Jennie’s latest blog post explains that Cooper “had a serious acute case of laminitis come up last week. If it wasn’t for Kevin Keane and Steve Teichman being so on top of the situation, Cooper would not be alive right now. His foot had begun to sink because of all the weight the right hind has been carrying…We are taking the situation day by day, and I am thankful for every day that Cooper is still alive and kicking.”
As we all know, founder (otherwise known as laminitis) is caused when the tissue that connects the hoof wall to the coffin bone, called the laminae, becomes severely inflamed or separates. “In the worst case, permanent damage to the laminae can result and the attachment of the coffin bone to the hoof wall breaks down. The whole weight of the horse bears down on the coffin bone, and without the attachment to the hoof wall, the bone rotates down and can actually be pushed right through the sole to the ground.” non-technical explanation, technical explanation
As Jennie points out, the tissue damage in the right hind has been caused because Cooper is keeping his weight off of his left hind. As we know, Barbaro suffered and ultimately was euthanized due to post-surgery laminitis complications as he was attempting to recover at New Bolton. But, recovery is very possible, especially with Cooper’s strong spirit. Eventing Nation is hoping and praying for Cooper, and our hearts reach out to Jennie. As always, we encourage you to consider donating to the Cooper Fund to help with Cooper’s vet bills.
Related Posts: Cooper Comes Home, Cooper’s Surgeries
