Garnet was rescued in August (just last month) and came to Hanaeleh with the diagnosis of COPD. Her owner was unfortunately moving out of state, and the vet felt that a long trip would be too stressful for her current lung condition. Although her owner had her on steroids, when Garnet came to Hanaeleh, we had the vet out to see whether there was anything else we could do for her. For the past several weeks we have had Garnet on a stronger steroid and antihistamine to see if her breathing would improve. While it improved slightly, it was still obvious her breathing was still labored, so we had the vet out again to scope her upper airway.
The scope only took a few minutes, but it was fairly obvious that her larynx was quite red and inflamed. The vet was concerned at the last visit that Garnet might have Roarers, a condition that also affects the larynx, but she was not sure if the issue was that Garnet had both an infection and Roarers, or just an infection. The only good news is that the issue is localized in her upper airway, and therefore it does not appear that she has COPD- so if we can get her larynx healthy again, she should have a normal life.
We decided to at least try to do what we could medically, and started Garnet on an antibiotic in addition to the steroid and the antihistamine. Our original plan was to keep her on the medication for another month, and in October have her scoped again to determine what affect that medication had on her larynx. Our vets sent the video of the scope to two different surgeons, however, and both recommended surgery to cut out the inflamed area of the larynx. Their concern is that the infection has been going on for so long that it has destroyed the tissue, and while we may be able to clear up the infection, the tissue might not be healthy enough for her to breathe normally. They felt that a surgical outcome would give her a improved quality of life, and both suggested that the surgery be sooner, rather than later, given her age and the fact that she may continue to deteriorate.
Although surgery is scary and expensive, with it we have the opportunity to offer Garnet a normal life, as well as an increased lifespan. It would literally save her life. Therefore, we feel that it is in her best interest to move forward with the surgery.
We are committed to ensuring the best of care for all of our horses, but we cannot do this without your help.
The hospital estimates that the surgery will cost somewhere between $3,000-$5,000. If it is within your means to help us with Garnet’s surgery, please click HERE to donate via PayPal, credit or debit card.
We will keep you updated as things progress.
If you prefer to send a check, please send to: Hanaeleh, P.O. Box 291 Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Hanaeleh is a 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 20-3255341) non-profit horse rescue operating in Southern California since 2004. We’re a Verified Rescue with Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and Platinum-Star rated on Guidestar.