Veterinarians at Tufts University in Grafton performed an ultrasound on Cajun's right rear leg and found shrapnel they had missed in initial surgery.
BRIMFIELD – Cajun, the 9-year-old horse injured in the June 1 tornado, underwent more surgery Wednesday to remove pieces of a tree that impaled his leg. The medical bills are racking up, and well-wishers are starting to pitch in.
Veterinarians at Tufts University in Grafton performed an ultrasound on Cajun’s right rear leg Tuesday and found shrapnel they had missed in initial surgery. Another ultrasound is planned for Thursday, said Tom Keppeler, a spokesman for the university’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
The damage is to Cajun’s coffin joint, the lowest joint in the leg. The doctors’ two biggest priorities are removing all the wood and keeping an eye out for infections in the joint and the tendon sheath.
Cajun is being monitored 24 hours a day and has been placed on a steady course of antibiotics. There is “continued concern and extreme vigilance about infection” because a horse’s legs are especially susceptible, Keppeler said.
Once the damage is reassessed, a discharge plan may take shape, but at this point it’s unclear how long Cajun will be at Tufts, he said.
The cost of Cajun’s care is adding up for his owners, JoAnn Kass and Steven Bush. The couple run Hill Side Farm at 51 Paige Hill Road, which was destroyed along with their house. Insurance will cover much of the property damage.
Cajun’s bills are up to $6,000 and rising. When he was admitted, the owners had to pay $3,000 up front.
“The number we got at first was ... $10,000 with the caveat that there were a lot of variables,” said Jason Kass, JoAnn Kass’ son. “There’s a lot of opportunity for complication.”
Recovery could take up to a year and the costs of medications and follow-up visits would drive up the total, he said.
A Facebook page has sprung up along with several fundraising campaigns. St. Joseph Catholic Church in Charlton donated $1,000 and a page on ChipIn.com had garnered another $235 as of Wednesday. Barre-based Central New England Equine Rescue is soliciting donations and Jason Kass said people are walking into Tufts and handing over cash.
Tufts is even running a donation drive of its own.
“Tufts has been nothing but unbelievable,” said Jason Kass. “They have never shoved the bill in our faces and we would never expect them to do anything for free.”
JoAnn Kass and Bush had four horses before the tornado. One, Dakota, was killed when a two-ton trailer was thrown across the property and struck his head. Veterinarian Paula Orcutt of Spencer waived her fee for treating two others for cuts and abrasions.
Jason Kass said his mother and Bush moved into a pop-up camper in the backyard, but the focus is on Cajun.
“She lost a pet and she has another one badly injured,” he said. “Her attitude is that the house is replaceable.”