In search of a show hunter horse for her daughter, Julie Bass never would have imagined that a Grand Prix jumper would be the horse she was looking for. But as it turns out, Fender was a perfect match.

“He got off the trailer and was obviously beautiful,” Julie said, recalling the relationship between her daughter and Fender. “It totally worked out. Their bond is like no other.”

Fender became an instant part of the Bass family, so when he started acting strangely one day, the Bass's and their trainer took immediate note.

“He wouldn't stand still. He kept prancing and looking very agitated,” Julie said. “I looked in his eyes and knew he wasn't right.” Fender had a fever, which the Bass's originally treated with antibiotics and put him under a 24-hour watch. By 1:00 the next morning, their trainer received a call that Fender had dug himself a hole up to his knees. The trainer took one look at him and rushed Fender to the MSU Veterinary Medical Center.

When 13-year-old Fender arrived at MSU, Drs. Carr and Tadros had to be cautious during Fender's treatment. Two years prior, Fender had reacted badly to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are what the clinicians needed to treat him with for this instance. He had been left with mild kidney damage and lost a sufficient amount of kidney function. This meant that during his treatment at the VMC, he had to be closely monitored to prevent any severe injury to his kidneys from the drugs.

Fender's urine output also had been extremely low, so the VMC team needed to ensure that Fender was not becoming overhydrated as they treated him. To do this, the team monitored and recorded Fender's body weight and central venous pressure every two hours.

It was a slow process, but over the course of several days, Fender's kidneys regained their function and his playful personality began to make an appearance. After a week at the MSU VMC, it was time for Fender to go home, where he's doing much better now.

“Amazing,” Julie said. “He has been doing amazing!” The Bass's have made some lifestyle changes for Fender to help him maintain a healthy state. He's been drinking more water and eating new special food. But Julie says no matter what, they'll always be keeping a close eye on Fender.

“We're a little bit crazy with all of our horses, I'm not gonna lie, but with him now more than normal,” Julie said.