Last week Lexie got her feet trimmed by the farrier. He said she was very good for him, and he trimmed her front hoof to help accommodate her bad knee so she is more comfortable.
We have seen a big change in Lexie over the past few weeks- she has begun to relax, and has definitely put on weight. There were several patches of hair that were missing along her coat, most likely due to malnutrition, and we are starting to see some new hair growth there. Lexie also had a cut in her nose, and that has almost completely healed. She seems in very good spirits and enjoys the grooming and attention that everyone is giving her.
Lexie is still very thin, so we will be blanketing her through the winter. She has a waterproof blanket, just in case she decides to stand out in the rain! She is very good when being blanketed, and we can put it right over her head without a problem.
Currently we are feeding Lexie five times a day to help her gain weight, and that is definitely helping! As she gets to her target weight, we will cut back until she is hopefully eating a normal diet again.
We are very pleased with Lexie’s progress, and we thank all of those people who have helped to donate to her cause! In a few weeks we will get her teeth floated- we want her to gain some more weight first, and she is doing so well we should be able to schedule that for the end of the month.
Lexie enjoys being turned out, and her favorite thing is rolling back and forth in the arena/round pen (especially after being groomed). She is already a favorite amongst the volunteers, and is kind and gentle while being led and being groomed.
Thank you again to everyone who has helped with Lexie!
Before being trimmed, Lexie’s feet were uneven and placed an undue amount of pressure on her already arthritic knee.
After being trimmed, Lexie’s feet are balanced.
Before being trimmed, Lexie’s feet were so overgrown and so uneven that she was not only in severe pain, but she could not step correctly, which caused this unnatural growth from the hind part of her hoof.
After being trimmed, you can see that the overgrowth has been removed and Lexie is standing more evenly.
After being trimmed, Lexie stands much more comfortably.
Misa paints Lexie’s feet with hoof oil to help keep them moisturized.
Misa grooms Lexie and paints her feet while Lexie stands quietly.
Lexie is a very good girl no matter who is grooming her or where!
Lexie hangs out with Jenny, one of our volunteers.
Lexie is beginning to gain weight already- while she is still severely underweight, she is not as gaunt as she was when we picked her up.
Lexie has a waterproof blanket that she will wear through the end of the winter to help keep her warm and dry, as she is too thin to stay healthy otherwise.