A pregnant Miniature Shetland Pony has survived a bout of life-threatening sepsis which was triggered by an infection in her abdomen that was so severe it had spread to her eyes. 

Parlington Flair, who is seven, was referred to Rainbow Equine Hospital in Malton by Ellie Keightley of Bainbridge Vets when she stopped eating and showed signs of being in discomfort.

Ellie had performed a peritoneal tap, where a sample of fluid is taken from the abdomen, which had revealed that Flair was suffering from bacterial peritonitis which led to sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threating reaction to an infection and causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues and organs.

On arrival at Rainbow Equine Hospital, Flair had to be guided off the horsebox because the infection in her eyes was affecting her vision. She was given a low chance of survival and even if she recovered, she was in danger of losing her foal. 

Against the odds

“When Flair arrived at Rainbow she was very ill and the odds were stacked against her,” said Lizzie Cullen, a European specialist in equine internal medicine, who treated Flair.

“She had a number of complications and the fact that she developed septic uveitis is very unusual. It’s something that is often seen in critically ill foals, but it’s rare in adult horses and means that Flair was so sick there had been a breakdown of the protective blood-eye barrier, leading to inflammation inside the eye.”

After discussions with Flair’s owner, Di Johnston of Parlington Miniature Shetland Stud, it was decided to treat Flair medically and avoid performing surgery that the unborn foal would not survive.

Flair was given pain relief, intravenous antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and anti-thrombotics to prevent blood clots forming. Intestinal adsorbents were used to soak up the toxins in her gut and she was given intravenous fluids fortified with glucose and vitamins to keep her hydrated. Progesterone was administered to support the pregnancy and a topical antibiotic cream applied to the eyes to treat the uveitis.

Round the clock care

“Flair was at Rainbow for 10 days and our focus was on giving her the best possible supportive care,” continued Lizzie.

“She had vets, nurses and the yard team monitoring her every day and throughout the night, and it was a real team effort to save her. Everyone was absolutely delighted when she turned a corner and felt well enough to eat again.

“We’re still not sure what initially caused Flair to fall ill, but she’s incredibly lucky that her condition responded to medication. 

“We don’t know if the foal has been affected by the medication Flair received, but when we gave her a final check before she left the hospital it had a strong heartbeat, which is positive.”

Back home

Flair has now returned home to Parlington Miniature Shetland Stud in Leyburn with Di, who had to make the difficult decision of whether to put Flair to sleep or transport her to Rainbow which is a two-hour drive away.

“I decided that I had to do what I could to save Flair because she’s only seven and she’s extremely special to us,” said Di. 

“We bred her, as well as her mother, grandmother and great grandmother and her line goes back six generations. She was very sick, but I knew I could trust the team at Rainbow to give her the best chance.

“Everyone at Rainbow was amazing. It’s due to their care that she’s still here and I can’t thank them enough. Lizzie was great and explained everything clearly, so we understood what was happening and could make informed decisions, and we were sent regular updates on how she was doing.”

Flair is back home with owner Di Johnston.

‘Huge sigh of relief’

“We breathed a huge sigh of relief when they sent through a photo of Flair eating a bowl of grass when she started feeling better. It was my mum, Barbara Johnston’s 95 birthday, and she set up our stud in 1956, so hearing that Flair was getting better made it an extra special day,” continued Di.

“I’m also very grateful to our usual vet Ellie Keightley of Bainbridge Vets who saw Flair when she was first unwell and diagnosed her quickly and referred us to Rainbow.

“It’s so lovely to have Flair back home with the herd and she’s been out grazing happily and even had a buck in the field, so she seems to be feeling well. It feels like a miracle that Flair is still here, but it will be the perfect ending if she gives birth to a healthy foal next spring.”

Images © Rainbow Equine Hospital.

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