
Debonaire's dental surgery
Donation protected
Debonaire (affectionately called Noni) is a 23 year old German Riding pony, who is trained to 3rd/4th level dressage. Throughout his life, he has brought joy to dozens of riders and has been invaluable to my lesson program, as he is the perfect size for kids and smaller adults to learn the correct basics of riding. He is perfect for teaching children how to canter for the first time and is a schoolmaster for lateral movements. He is a sweet, affectionate guy who will give kisses and hugs and has perfect ground manners.
He has cushings syndrome, which is well maintained by medication and he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon! However, he has developed a disease related to the condition, called Equine Odontoclastic tooth resporption and hypercementosis, which is a painful condition affecting his front teeth. This was determined by an equine dentist after noticing he stopped eating hay well and began acting up under saddle, which he has never done before.
He currently has 2 teeth that need immediate removal, but the condition will soon affect all his front teeth. After speaking with several vets and finding an online group of people who have dealt with this disease, I feel it is in Noni's best interest to have all his front teeth removed at one time, so that after a 4-6 week recovery period, he can return to the quality of life he has enjoyed and return to work teaching riders in my lesson program. I want to avoid the cycle of pain, surgery, recovery, etc. The surgery is shown to be successful in all cases I have found, with horses adapting very well to pulling food into their mouth with their lips and tongue and chewing with their molars; as well as being able to be ridden with a bit again. Horses have even been reported to snatching at grass immediately after leaving the clinic.
The funds raised will be used to cover the cost of the surgery (scheduled for Jan 25), as well as his expenses during his recovery period. Other ways to support Noni are to buy a lesson package, purchase Rodan and Fields skincare from me, and attend our fund raising event the weekend before his surgery - a "kissing booth" with the horses! Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart for your generosity!
Organizer
Collette Zimmer
Organizer
Odessa, FL