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A r n i e |
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Arnie the horse has arrived at the sanctuary
after vets refused to carry out his owner's wishes and have him
destroyed. Arnie is very ill after being struck down with grass
sickness, which can very often prove fatal, and his owners could not
cope with the nursing and aftercare. The vets however thought that
Arnie might have a fighting chance and referred him to the sanctuary,
where staff were only too willing to do their best for him. Grass
sickness is associated with damage to the nerve supply to the digestive
system, causing serious problems and is nearly always fatal. The
disease is generally considered to be caused by a toxin either
ingested or produced within the digestive tract but the actual cause
remains unknown.
Arnie is in good hands, and if he recovers he may return to a normal working life. Arnie is a lovely horse, so kind and gentle and although he has not been with us long, we feel that the fight for his survival is one that we must take. It will mean a lot of dedicated, knowledgeable care and we have to persuade him to eat, which is difficult for him as he finds it hard to swallow. A close eye will be kept on him from hereon in but we are hopeful of a really good recovery. Update July 2005..... Arnie is now returning to work and is doing well, although he still has some symptoms and probably always will have. This horse deserved a chance to live and we gave it to him, thanks to our supporters.
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