Hi All,


Sorry it has been a while.  Took the boys to the vet last week. She did blood work and gave them a steroid to see if that would improve things.  We also changed the bedding to straw to see if they possibly were having an allergic reaction to the shavings.  (They are not allergic to the shavings, which is a blessing as it is easier to keep the stall clean - especially with two of them and it is imperative that we not have that "ammonia" smell as it is very harmful to their lungs.)


The blood work showed normal on Ikey and Mikey's showed a slightly elevated white count and had very low indicators that an infection was present.  The conclusion is that neither of them have pneumonia, but they have some type of bronchitis.


The boys have continued eating and drinking well, and are growing and gaining weight.  Ikey still keeps his ears pinned back most of the time, (he is tired of being sick)  as they are still having issues with their breathing and are still coughing, although Mikey's cough is worse than Ikey's.  They are exhausted  (this has been going on for nearly 6 weeks) and still struggling to breathe, especially when they are lying down, which makes it hard for them to get good rest.  Both boys are fighters though and are giving it their all.   We are continuing to keep the positive energy and let them know that they are loved and need to be here.


Last week I received a wonderful phone call.  It brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.  Thanks to a wonderful woman in Florida, who picked up the phone and told them about Mikey & Ikey, the folks at VIBRA VM donated one of their units to help us with the boys.  In summary, these machines send energy in the form of sound waves, in the correct frequency, to loosen the mucous plugs that can cause breathing problems.  The VIBRA VM has been used successfully to treat COPD/Heaves, Emphysema, Asthma, Influenza, Sinusitis, Barn Cough, Pneumonia, Feline Asthma, and Kennel Cough.  Their website is WWW.VIBRAVM.COM.  Please visit it for more information.


We had our first two sessions yesterday, about 4-5 minutes each time.  Both boys were absolutely fine with the treatment and showed no nervousness whatsoever.  They haven't spent too much time standing still for long periods, but they both did very well.   We were very pleased to find that their nostrils were quite wet and we even had a little drip of mucous.  This is wonderful as so far, their coughing has been for naught and the offending mucous refuses to leave their airways.  So a change has been made.  Woohooo PTL!!!


We will continue to treat them daily and keep you all updated.  We are needing to purchase another bag of foal lac pellets and

their grain this week.  We are so grateful for all the help and support, from prayers to suggestions and of course the money that we need to provide their veterinary care and feed.  You can go to WWW.CHILLYPEPPER.WEEBLY.COM and donate there, or go directly to Paypal and donate through [email protected] or contact us at Chilly Pepper - Miracle Mustang, 34694 Sidebottom Road, Shingletown, CA  96088.  All donations are tax deductible and much appreciated.  Once again y'all have come through and made it possible to give these amazing and courageous little guys a chance at life.  We are going on 6 weeks and praying hard that we start turning the boys in a new direction and see improvement as opposed to them feeling worse.  Will post some pix/video of the boys getting their treatment as soon as I can.


Thank you again for making it possible to help these guys through the tough times they are facing.  We simply could not provide the standard of care and feed they enjoy without your help.  You guys are awesome, and I have to say "it takes the world to save a foal".  God bless!


Palomino


p.s.  Please excuse my writing as I am a tiny bit tired and definitely in my "double foal coma".  :)

Spoke with the Doc a few minutes ago. The blood work came out very well -PTL!!!!!!!! Mikey's is a little bit off but not enough to keep her worried. As of yet, I had not changed the bedding, as the shavings make it so easy to keep clean and sanitary. However, Doc said that she has had several foals that were HIGHLY ALLERGIC to shavings. She said to start using straw (ughh) and spritz it so it isn't dusty. We are taking the "do less" approach right now, and she is very cognizant of our budget. She wants to watch them and see if the wormer makes a difference. She said that worms can cause coughing, difficulty breathing and lung issues, especially when foals are so compromised. So this is where we are headed. She did indicate that it most likely will be a very long and slow process for them to get where we want them. She is the Doc who saved Honey Bandit, so I have to say that she does amazing work. I also have to say that her integrity is showing as we initially thought she would have to do a lung culture right away. After seeing them she was worried about a bacterial infection, so she chose the blood work instead. Am extremely grateful that she didn't just jump in and do everything all at once, although it would be nice to know for sure what is making them so sick. Please continue your prayers!! God bless!

Good Morning All,We made it through another night PTL! The guys seems to be having an extra tough morning today. Their breathing is really labored and there is lots of moaning and groaning. Funny though, all of a sudden they will walk over and look at me like "hey mom - what's up?". Seems to be kind of like kids - they forget for a moment that they fill bad. :)Seems to also be true when I got out their munchies - they seem to feel a bit better :) The vaporizer (a cast iron pot filled with water on to of the propane heater) has been making it very pleasant for the boys in here. Please note that we pay attention to every single idea y'all have. They are so appreciated and I run each and every one by Doc. We are using many of them :)Whatever virus these little guys have is a very mean one, so appreciate all your prayers and support. It is so important for anyone around them to keep positive energy and healing love, so I truly appreciate all the prayers, support and help y'all are sending us. It is such a roller coaster of emotions and I need to stay positive for these guys. All the love and support make it possible to do that - so THANK YOU!!!

As I sit here typing this update, I can hear one of the boys coughing outside. Today was the last day of the antibiotics, and we are hoping to see a change soon. The nights are the hardest, most likely because that is when they lie down the most. Any time they are down, the pressure on their lungs makes it harder for them to breathe. Their breathing has been very shallow and rapid, and the other night Ikey's gums were very pale compared to normal. He is a very cranky little boy when he doesn't feel good, and is not shy about sharing his feelings. :)Both boys continue to eat and drink very well, which is definitely helping save their lives. They obviously want to be here, and although we are on a roller coaster ride, where one minute you think they might be feeling and/or looking better, the next minute their body is racked with their coughing and the sounds of them struggling to get enough air. Last night one of them was squeaking while trying to breathe. Every breath, step, time they get up or down, or I hear them groaning as they struggle to get their air, I am out of bed. So basically, we are all pretty much up all day and night. They are so definitely not out of the woods yet, so PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYING FOR THEM!! You get so in tune with them when you spend 24/7 with them that you see the tiniest details. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful mentor that taught me to pay attention to every little change, as you can lose a foal in minutes. Tiny details most often are and can be critical. Something that appears ok, can be deadly if not paid attention to. We want to send a great big THANK YOU!!! to ROSS ZUMSTEG. His help has been invaluable, (along with his knowledge) and it is folks like that who make our "community rescue" one big family. He has been here daily for the last 3 or 4 days to help with medicating the boys and anything else we need.We are keeping them warm as the nights are extremely cold. However, our new heaters are here but not installed, so we are going through our propane as if it were water. But it is imperative that they are not chilled. They are such beautiful little souls, and much like Honey Bandit, fighting with every thing they have not only just to survive, but to get through this. Folks were asking how they picked it up? Who knows? Maybe their mama's picked up a bug at the auction and it just now came to be active. I don't know, and at this point it makes no difference. There is a huge ripple effect from folks sending these horses through auction, and the original condition of these foals is simply part of it.I am hoping and praying that they continue to get stronger and make it through this. Will keep you posted....

Both boys had a horrible night. They both have some kind of bug, coughing and struggling to breathe. These "colds" are extremely common this time of year with the weather changing back and forth with such intense changes in temperature. Compromised foals are at extreme risk in these situations. They are on meds, but need SERIOUSLY LARGE AMOUNTS OF PRAYERS. They have absolutely NO RESERVES, and are in a very fragile position. I am praying that they will make it through this and it will not be too much for their tired little bodies. Foals are so very fragile, and every second counts when it comes to getting them help. They can crash in a matter of seconds, and the outcome for them is pretty much in God's hands. We are doing everything we can under our vet's guidance, but they were so weak in the beginning that there are no guarantees. Please pray for these beautiful little boys. I am hopeful that they will both pull through, but they are struggling so.

Hi folks,Mikey & Ikey are hanging in there.  They are currently sporting their new blankeys.  They are gorgeous and just right for this weather we are having.  Not sure if we will have to double up later or not, but they are amazing and "tri" adjustable. 
It was about 36 this morning so it is so important that they don't use any energy just trying to stay warm to survive.  They need the sunshine so this allows them to be outside.  :)However, Mikey is really really struggling.  Have been up all night with him as his cough has gotten worse.  Started out just once in awhile when we first picked him up, but it is progressively getting worse.   It is quite baffling, as he has no temperature and no discharge.  PTL the vet is on top of his needs, but we need to buy some rather spendy antibiotics.  He has been very uncomfortable and his breathing is elevated and often very stressed when he lays down.   We are watching him (both of them) 24/7 but unfortunately we need to consider the fact that this could be why his momma quit feeding him.  No one was sure if he was "mis-matched" with his momma after the auction but if something is going on inside that we cannot see, his momma might have realized it and that could be why she quit feeding him.  On a good note though, he is eating and drinking non-stop.  Both of them have great appetites.  :)  So we need lots of prayers, as neither of them have any reserves if they get sicker.  We are praying that there are no kidney or liver issues and that both of them have healthy organs that are keeping up with their growth.  Both boys have had one little spurt of energy (right after I put their new blankeys on) and aside from that both are moving very slowly.  Part of this could be as their little legs improve, changes to their tendons and muscles can make them sore.  It is so hard to see them struggling so much.Please send prayers for these wonderful little babies.  They have survived nearly dying together and are bonded in a manner that I have never seen.  When adoption time comes, it will definitely be a "two fer" package.Thank you for continuing to support these little ones as they fight so valiantly to get better.  God bless all of you and I hope your day is wonderful.THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US!Matt, Palomino & The Gang
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