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LUCKY & CHARMED
Abandoned
An emaciated mare and her colt were dumped at a slaughter auction on October 31, 2020. SKE was there on behalf of a private home to outbid kill buyers. Unfortunately, the private home backed out, leaving these two abandoned at the stockyards.
Rescued
SKE could not leave these two to be slaughtered, so we began an emergency fundraising effort and rushed them to the vet.
Vet Intake
An emergency appointment with our amazing vet team revealed that Charm was 25+ years old, severely anemic, and her digestive tract was necrotic from starvation. Lucky was anywhere from a few weeks to a few months old, severely stunted, and anemic. We also learned that what we thought was "rain rot" (a type of skin fungus) was actually the worst tick infestation we had ever seen. We began supportive care immediately.
Makeshift Shelter
Without being able to prepare ahead of time, we did our best to create a makeshift shelter space for the two of them. With plenty of nutritional support and supportive veterinary care, their health began to improve and Charm even began lactating again.
Healing
As time progressed, Charm & Lucky were eventually free from ticks and gaining weight. Charm allowed our resident chicken, James, to climb all over her and pluck the ticks off her!
Thriving
Eventually, Lucky & Charm both settled into happy, healthy routines at SKE. Charm always struggled with malnutrition due to the portions of digestive tract that died as a result of the severe starvation, but she did well with a calorie-dense diet and supplemental vitamins & minerals. Lucky was "unilateral cryptorchid" due to stunted development, meaning he couldn't be gelded and had to undergo facilitated weaning. He eventually finished maturing after his third birthday.
Saying Goodbye
After nearly two years of happiness & health, Charm's digestive issues caught up with her. She began losing weight rapidly and our vet's diagnostics revealed there was nothing more we could do for her. We gave her a peaceful, dignified end, surrounded by the people she loved, getting all the treats she could eat.
Available for Adoption
Lucky is still at SKE. He will continue to grow and mature, progressing his training slowly and steadily. He is available to an experienced home now, or keep an eye out for his public adoption ad once he is older!
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