The Bahamas does not produce its own hay, and with such incredible human dislocation on the islands, there is no safety net for horses. “These horses need us, and we are prepared to meet their needs in crisis,” said Jennifer Skiff, director of international programs for the Animal Wellness Foundation. “Our plan is to stabilize them, attend to any immediate needs, and to provide food for as long as six months.”

Clinicians with the Equine Surgery and Lameness Service were aware of an alternative method for stone removal through a flank laparotomy, but it had only been reported in the veterinary literature in two horses. Dr. Cheryl McCullough, a veterinary pathologist and Goose’s owner of 13 years, was willing to give it a chance.

Just like human infants, foals need properly established gut microbiota in order to develop correctly and be healthy in their first years of life. Microorganisms associated with contact with the mare and consumption of colostrum and milk are the first to colonize a foal’s GI system.