Kip Deville Ready to Leave Hospital

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The improbable story of Kip Deville’s battle with life-threatening laminitis is nearing a happy ending, as the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner is set to be discharged from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital as early as next week.

Veterinarian Vernon Dryden informed owners IEAH Stables that Kip Deville “has maintained good comfort level and a good attitude. He is in good body condition and is eating well. The right front foot cast was changed yesterday and the solar surface is now 85% cornified. The right front has continued to grow wall from the medial aspect.”

Dr. Dryden added, “Kip is at a point in his recovery that we feel comfortable sending him to a local layup facility.” Dryden said he recommended a small, private facility that has a low volume of traffic, and that an important aspect of his rehabilitation is to have non-forced exercise, which can be provided by an oversized stall.

“While at the layup facility, Kip will need to have the foot casts changed every 10-14 days until the solar surfaces have totally cornified,” Dryden said. “I would personally be monitoring Kip, at minimum on a weekly basis. Tentatively Kip could be discharged from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital by mid- to late next week.”

The earlier prognosis for Kip Deville wasn't as good. Read here.

IEAH president Mike Iavarone said, “Everyone told me there was no shot of this happening and that we would be better off financially with an insurance claim, but I told them I don’t care what we spend and how much it costs, he deserves the chance to try to beat this. If it wasn’t for him none of us at IEAH would be where we are now. He’s the one that got it all started.”

Kip Deville’s health struggles surfaced in mid-October, beginning with what was thought to be a routine bout of colic. But over time, the colic progressed into the troublesome foot disease laminitis. He made his last start Aug. 2 at Saratoga.

In all, the 7-year-old son of Kipling  —Klondike Kaytie, by Encino, won 12 of 30 starts and earned $3,325,489. He also won the nine other stakes including three additional grade I races. He was second in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Oak Tree. Bred in Oklahoma by Center HIlls Farm, Kip Deville also raced for Pegasus Holdings Group and Resolute Group Stables.