By Sharman P. Moore

VERO BEACH — From near death to healthy as a horse describes Abby, the miraculous filly born five months ago with a rare neonatal condition that threatened her life.

Vero Beach veterinarian Dr. Valerie Biehl smiles as Abby, a six-week-old horse, stands up after having leg braces made of PVC attached at the East Coast Animal Medical Center on Friday, March 12, 2010. Abby’s mother, Li’l Grey, stands at right.

Lucky for Abby, Vero Beach veterinarian Valerie Biehl came to the owner’s barn on Oct. 7 when the horse was born prematurely and recognized the symptoms for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.

“I had seen this condition when I studied to be a veterinarian at the University of Florida because we were often exposed to the treatment of horses,” Biehl said. “So I realized what major problems Abby would be facing. The lack of oxygen to her brain just prior to being born meant she would require round the clock medical attention to survive. It would be parallel to neonatal intensive care.”

Abby’s tongue protruded from her mouth and she couldn’t nurse. Her mother, Li’l Grey, was milked every few hours and Abby received her nourishment through a tube that was inserted into her nose.

In addition, Abby couldn’t stand up on her own. To fix this issue, Biehl sought help from Sebastian podiatrist David Haile and orthotics specialist Billy Ownings, who developed braces for the filly’s legs.

The horse’s owners found it too painful to watch Abby’s struggles with mobility and decided to have her euthanized.

But Biehl couldn’t bear that thought and offered to take Abby to live on property near her clinic, the East Coast Animal Medical Center on 69th Street in Vero Beach.

Now, Abby acts like a normal, healthy, frisky filly, Biehl said.

She gallops, jumps, changes leads and bucks with no braces on her legs.

“It is truly remarkable to see her now,” Biehl said. “She took lots of tumbles in the beginning but she showed she had courage and a big heart. I am so proud of her, I don’t care if she is a champion or not. She has a home with me for the rest of her life.”

Biehl estimates Abby’s intensive care cost about $10,000 so far.

“But she is worth every penny,” Biehl said.

Although she no longer needs leg braces or feeding tubes, Abby must be fitted with special shoes and requires corrective hoof trimming to help her stand and straighten her legs. Clint Quam, a local blacksmith, makes her corrective horse shoes.

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