An orphan colt whose mother died shortly after giving birth has a new mom – a mare that had tragically lost her foal – thanks to the generosity of strangers and Washington State University veterinarians playing matchmaker.
Pairing an orphan foal and a nursing mare is a challenging task and one that commonly ends with failure. In this case, the connection was instantaneous.
“The mare had only been without a foal for about 24 hours,” Dr. Lisbeth Matthews, an equine medicine and surgery intern, said. “We walked her into the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and past him. He made a noise, and she went, ‘oh, there’s my foal,’ and started making noises back at him.”
It was a surprise to everyone how quickly the mare, named Shelly but affectionally called Mama by her owners, Roy and Faye Lions, accepted the colt. Equine veterinarian Jenifer Gold, who was helping to care for the foal and to supervise its introduction to the mare, said nursing mares frequently reject orphan foals, and when they don’t, the pairing process often takes days.
“She walked in and started nickering at him like it was her own baby – it was unbelievable,” Gold said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I have never seen it happen that way.”
The foal, which has been named Laredo, was admitted to the teaching hospital by his owner, Spokane resident Rachel Williams, just days after he was born when he started showing troubling digestive issues. Shortly after the colt arrived in Pullman, Faye Lions placed a call to WSU to see if the equine team was aware of any orphan colts needing a nursing mare.
“Our foal was dead, and nothing was going to bring it back, so we were hoping we could help someone else,” Faye Lions said. “It just so happened there was a foal there.”
A day later, the colt and Shelly were introduced.
“For them to be so willing to basically hand over their animal to a complete stranger after experiencing their own tragedy was pretty phenomenal,” Williams said. “I feel like in this scenario it was the worst of the worst for everybody, but there was a little bit of silver lining to the story.”
Williams is also grateful for the care and treatment she and her foal received at WSU.
“I just can’t even find words to say how great the veterinarians at WSU were,” she said. “They went above and beyond. I am just happy I ended up at WSU. I am so glad we were able to match those two up – it is kind of a miracle.”
Shelly will live with Williams until the colt is ready to be weaned, likely in six months, before she will return to her home in Kamiah, Idaho.
“It will be tough to say goodbye because you just naturally start to bond with animals, and she has kind of been my lifesaver,” Williams said. “It will be bittersweet for sure, but I am sure her owners will be happy to have her back.”
During the spring, the equine team at WSU typically sees at least a handful of orphan foals. Equine medicine specialist Dr. Macarena Sanz said orphan foals can be fed a powdered milk formula designed for horses, but those raised by humans typically develop behavioral issues that can become problematic as the animal matures.
“They turn out to be socially weird, have no understanding of personal space, and they are more difficult to train,” WSU equine veterinarian Macarena Sanz said. “The fact that this orphan foal has a mare is really going to make a difference.”
Sanz strongly encourages owners to immediately call their veterinarian if a foal is orphaned, as early care is critical to the animal’s survival.
Rescuers Noticed Cries Coming From A Cardboard Box And Couldn’t Believe What They Found In It
Our pups are our precious family members and we can’t imagine our life without them. They are our true friends and the time we spend with them is the best part of our day.
They deserve all the love in this world and we do our best to make them happy.
Sadly, there are some heartless dog owners who don’t feel the same way about their canines. They cruelly abandon them and leave them on the streets.
Indigo was one of the puppies who was rejected by her owners. She was just a few days old when was separated from the loving arms of her mom.
Her cruel owners placed her in a cardboard box and dumped her on the streets at night. The adorable fur baby kept crying, wishing to be with her mom. She was frightened and she missed her mom’s sweet cuddles.
Saving A Precious Life
The next morning, a Good Samaritan found the little fur baby. When she heard her crying, the woman felt brokenhearted. The newborn puppy needed her mom more than ever.
The woman contacted the local shelter, and the rescuers came to save the puppy. She was placed in a foster home.
The baby felt exhausted and weak after spending the whole night on her own. Her foster mom took great care of the pooch and she bottle-fed her.
Soon, she noticed that something was wrong with the pup’s eyes. The baby seemed to have cataracts.
Her foster mom was saddened after she realized that eye disease was the reason why her owners separated her from her mom.
It was extremely difficult to console the little puppy. All she wanted was to be with her mom.
Source: RoyalPet
The fur baby’s caregiver became worried when she saw that the puppy had diarrhea. She consulted with the doctor and they prescribed her the medicine she needed. After taking the medicine, the puppy felt better and she fell asleep.
The pup’s foster mom had her own dog, Stefani, and he watched over the puppy, too. He sat next to the newborn, making sure the cats wouldn’t wake her up. Seeing her dog look after the little baby warmed the woman’s heart.
She wrapped the baby in a blanket and kept her warm. She breathed a sigh of relief after she noticed that the puppy’s diarrhea had stopped.
While the pup’s foster mom tenderly stroked the delightful pup, she felt at peace.
Stefani continued keeping an eye on the little baby, especially while the pup was sleeping. He wanted to make sure she wouldn’t fall down.
The Puppy Continues Thriving
The woman named the baby Indigo, and she gave her toys to play with. The delightful canine enjoyed playing with her toys and rolling in her bed.
As time passed, Indigo continued thriving and growing. When she was twenty days old, she was able to eat on her own.
Indigo’s foster mom was concerned because the puppy couldn’t see clearly. She wasn’t sure if Indigo’s eyes would heal.
She took the pooch to see a specialist who told her that surgery wouldn’t help Indigo. The puppy was prescribed medicine.
Indigo’s foster mom brought Indigo home, and made sure she took her medicine on time. She continued taking excellent care of the pup and doting on her.
When she noticed that Indigo was able to see more clearly, Indigo’s foster mom realized that the medicine had worked. She was over the moon.
Indigo felt safe and happy, soaking up all the love her foster mom gave her. She blossomed into a beautiful dog.
We are grateful to the Good Samaritan who found her and to her foster mom for showering her with the love and care that she deserved.
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