Barbaro Continues to Improve; Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

News Releases

Gail Luciani 
(215) 898-1475
luciani@vet.upenn.edu

June 2 , 2006

KENNETT SQUARE, PA – Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro continues to improve daily as he recovers from a shattered hind leg sustained at the Preakness on May 20. “I’m very pleased with the progress Barbaro is making,” said Chief of Surgery Dean W. Richardson. “Everything is fine.”

Barbaro remains in intensive care at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center.

New Bolton Center has received many inquiries about Barbaro; below are the answers to some of those most frequently asked.

1.  In addition to hay, what, if anything, is he being fed?  Do you have a special diet for cases like his?

He's being fed sweet feed (the same kind he ate while racing), three times a day. We do like to see cases like this gain or at least maintain their weight, so often we add corn oil to their diets, which Barbaro is getting in his grain.  We also encourage him to eat alfalfa because it is high in calcium and helps with weight gain.  Finally, he gets fresh grass several times daily, which we try to do for our horses that are stall-bound and can't get out to graze.

2.  How do you keep water from entering the cast while a horse is awakening from anesthesia?

The horse is not actually "in" water; he is inside a rubber raft. His legs are placed into extensions that are at the bottom of the raft – like waders fishermen use. In addition to being protected inside these leg holes in the rubber raft, the injured leg is wrapped in a thick plastic bag (like a shower curtain), the air is removed from around it, and then the bag is sealed to the leg with duct tape. So, he actually is completely protected from the water.

3.  Can he be groomed, or would that be too stimulating?

Barbaro is groomed from head to tail at least once a day, not to mention all the "scratching" sessions he gets.  We try to give all of our stall-bound patients as much stimulation as possible to keep them from becoming too bored.

4.  What size is his stall?

Approximately 12' X 13', complete with a 2' X 2' window.

5.  If he survives this ordeal and it is eventually deemed safe for him to be in a paddock, how would his leg be protected and supported? Will his hoof touch the ground in the normal position?

Ideally, if he survives, he will need minimal if any extra support once his leg is fully healed.  His foot should touch the ground as a normal horse's would, but the angle of his fetlock may be different.



  Donors can find out how to offer monetary gifts at: www.vet.upenn.edu/giving/giving_ways.html

Well-wishers can send e-mail to Barbaro via a form at: www.vet.upenn.edu/barbaro.

For pictures and updates on Barbaro’s condition, visit: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Barbaro.htm

 About Dean W. Richardson, DVM

Dr. Dean W. Richardson is Chief of Surgery and the Charles W. Raker Professor of Equine Surgery at Penn Vet’s Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center. He is an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon whose research focuses on cartilage repair. Dr. Richardson has been part of New Bolton Center since 1979.

About New Bolton Center

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., is one of the busiest large animal teaching veterinary clinics in the nation. Each year the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals sees more than 6,000 patient visits, and its Field Service sees more than 19,000 patient visits. In addition to its role as one of the nation’s finest equine surgical facilities, New Bolton Center encompasses hospital facilities for the care of large animals and livestock as well as diagnostic laboratories serving the agriculture industry and the monitoring of emerging infectious disease.

About the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine is one of the world’s premier veterinary schools. Founded in 1884, the school was built on the concept of Many Species, One Medicine™.

The birthplace of veterinary specialties, the school serves a distinctly diverse array of animal patients at its two campuses, from companion animals to horses to farm animals. The school’s Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, located on Penn’s campus in Philadelphia, Pa., houses classrooms, laboratories, medical care and one of the nation’s busiest urban veterinary emergency rooms. In addition, the school successfully integrates scholarship and scientific discovery with all aspects of veterinary medical education.