Photo Gallery | Lucky Pal recovering from surgery
Lucky Pal, the orphaned horse that was hit by a car last week, underwent surgery at the Pioneer Equine Hospital on Tuesday.
It took a team of three surgeons and seven assistants to repair Lucky Pal's elbow. It was a tense day where anything could have happened including humane euthanasia if the doctors encountered problems once they opened the horse's leg.
"The surgery went very well even though it was a high energy impact injury," said Dr. Brad Jackson. "Much better than we anticipated."
The surgery took more than two hours to complete. Lucky Pal had some difficulty shaking off the anesthesia, but in the end, he was able to stand without wobbling while putting all his weight on his right leg.
According to the surgeons, for the operation to be a success, the plates they inserted needed to hold perfectly the moment Lucky Pal took his first step.
After four hours of waiting, they had their moment of truth. Lucky Pal finally stood up after waking up from the anesthesia. He walked back to his stall as though his leg had never been fractured.
Lucky Pal is continuing to live up to his name. Thanks to the News10 viewers who rallied behind the yearling's recovery, three local veterinarians volunteered their time, money and expertise to see him through the complicated day-long surgery.
Even though he has been "lucky" this week, the yearling is still an orphan. Lucky Pal's owners have not been located.
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