Help with Luana’s Colic Treatment

Hi, my name is Carol Lynn, and I’ve organized this fundraiser to help my friend and student pay for emergency colic treatment and hospitalization of her beloved 8 year old Lusitano mare, Luana.

Two weeks ago, Luana had an acute colic. Our local vet diagnosed her with strangulation of the small intestine, and advised that surgery was the only option to save her life. Unfortunately, there were no surgeons available at the closest surgical center, Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital. We were advised that the closest surgical centers were Washington State University, a 6 hour drive over mountain passes, or Oregon State University, a 6 hour drive south.

Jessica made the agonizing decision to risk the drive to OSU, even though Luana’s prognosis at that point was poor. Jessica sent me updates throughout the drive, and we were encouraged when they stopped for gas, and Luana was still standing and perky, and even nickered at Jessica when she checked on her. They arrived at OSU after an agonizing drive through torrential rain, and Luana was miraculously able to walk off the trailer.

The competent vet team at OSU redid diagnostics on arrival, and decided to hold off on surgery to see if they could treat the colic medically, rather than putting Luana through the associated risks of surgery. For the next two days, she was in intensive care, after developing a fever and an infection in her abdomen. She is a fighter though, and the vet team was pleasantly surprised when she began to rally and respond to medication. After six days of hospitalization, she was released to go home.

Jessica made the right decision to take Luana to OSU, despite the cost. I’ve known Luana since she was a foal, and from the very beginning she was full of passion, with a personality larger than life. It is agonizing to think about how close we came to losing this special, talented mare, and we are incredibly grateful that she seems to be making a full recovery. I can’t wait to see how this pair progresses as a team in the future.

While Jessica has insurance for Luana, it only covered emergency colic surgery, not medical treatment of colic, which still added up to thousands of dollars. Jessica’s bill for OSU totaled over $3600 dollars, and her bill from our local vet was over $850, as well as the hundreds of dollars spent in gas driving to and from Corvallis. Jessica takes excellent care of her horses, but this is a huge unexpected cost. Please help me help them. Any amount is appreciated!