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When they arrived at the scene, she collapsed. Due to his inability to stand on his own, his condition was critical. The pain was palpable and everyone immediately understood that the animal was suffering.
“We became aware of the case after receiving the notice A horse was ridden violently Agustina Franconeri, a volunteer with the NGO Caballos en Libertad in La Plata, recalls one of the main hotbeds of horse abuse and abandonment, “by someone who fled after she collapsed without offering help.”
The NGO’s team of volunteers quickly jumped into action and got involved in the case. Once the mare was safe and transported from Domcilar to the shelter of the Civic Association in that city, she was given a medical examination. There, honorary veterinarian Juan M. Oliden confirmed it The animal suffered a fractured femur, which is a very serious injury and there is no option for surgical treatment..
“This type of fracture damages blood vessels, muscle mass and skeletal stability. There is no applicable surgical protocol in adult horses due to the impossibility of supporting the load during recovery,” explains the expert who works voluntarily with the NGO. Therefore, with the severe pain resulting from the severity of the injuries, the impossibility of their recovery, and the severe suffering that the mare was subjected to, A decision was made that was as sad as it was painful.
“To avoid suffering a situation where there is no possible cure and is irreversible, we made the difficult decision to proceed with euthanasia on humanitarian grounds.. The medical reasons were severe pain resistant to any available analgesic provided by the mare; “The vital prognosis is zero, because bilateral femur fractures are incompatible with life in horses and the risk of shock and prolonged suffering,” explains Oliden.
“The horse is a great hider of pain“Therefore, the causes of the fracture can be multiple,” says author and researcher of equine language, behavior and communication, Agustina Rebagliati (@entrecaballosok). It is possible that the mare has been overstressed, has already suffered a fracture, or that the fracture occurred due to some shock, blow, or kick from another horse. It is also possible that whoever assembled it broke it and neglected to feed it,” the expert explains.
However, there was one detail that complicated the situation further. The mare was pregnant at the time of rescue Even though nothing could be done for her, a faint light of hope still shone inside her. Her immature foal, about 10 months old, was still alive inside her.
“When a foal comes into the world, it needs the care and support of its mother, just as it does in all births,” Agustina says sadly. “But this possibility was taken away from Shimi. Her mother was severely traumatized by someone who, seeing her collapse, fled the scene without offering help, dooming her to death.”
Chiemi’s arrival into the world was in the most tragic way It seemed that his fate was to die alongside the one who gave birth to him. The birth had to be performed by caesarean section, and from that moment the race against time began. “This little heart that couldn’t beat made us spend the longest 10 minutes of our lives. But as soon as it did, it beat stronger than ever. That was the night we kidnapped an angel from heaven, to be with us today,” Agustina recalls, crying.
The little baby needs intensive care day and night: constant assistance, controlled feeding, intravenous medications, and 24-hour oxygen. During his first days, he suffered two episodes of perinatal asphyxia with seizures, from which he was able to recover thanks to the work of veterinarian Juan M. Oliden and volunteers. His development was slow but steady, and he slowly managed to overcome all the critical stages without consequences.
Gone are the moments of uncertainty, the images of Chimi attached to an oxygen tube struggling between life and death, the images of that child so fragile and weak, who cannot even lift his head, who takes irregular and trembling steps, who can only stand if supported by volunteers.
Without a mother to raise him, The veterinary team and volunteers took on this role entirely: they hand-fed Chimmy with formula milk intended for newborn equines.; They provided posture and mobility stimuli to promote bone joint growth. They ensure constant monitoring to avoid infection, hypoglycemia, hypothermia or respiratory failure, and provide constant physical contact to supplement maternal restraint, which is essential for the foals’ neurodevelopment.
“Every advance, every attempt to stand, every sign of vitality filled all of us who were at his side with emotion and pride. Today, Chimmy grows up healthy and happy, neighing and running with his little hair in the wind.. Although he never knew the love of his mother, he found the love of the people who fed him, took care of him, and watched him develop day by day. Although he is not physically present, we know that his mother always accompanies him from heaven. Chimy is a symbol of flexibility And also a reminder of the importance of protecting animals and reporting any form of abuse,” Agustina concludes with emotion.
If you have a story about adopting, rescuing, rehabilitating or helping an at-risk animal and want to tell their story, write to bestiariolanacion@gmail.com