MIKEY & IKEY UPDATE/THANKSGIVING

Hi All,


First of all, I would like to thank all of you who are part of our rescue and helping to keep it going.  It is so amazing to have the privilege of doing the hands on care of all the critters that come through here,  but the only way we are able to do so is because of  all you folks who support us in so many ways.  Whether it be networking, prayer, donations, or just by being there when we are struggling, YOU ARE THE REASON THAT MIKEY & IKEY, AND ALL THE OTHERS HAVE SURVIVED!  SO THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS ALL THAT YOU DO!   This is definitely the season for thinking about all that you have to be thankful for, and WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR, AND SO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU AND THE WAY YOU MAKE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN!!!


I have some very good news about Ikey & Mikey.  Both of these little ones have improved so much.  Their breathing, although not always perfect, is much better, and although Mikey still tends to have a cough once in awhile it seems that lately they are both acting much like normal little babies.  They are starting to play more and more and are growing in leaps and bounds.  Both boys had their first trim (of sorts) while standing upright the other day.


Prior to that, I had done a tiny bit of reshaping of their hooves while they were lying down.  They were so close to death when we got them that they could care less what we did.  However, it is quite difficult to trim and shape little hoofers when they are not where you can really see them.


Both of the boys "stance" has improved so much.  Ikey is still down quite a bit, but coming up gradually as we had hoped.  We had discussed wrapping their legs which might have made them stand upright quicker, but there were several things to consider.  When babies are that compromised, you don't want to make too many changes or put too much stress on their system.  Also, any time you cast or wrap something, it causes it to need the wrap and weaken.  I have unfortunately had too much experience with that with my own knee.  Also, it can sometimes cause more pain to their tendons and ligaments when you change the way they stand too quickly.


Mikey's legs are coming along beautifully and Ikey's are a little further behind, but improving.  The more they run and play the stronger they are getting.  It is so wonderful to see them acting like normal little babies and running and playing.  Unfortunately, you can still see a bit of the trauma they must have gone through during the auction from the way they were handled.  Every once in awhile you can see the fear from a memory when they were mishandled,, but that is decreasing little by little.  I know that the woman who had them after the auction was amazing with them, but even Honey Bandit seems to hold the memories of the roundup and all that excessive energy.  There seems to be missing times in their memories though.  Much like Honey Bandit, the first month or so that Mikey & Ikey were here they were so ill that they don't really seem to remember much.  It's funny because that is when you would like to think you were bonding the most, but it is so far in the backs of their minds that they often don't or can't remember it.  They definitely remember times before and after that though.  I guess it is not that different from not being able to remember the time around surgical recovery etc.


We are ready to start planning Ikey's hernia repair.  It is definitely bad enough where it could be deadly if it isn't repaired, and he is tired of me stuffing his guts back inside of him 4 or 5 times a day.


I am sending a few photos of some of the "before and after"s that y'all have made happen.  Sometimes it is easy to forget how much difference you guys have made in so many lives.  Have a wonderful holiday season and a very Merry Christmas.  We are helping God's creatures as He puts them before us, and so blessed that we can all have a part in it and accomplish so much together.