WH PIPPA (PHHWV PIPPA)

April 2017: Dear Pippa seemed to be going great, though was not quite as interested in her feed, as normal, one day. That afternoon, she was seen to be laying down and couldn't get up, though didn't look that worried, which seemed odd, for a wee girl with an abuse history. 
Dr Claire Rowe, from Barwon Equine Hospital, attended promptly as always, and diagnosed congestive heart failure. Pip's body was giving up in front of us, and she lay with her head in Jadae's lap, as Dr. Claire helped her pass away peacefully.
Pippa won so many hearts in her two years with us. Her spunk, her willingness to trust, despite an abusive past, won over every person to meet her.
She loved her boyfriend, WH Muesli, who passed away before her, with vet assistance, suffering from impaction colic.
We still miss Miss Pipp and she will never be forgotten.

July 2016: PHHWV Pippa seems to be fairing quite well despite the chilly nights that this winter is serving up. She is currently bunking in with two WH ponies in one of our grassiest paddocks and is having a blast! Good on ya' Pip!

March 25th 2016 : Pip is going well, though she had a bit of a set back, with lameness in thst off hind of hers, and a run of diarrhoea. We added Biosponge to her feed, for a few days, and removed her soaked oats and lucerne hay, in case these were upsetting her.
The lovely equine naturopath, Penny Hesseltine-Wells, assessed Pip, and has recommended that she has the calming herbs "Internal Karma",from Sue Martin's Canine & Equine Health, to settle her system.

March 23rd: Many thanks to dear Equine Naturopath & myotherapist, Penny Heseltine-Wells, for visiting WH Chance & Polly, as well as little battler welshie, PHHWV Pippa today.

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October 23rd 2015: Warning; some pretty yucky photos within the photo below, but I think it's really important to show what a trooper PHHWV Pippa is, & how far she has come, in 10 weeks of care.
She has gone from a trembling (literally), super skinny & shaggy little mare, with a horrendous abscess blowout, to a chirpy, engaging, healing little wonder.
She has tolerated IV & IM needles, numerous sedations, multiple bandage changes, wound cleans, and continuous, multiple oral doses of antibiotics, Pergolide and anti-inflammatories. 
Never once has she shown any nastiness. She has tolerated so much, & we are getting so close to no more bandaging required!
She is sound to walk, with the smallest discharge from behind her hoof, and we are still treating an infection around her hock area. 
The Pergolide is now seeing her start to shed her woolly mammoth coat, in huge handfuls! She seems to enjoyed being 'plucked', & we are hoping to bath her this weekend.
What a tough little cookie, with a zest for life.

September 3rd 2015: WH Pippa continues to gain weight and confidence in being handled, and even neighs and whickers to us now, which is great. She is easier to catch, though with her newly found strength, is becoming harder to do bandage changes on! Her poor leg must hurt so much, as there is so much raw tissue, and there is so much pus, bandage changes are now needed every 3 days. Jess needed to sedate her for her change yesterday, and sedation will be required again for Saturday. We hate doing it, as she is so underweight, but it is necessary for the safety and comfort of all involved. 
Jess is hopeful that in one or two bandage changes, we will start to see a drying out of the wound, and that 'air time' can soon happen, for some Vitamin D therapy too.

25th August 2015: Thank you to volunteers Jadae, Courtney & Jane, for successfully changing dear little PHHWV Pippa's leg bandage today, while I am away. At least she tolerates this without vet sedation now, so one less stressor to her frail body; and the ladies made the change as pain free as they possibly could, though she still has a long way to go in the healing process.

24th August: I think everyone at the centre has fallen in love with dear little PHHWV Pippa;
Seen here sporting her new rug and halter.
Pippa is critically skinny, with dreadful teeth, but is managing her feed slowly, and we are gaining her trust, more and more every day. Look at her mane! Please donate to Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria- they are covering all her expenses while in short term care, making it easier for us to take her on.

August 20th 2015: Little miss PHHWV Pippa looks spunky in a new halter & is also resplendent in a warm rug tonight!

August 19th 2015: We are doing the short term care for PHHWV Pippa, who has many challenges, but is a delightful little mare.Pippa's most recent bandage change (for blown out and infected hoof abscess) has shown a much more promising healing state.Dr. Jess and assistant Sam, from Barwon Equine Hospital, sedated the dear senior lady, unbandaged, cleaned and rebandaged her leg, which is looking a lot more promising than at the previous visit.While still sedated, Benita Thomson tackled her poor dentition. Pippa's teeth are in an awful state, but Benita was able to greatly improve her chewing ability and comfort. Thanks to PHHWV for accepting her into care, and allowing us to do her short term care. 

August 15th 2015: PHHWV Pippa had her leg bandage removed by Dr Jess of Barwon Equine Hospital yesterday. We were all saddened and surprised at how poorly her lower leg is doing, after the prescribed 4 days in her bandaging. There is a lot of necrotic (dying) tissue, and Pippa is at risk of losing her hoof capsule. 
Jess is seeking other expert advice as to possible treatments, and I have been chatting at length with awesome barefoot trimmer, & dear friend, Jodi Hutson. In the meantime, Pippa is on very aggressive antibiotic treatment and anti- inflammatories. Jess will review on Monday.

August 13th 2015: Delighted to announce the arrival of surrender girl, WH Pippa, who has been taken on by Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria (PHHWV).
We will be doing her short term care for PHHWV, so the little madam has settled into our quarantine yards.
Pippa is a mid twenties, most likely Cushings girl, light in weight, recently blown hoof abscess & scouring. 
Jadae and I helped out on Monday, where the very nervous Pippa had a general anaesthetic, to have a badly blown out hoof abscess wound clipped, cleaned out and bandaged. 
Dr. Jess Guerow, of Barwon Equine Hospital, will attend tomorrow, to sedatePippa, and remove her bandaging.
Thank you to her trusting owners, who have given this deserving pony a chance to live a quality life.