I want to thank you all for taking such great care of Belle while she was in your care. Your kindness to her and me made the last 10 weeks easier to deal with. I will miss her; she was a unique horse in her gentle, kind, loving an appreciative manner. She handled her illness with a stoic but fighting spirit and it’s so sad she didn’t make it. But I am so glad I sent her to Troytown as I know you did all you could to save her and I am so grateful to the kindness and love you showed to her while she was in your care. Thank you also for helping her and me through her last few hours. Your sensitivity and respect for both of us helped me hugely through a terribly sad and emotional time. While I am heartbroken she is gone I have no regrets as I believe you did all you could for her and in the end it was just too much for her and she wanted the pain to stop. So there was no option really.
Thank you for all the different roles you played in looking after her.
Elaine Quinn
From being a cynic, my views of Troytown and MRI have radically changed. I now find myself with a greater insight to the benefits of the scanner and, thankfully everyone involved has a more extensive knowledge of the problem and treatment required. I can sigh with relief that this talented young horse only had to have a few days off to recover and can resume training in preparation for the spring season. Thankfully we did not leave Troytown with a massive invoice, instead we had a definitive, positive outcome at a relatively affordable cost which I can only view as an investment in the horse's future.
Joseph Murphy
Irish Field Article
Well Hello Michael, I hope you still remember me and "Bob the Cob", the big fat hairy black and white cob. A friend took some lovely photos of him about six weeks ago and I really wanted you to see how well, happy and fantastic he is.
He is of course still thick as two short planks, well, they do say like hores like owner. I asked you after his second operation what Bob would be like and you said "I would have a horse"I think you thought he would never totally recover and probably would not jump again, I honestly think all the loving paid off, he is no different from before the operations, he is not stiff in his neck, no lumps or hollows, you can hardly notice his scars.
Its three years since I lost Tommy and Blaze, (12th/13th July 2007) and I still miss them, but thanks to you and your staff I still have Bob.
I hope you think the pictures are fantastic, I love them, and of course I love Bob.
Thanks for everything, DeirdreDeirdre Hunt
I would just like to write a few brief words and thank the amazing team of vets, nurses and admin staff at Troytown.
When Charlie was admitted he was so sick, we were told he had very little chance of even surviving the night. I told the admin staff on arrival that he was my baby....and that was exactly how he was treated, as a baby! On examination Hugh was honest and told it exactly how it was, bad or good, we knew exactly what we were dealing with. I was told that I would be updated on Charlie’s progress through the night, I received a call every four hours as promised. As Charlie got better, I was kept informed of medications, examinations and even his moods!! My mind was totally at ease, I knew he was in the best place he could be, and whatever chance he had of survival, it was certainly in Troytown. I was always encouraged to pop up and visit him, it was very much an open door policy. My many, many questions on colic were answered and explained as best they could, I definitely have a better understanding of colic now! On a happier note....Charlie is making huge progress, I often ring Troytown with queries about his recovery and its lovely that I need never explain who I am....they just remember Charlie!!
I would like to thank Hugh for his honesty, it isn’t easy breaking sad news to a heartbroken owner, you were very compassionate and prepared me for the worst...thankfully things turned around and Charlie is doing fantastic!
I would like to thank Ciara and Annette, all the nurses, but especially Annette, she told me so honestly, we feel what you feel, and I believed her. It was very reassuring and I remembered her for it,
Finally....last but not least Juan!! On many miserable, cold, snowy days on arrival at Troytown, you were always greeted with his smiley happy face! It would lift anyone’s spirit!!!!
Thank you to all the amazing and dedicated staff at Troytown. It’s fantastic and reassuring that I know you are at the end of a phone any time for us.
Charlie is expected to make a full recovery and I hope to compete him this year....watch this space!!!
Charlie and Pauline
Just a few lines to thank you for all your help in dealing with my horse ‘ Coraleen’. Brendan and Lorcan the trainer told me how you tried to make her comfortable. I appreciate what you all have done.
Anne Radford, Co. Wicklow
Toby is a 15.1hh 10 year old Connemara gelding, with a huge heart and a sad story...
When Toby first became lame we didn’t initially think of laminitis, as he was only lame in his off fore. He was put on box rest and given phenylbutazone for a few days while we monitored the lameness. Four days later he became dramatically worse and presented the classic stance of a laminitic horse. We immediately called our vet who confirmed laminitis, and we continued with the course of phenylbutazone and box rest as advised, as well as a restrictive diet of hay. We were told to have our farrier fit bar shoes, and that recovery would be lengthy.
After two weeks of no improvement, initial x-rays were taken. There was a rotation of approximately 4 to 5 degrees, and we were informed that we were doing everything we could, and this was not unusual nor of huge concern. The x-rays were sent to our farrier, who was advised to use them as a guide for trimming. Over the next month, Toby’s lameness first improved significantly then worsened again ten days later.
A month after the first x-rays we insisted on another set, having read on the internet that multiple x-ray examinations were important. Upon visual examination (trotting up, hoof testing etc) Toby was presenting as sounder than he had initially been, but the x-rays told another story. It was clear that further rotation had occurred, and our veterinary surgeon sent the x-rays to Troytown for the attention of Warren Schofield, in order that we determine the extent of the rotation.
During the time that the x-rays were in transit to Troytown, Toby became much lamer. Very worried, we contacted Warren who suspected an abscess linked to further rotation of the pedal bone, and he advised us to bring Toby to Troytown immediately.
By the time Toby was admitted to the ICU of Troytown, he had had laminitis for two months, and had a rotation of approximately 9 degrees o the off forelimb with some sinking of the pedal bone. The pedal bone was starting to penetrate through the sole and his condition was now life-threatening.
During his stay in Troytown, Toby received continuous x-rays simultaneous with radical corrective trimming by an expert Master Farrier. We saw firsthand how essential it is to have on the spot x-rays for the farrier to work from. However, because of the severity of Toby’s condition, his pedal bone rotated again whilst he was in the hospital and he developed an infection. The infection eventually penetrated into the pedal bone, and the tip of the bone and surrounding infected tissue had to be surgically removed. In addition, to try and prevent any further rotation of the pedal bone, his deep flexor tendon on his off-fore was cut. This resulted in a marked improvement. However, as is common in severe cases of laminitis, his recovery was up and down.
Toby came home from Troytown Hospital four and a half months later and he continued to slowly improve. He was brought back to Troytown on a regular basis for more x-rays and trimming, and various types of shoeing were tried. The most successful were wooden clog type shoes, which provided the most relief. He kept these on for five and a half months, and showed marked improvement both in soundness and in hoof growth, which had been very slow and uneven.
Many times we faced the possibility of losing Toby, but due to the expect care in Troytown as well as Toby’s own courage and will to live, he is luckily still here today. To date Toby is out during the day in the field and is very happy. But he will never be fully sound and his days as a riding horse are over. We wish to this day that we had taken Toby to Troytown immediately upon diagnosis of laminitis. We had no idea of the severity of this disease, that it is the second highest cause of death in horses, and how many different ways in which it can develop.
Throughout his time in Troytown, Toby was treated by incredibly professional, hard-working and compassionate staff, all with great dedication and commitment to the welfare of the horse. Warren Schofield and all of the staff at Troytown demonstrated a high level of veterinary expertise combined with a willingness to try new innovative techniques. We were kept up to date at all times about Toby’s treatment, and our observations and involvement in his condition and recovery were highly encouraged. We cannot more highly recommend Troytown Equine Hospital and we are forever grateful that they saved Toby’s life.
Lucinda and Sophie Nicol
