What happens when small animal and large animal teaching hospitals collaborate creatively?

Consider the case of Tink, a foal who had a rough start but is now “full of life.”

The small and large animal teaching hospitals at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine worked together to solve a difficult problem, offering veterinary students a hands-on training experience and Tink a chance for a better life.

Now Tink has a better future, and Auburn clinicians, residents, interns and students are better prepared to tackle tough clinical challenges.

The good news first

Unlike most stories, let’s start with the ending: Tink is in good health.

“Tink is very full of life and full of herself. Gritty is what I call it. Auburn University went the extra mile and gave her the best possible care,” said Tink’s owner, Mary Bullard. “They thought outside the box to provide aquatic therapy. That was a huge milestone to improve her quality of life.”

Now, back to the beginning.

Doctors and students in Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine worked with Tink, a premature foal, to help her gain the ability to stand. (contributed)

Tink’s arrival at Auburn

This past fall, a very sick Tink arrived at Auburn’s John Thomas Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital.

She was born prematurely to a mother who had placentitis and who rejected her. Foals should stand within one hour of birth and nurse within two hours, and Tink could do neither.

Dr. Erin Groover, a clinical professor in equine internal medicine, was involved in Tink’s case from the start. She worked with Auburn’s veterinary students to get her stabilized.

“That first week, students were hugely involved in the success of her living,” Groover said.

Dr. Kara Lascola, associate professor in equine internal medicine, assumed Tink’s care to focus on residual orthopedic issues, after systemic concerns were under control. Since Tink was born prematurely, her joints had not finished maturing and the foal could not stand.

“If we did not manage, it would lead to long-standing orthopedic problems, like not being athletic or a poor quality of life,” said Lascola. “We saw some improvements in Tink, but some things remained concerning even though Tink was stable, happy and bright.”

Lascola needed to balance Tink’s inability to stand with a way to strengthen her legs.

This therapy pool at Auburn’s Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital was made for animals such as dogs, but a treatment team decided it could accommodate Tink, a foal who had been born prematurely. (contributed)

Collaborating on creative care

Enter Dr. Lindsey Boone, associate professor of equine surgery and sports medicine. Boone is involved in large animal sports medicine and had previously collaborated with licensed veterinary technician Liz Hodson in the Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital on physical rehabilitation.

Boone was aware that a dog-sized therapy pool at the hospital could accommodate goats, but a foal? Groover, Lascola and Boone considered whether Tink could work with Hodson in the physical therapy pool. The brainstorming resulted in seven underwater therapy sessions for Tink, which improved her strength and alignment. It also drew a whole lot of attention from students and faculty.

“Tink was very popular with the students,” Lascola said. “Lots of students were interested in a foal swimming in the small animal hospital.”

In fact, almost every equine student observed the first day Tink was in the pool.

Tink’s seven underwater therapy sessions turned out to be very popular with veterinary students and faculty. (contributed)

Water therapy enables non-weight-bearing exercises, which can help severe joint issues and arthritis while providing cardiovascular exercise. However, Tink needed to bear some weight, so Hodson conducted partial weight-bearing exercises, which allowed her joints to be put through limited stresses.

“Tink loved being in the water, right from the start,” Hodson said. “She was food-motivated, so we had a little pan of milk, which kept her from drinking the water and kept her moving in the water.”

Hodson and a resident spent every session with Tink, using the resistance of water to help the foal activate her small and large muscle groups; this encouraged micromovements, which worked joints in all ranges.

Students assigned to the case helped transport Tink to the small animal facility — no easy feat — and maintain her daily care. For transport, students had to put Tink on a gurney, load the gurney in an elevator and support Tink’s entry into the pool.

Tink makes a trip to Auburn’s Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital for water therapy. (contributed)

A new tool for large animal care

Tink’s providers agree: Taking a large animal into a small animal space is unusual.

“It’s a new thing that I would not have thought of before,” Groover said. “It didn’t occur to me to put the foal in the water … but I would do that in a second now. This adds another tool I would use.”

Groover said Tink’s recovery also provided a great lesson for the students.

“This was a really sick foal. More than once, euthanasia was on the table. But this shows students, look what we were able to do to get this foal out the door,” she said. “It is a good thing for students to see you can be creative.”

A version of this story originally appeared on Auburn University’s website.