Charity invites the public to name their 1,000th rescue

A newborn foal at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary has become the charity’s 1,000^th rescue, and now the charity is inviting members of the public to name her in celebration of her arrival

 Born Thursday 30 April, Fuzzy Bear’s foal hasn’t had the easiest start to life. Soon after birth, she began swishing her tail and seemed restless and agitated. It soon transpired that she’d developed a life-threatening condition. Staff called in Richard Frost, the sanctuary’s vet, as her condition deteriorated. He said: “When I examined the foal, she was bright and still interested in suckling from Fuzzy Bear, but the signs were starting to worsen. The retention of meconium – the foal’s first, sticky droppings – is the most common cause of colic in newborns, so we started treatment and she responded well.

“Unfortunately, the following day she started showing similar signs again, which made meconium retention a less likely cause of her abdominal pain. Foals can deteriorate into life-threatening situations very quickly, so we made the decision to refer her for further investigation.”

Staff at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary rushed Fuzzy Bear and her foal to Western Counties Equine Hospital, where she stayed for five days of intensive care to get her back on her feet. Richard explains: “Their investigations suggested that the cause of the pain was a spasming of her urethra, which was preventing her from emptying her bladder. A catheter was placed to allow her to urinate freely and she was monitored carefully over the next few days. Once the catheter was removed and it was clear that she could urinate normally, they were allowed to return to our sanctuary. This has been a scary start to life for Fuzzy’s foal, but there shouldn’t be any long-term damage and she should go on to be strong and healthy.”

To celebrate the birth and recovery of Fuzzy Bear’s foal, the sanctuary invited members of the public to name her. They chose Teyah, which means precious and caring – the perfect choice for this gorgeous filly.

For more information, or to suggest a name, visit mareandfoal.org