17 September 2021

Phoenix Fights: Week Four

Here at Redwings, we continue to be bowled over by your support for our very special chap.

This week our vet team sent their thanks:

"All of us at the Redwings Horse Hospital wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated so far towards the care of Phoenix the foal, either by buying items from his Amazon wishlist or donating money. Thank you so much, reading all the lovely cards and social media comments has really been keeping us going.”

Phoenix continues to receive 24-hour nursing care and have his bandages changed every one to two days and we thought you might like to see more of the process of these changes.

First, Phoenix’s bandages are removed and he is washed.

Phoenix’s wounds are washed

Then our nurses carefully apply specialist dressings, directly to his skin. These dressings sit underneath his bandages and vet wrap and have been christened his ‘undergarments’ by Phoenix’s vet nurses!

The dressings that the team are now using are specialist (hence why we haven’t added any to Phoenix’s Wishlist this week) but you can still support this vital stage of his care. The pieces that go against his skin cost £9.60 per piece, and Phoenix requires nine or ten pieces per dressing change. Then the second layer costs £27.99 per sheet and he requires three of these per dressing change. Therefore, his ‘undergarments’ alone now cost over £170 per dressing change, roughly every two days.

The vet nurses carefully change Phoenix’s specialist dressings

On top of these layers, and the padding bandages, Phoenix continues to sport some very colourful vet wrap. This vet wrap serves a very practical purpose of keeping everything in place and stopping our former ‘Houdini’ from being able to wriggle out of his bandages.

However, just because of their practical nature doesn’t mean they need to be boring, and our vet nurses have taken on a personal mission to come up with some funky designs. So far this week we’ve had “Phoenix and his Technicolour Dreamcoat” and “Bishy BarnaPhoenix” the ladybird (Bishy Barnabee is Norfolk dialect for ladybird - so rather apt for our Norfolk HQ!)

Phoenix (and his technicolour dreamcoat!) enjoying turnout with foster mum Mildred

Picture of pony wrapped in bandages to look like a ladybird

Phoenix the ladybird, with spots cut out of black vet wrap!

Watch this space for other designs as we’re sure our hardworking and creative nurses have probably got some more tucked up their scrub sleeves! To make a donation and continue to support Phoenix, and the other horses in our care, please call us on 01508 481000 or you can give online here.

As ever, thank you for your support #RedwingsAngels. We couldn’t do this without you!

Read the previous blog post Phoenix fights: Week Three