Eye Pea Oh update

[YoTambien]

For those who followed Eye Pea Oh and/or contributed to his retirement, here is an update on how he is doing.

After leaving the track, "Opie" was favoring his left front leg, and he had soreness and swelling near the ankle. A vet exam and x-ray done after he left the track showed that "Opie" had almost no cartiledge or fluid left in his left front fetlock joint.

The report from the vet stated:
"Attached are the radiographs of Eye Pea Oh's LF fetlock. An incidental finding is a fractured splint bone. There is mild arthritis with some very small "chips" up at the top of the joint which shouldn't cause any problems. The most significant finding is the thinness of the joint cartilage - his joint is like a bald tire."

He was given some bute for the swelling and pain, and then some cortisone was injected into the joint to provide some relief.

However, CANTER is not set up for long term rehabilitation, so they asked if The Exceller Fund could take him. The Exceller Fund welcomed Eye Pea Oh and in mid-May transferred him to a foster facility in Lexington, Kentucky. He was evaluated by Hagyard's Equine which confirmed the earlier diagnosis. At this point, all we can do is wait for the joint to fuse and see how he goes.

"Opie" has been having a difficult time adjusting from 9 years on the track to now being a horse. He has definately "deflated" and the foster commented that he appears to be going through a withdrawal.

This past Sunday, Eye Pea Oh colicked and needed surgery. Fortunately, the foster has a very good relationship with Hagyard's Equine and the surgeon and intern agreed to donate their time and some expenses. Opie had a "colon torsion" but did not require a resection. He has been doing very well in recovery and is turned out in a small paddock during part of the day.

We have many people "jingling" for him to recover so he can enjoy the retirement he deserves after his many years on the track.

http://www.excellerfund.org/horses/EyePeaOh.htm

And yes - we are looking for people who would like to sponsor Eye Pea Oh! His currently monthly cost is about $150 plus vet and farrier expenses.

[zinn21]

He was a nice racehorse and should be the poster boy for the improper use of joint injections...