wilcito

Inspiritus Equine, Inc.
Integrated Soundness Solutions (sm)

...Reveal the Equus Within! (TM)
Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM, CVSMT, CMP, VA, SFT
707-738-7110

Here's a story that I would like to share with you, believers, and non-believers alike. The tale
encompasses a beautiful little Hanoverian colt who suffered an unbelievable trauma and
who is recovering against the odds.

Meet our colt. He was presented as a 3 month old who had flipped over backwards and
broken his neck, leaving him in pain, unable to nurse, and with left-sided complete facial
paralysis.

Radiographs showed spinal cord compression and fractures in the first 2 neck vertebrae.
His outlook seemed grim. But his owner was willing to give him a chance, against the advice o
of two other veterinarians - both of whom said the colt was blind, and at the end of his rope,
with no quality of life.

Signs of facial paralysis include:
drooping lip and tongue, nose pulled
to one side, inability to blink, drooping
ear, quidding (dropping food), and
ulceration to the gums from rubbing
against the ground.

I was approached by his owner to see if I could begin aggressive acupuncture therapy -
as literally, she didn't know what else to do. In addition to providing basic information
(such as a full neurologic examination, lubricating the eye, suggesting a fly mask, and
preventing sun exposure), I agreed to provide acupuncture therapy - however, stating my
concerns about the foal resisting the treatment and further injuring his neck.

Treatments were initiated one week apart, with electroacupuncture introduced to stimulate
the nerves. Visible twitches indicated the nerve fibers could still fire, but needed time to
heal. (Colt, below, hooked up to electroacupuncture).

About two months later, the referring veterinarian again thought my work was futile,
expressing his concern about the foal's blindness (which he never was) and that he was
"at the end of his rope". I laughed and continued working. WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF
THAT ENCOUNTER, THE COLT HAD COMPLETE FUNCTION OF HIS EYE AND EAR.

His quality of life remains stable, he eats, and plays in turnout, and will undoubtedly be a
wonderful riding horse someday. The final struggle is to regain motor function in the left
lip region, but the colt progresses in a positive direction each day. Sometimes, Mother
Nature just needs patience to Heal, and our Western medicine comes up short when we
run out of drugs to give.

UPDATE: Wilcito was started on Jing Tang Chinese Herbal Medicines for facial paralysis.
Within one week of starting the medication, his lip was no longer drooping, he was better
able to use his tongue, and his gum ulceration began to heal. He is now 95% normal, and
has plenty of time to grow and heal to 100% function. The only remaining piece of our
healing puzzle is the atlas and neck muscle contracture, which should resolve with
electroacupuncture and gentle motioning.

Wilcito
March 2008. 95% healed.
Normal ear, eye, tongue, and
mouth function. Oral granuloma
healed. Some muscle contracture
around the fracture sites
remains.

Joanna Robson, DVM,
CVSMT, CMP, VA, SFT
707-738-7110