Emergency surgery saves J Bar J bucking horse Bugs Bunny[Dec. 20, 2010] Bugs Bunny, one of professional rodeo’s top saddle bronc riding horses, is back on Sparky and Marlene Dreesen’s J Bar J Ranch near Circle, Mont., after being saved from life-threatening colic with emergency surgery by a team of veterinarians and technicians at the Copper Spring Ranch Equine Sports Medicine Center near Bozeman, Mont.
Emergency surgery saves J Bar J bucking horse Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny, one of professional rodeo’s top saddle bronc riding horses, is back on Sparky and Marlene Dreesen’s J Bar J Ranch near Circle, Mont., after being saved from life-threatening colic with emergency surgery by a team of veterinarians and technicians at the Copper Spring Ranch Equine Sports Medicine Center near Bozeman, Mont.
The famous 10-year old stallion was among nine bareback horses and four saddle broncs scheduled to buck at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, but never made it there.
The day before the stock was going to be loaded for the trip, Bugs was diagnosed with severe colic by Circle veterinarian Marilyn Howell, DVM. Instead of heading to Vegas with the rest of the horses, Bugs Bunny was unloaded at the Copper Spring Ranch clinic and underwent an operation for colic by surgeon Thomas Jakob, DVM, of Bozeman, with assistance from CSR’s Alan Goldhahn, DVM, and Lisa Baller, DVM, at 2:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. The support team that worked for hours also included vet tech Joani Smith and ranch trainer Teri High.
“Dr. Howell did a great job of treating Bugs Bunny prior to the referral for surgery,” attending veterinarian Goldhahn said. “Bugs Bunny had a small colon obstruction with a tremendously large colon distention. Surgery entailed removing the gas, emptying the large colon of ingesta, and eliminating the obstruction. The horse came through the surgery like a champ and never looked back.”
When the Dreesens returned from the Finals they loaded Bugs Bunny back on the semi-trailer with the rest of the Wrangler NFR stock for the trip back to Circle. By then, Bugs Bunny was full of energy and back to feeling his literal oats.
“When we unloaded at home, Bugs Bunny acted like he wanted to go to a rodeo,” Dreesen said. “We were planning on retiring him after the Wrangler NFR this year and just keeping him as a stud, but I feel he got gypped. This was supposed to be his second trip to the National Finals, and they had put him in the rank pen. Maybe he needs to go to the Finals again.”
Dreesen received the prestigious NFR Remuda Award from PRCA commissioner Karl Stressman on the eve of the rodeo as the stock contractor who provided the best, most consistent pen of bucking horses. Ironically, the award came with a bronze sculpture that showed three of Dreesen’s top horses: Bugs Bunny, Special Times and Faded Charm.
By Courtesy PRCA