March 10, 2015

My Friesian, Rutger, Resumes His Usual Routine

As you you may recall from previous blogs, Rutger has been dealing with a few sinus and dental ailments. Last year, he had a tooth extracted after his veterinarian discovered one of his molars was cracked and impacted with food. The procedure went smoothly; however, during the months that followed, Betsy noticed that Rutger had developed an odorous nasal discharge, usually indicating sinusitis. Rutger was again monitored very closely, and when it didn’t go away, doctors decided he needed to undergo a surgical procedure to correct the problem.
Last month, Rutger was taken to Fairfield Equine Associates, a globally renowned equine medical facility in nearby Newtown, Connecticut. There, he was thoroughly examined, x-rayed and sedated before veterinary specialist, Dr. Ryland Edwards III led his surgical team in removing a buildup of fluid, fungus and infection from his nasal cavity. The procedure took a couple of hours, but all his doctors were pleased with the outcome. Rutger recovered well, and remained there overnight as a precaution. Once home, my large animal veterinarian, Dr. Elizabeth Kilgallon, placed Rutger under limited turnout for at least five days to ensure everything healed properly.
This past weekend, the stitches were removed, and Rutger resumed his normal activities - no one was more happy about that, than Rutger!

Enjoy the photos!

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