilbo every ten days for the next three months, and if it is at all possible do some remedial ‘trimming’ and keep a close eye on developments with x-rays. It has been such a shock for us to see this decline in Bilbo – one of our young, fit and healthy horses.
July 07
Bilbo has now had four holes drilled into his hooves to allow drainage. On Thursday 5th July, he will have a further visit from the vet and remedial farrier who may, depending upon how they think he is progressing, cut away a section from each hoof (which are almost completely detached) to prevent a tourniquet effect from the new horn growth
This picture shows Felicity performing Reiki healing on Bilbo – he really enjoyed it and went to sleep…………. Bilbo has been coping very well, although he did have considerable pain just over a week ago, however these last few days has seen an improvement in his pain levels. We apply medication twice daily into the holes in the hooves to help harden the new growth, we also have to treat his ‘bed sores’; a hazard for horses that spend a lot of time lying down. We are still desperately trying to raise funds to cover his huge veterinary & drug fees (pain killers and drugs for lowering his blood pressure) – for which sadly, despite being a charity, we have no discount. Keep watching this web site for further updates – please help us and donate to this cause if you can.
August 07
Bilbo has been coping very well with his life threatening condition – ‘Sinker Syndrome’. If you have a look at any web site referring to the condition, most of them will tell you it is fatal, or at best a 20% chance of survival. Through vigilance, perseverance and constant round-the-clock management (and his wonderful stoic nature) Bilbo is still with us and, although we are still afraid to be optimistic, he is doing well.
Bilbo has had three more veterinary and remedial farrier visits. The latest visit involved sedation by the vet and the farrier cutting four holes in the old ‘hoof wall’ near the coronet (top of hoof). The new hoof growth is about 1½” and it is critical that the dead, old, hooves stay in place, despite all now being detached. So many things can go wrong and the whole condition is very complicated but we are staying hopeful. The new soles seem to be hardening up as well. Bilbo is being a model patient and he loves people. His incarceration in his stable (four months now) has worried us so much, but he seems to know we are trying to help him.
October 2007
Our remedial farrier Gary Gray (yes that is his name!) checks Bilbo regularly and on 31st October both Gary and Rachel, the equine vet specialist, came to see Bilbo and trim his old hooves, something we always dread in case we lose a hoof or Bilbo endures a lot of pain. Rachel sedated him and for the first time in five months Bilbo was led very carefully just beyond his stable to stand on some styrene blocks where Gary could get to work. Bilbo, as ever, was exceptional. All feet are progressing very well, except his near fore, which is about three weeks behind the others. We are being tentatively hopeful; this time Gary & Rachel actually told us Bilbo’s case was the worst they had ever treated... what has helped to save his life so far is his total acceptance of the situation. You only have to read about ‘Sinker Syndrome’ to see the poor prognosis and percentages of survival. He also continues to recieve Reiki healing every week from Felicity (our Reiki lady), who kindly donates her time.
November 2007
Bilbo continues to do very well – we treat his feet every day by pouring ‘Keratex’ disinfectant into the holes in the ‘old hooves’ to harden the new growth, he has ACP pills each day to lower his blood pressure and amazingly enough only a small dose of painkillers.
December 2007
Gary and a new vet came to see Bilbo – they are still very pleased with his progress. Each passing week brings Bilbo a higher prospect of recovery.
January 2008
Gary the remedial farrier visits Bilbo – this time he actually led him out of his stable! Now the time is fast approaching when we must begin walking him gently each day. We always hoped, but never quite believed, we get to this point. Bilbo is truly remarkable – his stoic, friendly nature and love of people has carried him through.
April 2008
Bilbo had a visit from the remedial farrier and vet yesterday afternoon (1st April) – after a significant period of allowing things to take their course.
There is good news and some not-so-good news... his hooves have progressed beyond all expectations. The old hooves are now gone and his new ones in place, so we have succeeded in giving Bilbo a chance to live and we are so glad we did, despite a very gloomy outlook. However, the foot that was about three weeks behind the others for development has an infection and now we must act urgently… Bilbo must have this foot x-rayed in case (and it could be likely) he has infection in the bone. If so, this must be operated on immediately to ‘scrape out’ all infection. Even if this is successfu, I’m afraid Bilbo will have a couple more months of box rest. We have come this far with him and we cannot give up now; our farrier is delighted with him. Sadly, many horses are not given a chance once ‘Sinker Syndrome ‘ is diagnosed, but it is a long haul for horse and carer. Some horses, unfortunately, are just not good candidates for the long incarceration in a stable and it can be quite distressing, especially if the pain cannot be controlled. Bilbo has been a model patient – thank goodness.
September 08
Unfortunately Bilbo’s story doesn’t end quite yet… after a few more weeks, the offending foot was giving him problems again. We could not take any chances so further x-rays were taken... This time, the x-rays revealed a more deep-seated infection in the bone. Our only option was surgery. To help keep some costs down our vet suggested carrying out the procedure on site. So this is what we did; it involved a thorough scrub down and the disinfecting of a stable - this took all day to make sure it was clinically clean.
The vets arrived and Bilbo was sedated. A segment of the front of the hoof was cut away to expose the bone and the infection was slowly and systematically scraped out… sounds gruesome. Bilbo was very good throughout the procedure. The foot was bandaged; sterilised dressings are changed by the vet every two days.
The hoof has been cut away to expose the infected bone that has now been scraped away (sorry to the faint hearted)…….Bilbo, believe it or not, is not in any pain and in actual fact is probably a lot more comfortable now that the pressure from the inflammation has been relieved.
The vet is regularly checking Bilbo’s foot, cleaning it thoroughly and cleansing it with saline.It had to have some further ‘infection removal’ a couple of days after the operation, but since it has remained clean and healthy looking.Our vet seen here applying the saline inside the foot.
At the moment Bilbo’s progress is excellent and is now weight-bearing on the foot. We will keep you posted – we are confident that Bilbo will carry a rider once again. How he will behave is another matter!
July 09
Bilbo has been treated for an infection in the bone of his near fore foot, a real set back on his road to recovery. We are delighted to tell you that since September 2008 he has been improving, slowly but surely, and as of yesterday (2nd July), his last dressing was removed and he will be turned out for fresh air and exercise next week….we can’t wait. Bilbo has been a model patient and adored all the attention that has been lavished on him for over two years since being struck down with Sinker Syndrome. We are thrilled that, despite given a 1% chance of survival, he has come through against all the odds. A beautiful boy, who was bred for meat. Mary Berryman, our dear late founder, secured his future by giving him sanctuary at Flicka.
December 09
Bilbo was finally given a clean bill of health at the end of July when his last remaining, ailing, foot (the near fore) had healed up perfectly. Once again he was turned out for some much needed expenditure of energy, and what a performance he gave us!!
Bilbo enjoyed his freedom every day for just about two weeks, then we were so disappointed for him as the same offending foot developed an abscess, once again we poulticed it and had the farrier back for some remedial treatment. We just couldn’t afford to take any chances with an infection getting into the bone again. Poor Bilbo, once again had to put up with some more box rest.
Then at last on the 17th August – all clear, four good feet and out he came again to put them to the test! Bilbo has been doing so well since, full of beans and loving life!
Our lovely young cheeky Bilbo’s life really does hang in the balance and we are very worried that we may lose him, after being originally rescued from the meat trade.
Bilbo’s clinical signs first appeared as severe laminitis. This was unusual, as he had never had laminitis before. An initial veterinary examination showed him to have a fever and maybe a viral infection – there was no doubt he was extremely unwell and we kept vigil 24/7 after administrations of antibiotics, painkillers and drugs to lower his blood pressure.
After his temperature came down his feet remained very hot and the laminitis showed no signs of improvement after two or three days. Bilbo’s laminitis could have been caused by something he ate that may have been toxic to his body – once horses have toxins in their system it can clinically show as colic or laminitis.
Now after 6 veterinary visits and x-rays to all Bilbo’s’ feet the damage has become clear – the pedal bones in the feet have sunk as low as they can go and Bilbo will lose all four hooves. This in itself is often the end for a horse. Bilbo’s ‘ray of hope’ is that he, so far, has been a good patient and has taken the pain very stoically. What is crucial, if he is going to survive, is that the ‘dead’ hooves, although detached from the sensitive laminae of the foot, stay on for as long as possible (three months at least). This could allow the new growth to start developing underneath. If this is can happen, the next worrying aspect is whether the new foot will grow a sole strong enough for weight bearing; he is a big heavy horse.
There are so many ifs and buts for Bilbo, but we have to give him a chance. He may well face box rest for 12 months; all we can do is wait and watch. The vet and remedial farrier will visit Bilbo every ten days for the next three months, and if it is at all possible do some remedial ‘trimming’ and keep a close eye on developments with x-rays. It has been such a shock for us to see this decline in Bilbo – one of our young, fit and healthy horses.
July 07
Bilbo has now had four holes drilled into his hooves to allow drainage. On Thursday 5th July, he will have a further visit from the vet and remedial farrier who may, depending upon how they think he is progressing, cut away a section from each hoof (which are almost completely detached) to prevent a tourniquet effect from the new horn growth
This picture shows Felicity performing Reiki healing on Bilbo – he really enjoyed it and went to sleep…………. Bilbo has been coping very well, although he did have considerable pain just over a week ago, however these last few days has seen an improvement in his pain levels. We apply medication twice daily into the holes in the hooves to help harden the new growth, we also have to treat his ‘bed sores’; a hazard for horses that spend a lot of time lying down. We are still desperately trying to raise funds to cover his huge veterinary & drug fees (pain killers and drugs for lowering his blood pressure) – for which sadly, despite being a charity, we have no discount. Keep watching this web site for further updates – please help us and donate to this cause if you can.
August 07
Bilbo has been coping very well with his life threatening condition – ‘Sinker Syndrome’. If you have a look at any web site referring to the condition, most of them will tell you it is fatal, or at best a 20% chance of survival. Through vigilance, perseverance and constant round-the-clock management (and his wonderful stoic nature) Bilbo is still with us and, although we are still afraid to be optimistic, he is doing well.
Bilbo has had three more veterinary and remedial farrier visits. The latest visit involved sedation by the vet and the farrier cutting four holes in the old ‘hoof wall’ near the coronet (top of hoof). The new hoof growth is about 1½” and it is critical that the dead, old, hooves stay in place, despite all now being detached. So many things can go wrong and the whole condition is very complicated but we are staying hopeful. The new soles seem to be hardening up as well. Bilbo is being a model patient and he loves people. His incarceration in his stable (four months now) has worried us so much, but he seems to know we are trying to help him.
October 2007
Our remedial farrier Gary Gray (yes that is his name!) checks Bilbo regularly and on 31st October both Gary and Rachel, the equine vet specialist, came to see Bilbo and trim his old hooves, something we always dread in case we lose a hoof or Bilbo endures a lot of pain. Rachel sedated him and for the first time in five months Bilbo was led very carefully just beyond his stable to stand on some styrene blocks where Gary could get to work. Bilbo, as ever, was exceptional. All feet are progressing very well, except his near fore, which is about three weeks behind the others. We are being tentatively hopeful; this time Gary & Rachel actually told us Bilbo’s case was the worst they had ever treated... what has helped to save his life so far is his total acceptance of the situation. You only have to read about ‘Sinker Syndrome’ to see the poor prognosis and percentages of survival. He also continues to recieve Reiki healing every week from Felicity (our Reiki lady), who kindly donates her time.
November 2007
Bilbo continues to do very well – we treat his feet every day by pouring ‘Keratex’ disinfectant into the holes in the ‘old hooves’ to harden the new growth, he has ACP pills each day to lower his blood pressure and amazingly enough only a small dose of painkillers.
December 2007
Gary and a new vet came to see Bilbo – they are still very pleased with his progress. Each passing week brings Bilbo a higher prospect of recovery.
January 2008
Gary the remedial farrier visits Bilbo – this time he actually led him out of his stable! Now the time is fast approaching when we must begin walking him gently each day. We always hoped, but never quite believed, we get to this point. Bilbo is truly remarkable – his stoic, friendly nature and love of people has carried him through.
April 2008
Bilbo had a visit from the remedial farrier and vet yesterday afternoon (1st April) – after a significant period of allowing things to take their course.
There is good news and some not-so-good news... his hooves have progressed beyond all expectations. The old hooves are now gone and his new ones in place, so we have succeeded in giving Bilbo a chance to live and we are so glad we did, despite a very gloomy outlook. However, the foot that was about three weeks behind the others for development has an infection and now we must act urgently… Bilbo must have this foot x-rayed in case (and it could be likely) he has infection in the bone. If so, this must be operated on immediately to ‘scrape out’ all infection. Even if this is successfu, I’m afraid Bilbo will have a couple more months of box rest. We have come this far with him and we cannot give up now; our farrier is delighted with him. Sadly, many horses are not given a chance once ‘Sinker Syndrome ‘ is diagnosed, but it is a long haul for horse and carer. Some horses, unfortunately, are just not good candidates for the long incarceration in a stable and it can be quite distressing, especially if the pain cannot be controlled. Bilbo has been a model patient – thank goodness.
September 08
Unfortunately Bilbo’s story doesn’t end quite yet… after a few more weeks, the offending foot was giving him problems again. We could not take any chances so further x-rays were taken... This time, the x-rays revealed a more deep-seated infection in the bone. Our only option was surgery. To help keep some costs down our vet suggested carrying out the procedure on site. So this is what we did; it involved a thorough scrub down and the disinfecting of a stable - this took all day to make sure it was clinically clean.
The vets arrived and Bilbo was sedated. A segment of the front of the hoof was cut away to expose the bone and the infection was slowly and systematically scraped out… sounds gruesome. Bilbo was very good throughout the procedure. The foot was bandaged; sterilised dressings are changed by the vet every two days.
The hoof has been cut away to expose the infected bone that has now been scraped away (sorry to the faint hearted)…….Bilbo, believe it or not, is not in any pain and in actual fact is probably a lot more comfortable now that the pressure from the inflammation has been relieved.
The vet is regularly checking Bilbo’s foot, cleaning it thoroughly and cleansing it with saline.It had to have some further ‘infection removal’ a couple of days after the operation, but since it has remained clean and healthy looking.Our vet seen here applying the saline inside the foot.
At the moment Bilbo’s progress is excellent and is now weight-bearing on the foot. We will keep you posted – we are confident that Bilbo will carry a rider once again. How he will behave is another matter!
July 09
Bilbo has been treated for an infection in the bone of his near fore foot, a real set back on his road to recovery. We are delighted to tell you that since September 2008 he has been improving, slowly but surely, and as of yesterday (2nd July), his last dressing was removed and he will be turned out for fresh air and exercise next week….we can’t wait. Bilbo has been a model patient and adored all the attention that has been lavished on him for over two years since being struck down with Sinker Syndrome. We are thrilled that, despite given a 1% chance of survival, he has come through against all the odds. A beautiful boy, who was bred for meat. Mary Berryman, our dear late founder, secured his future by giving him sanctuary at Flicka.
December 09
Bilbo was finally given a clean bill of health at the end of July when his last remaining, ailing, foot (the near fore) had healed up perfectly. Once again he was turned out for some much needed expenditure of energy, and what a performance he gave us!!
Bilbo enjoyed his freedom every day for just about two weeks, then we were so disappointed for him as the same offending foot developed an abscess, once again we poulticed it and had the farrier back for some remedial treatment. We just couldn’t afford to take any chances with an infection getting into the bone again. Poor Bilbo, once again had to put up with some more box rest.
Then at last on the 17th August – all clear, four good feet and out he came again to put them to the test! Bilbo has been doing so well since, full of beans and loving life!
