Advice........?

Anastasia

Anastasia

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30 December 2004
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Over The Rainbow
www.morayfirthstud.co.uk
We have a 19 year old WB mare who was scanned in foal at 14 days a week ago. She then had her feet trimmed and very quickly after this came down with acute laminitis (never had before).

Vet was out and she was given painkillers, anti-inflammatories and ACP's. She is now on a deep shaving bed with frog supports.

We are obviously worried about the mare, but also about the "possible" foal inside her (as it has taken us two years to get her in foal since her last baby) and whether all this now means that she will reabsorb, especially as she is fretting being inside herself (which also worries us).

We have nothing to really keep indoors with her and wondered whether a small square outside would be acceptable, or to just leave her inside and hope she soon settles.

This all happened on Wednesday but today when we put the other horses outside this morning she is doing nothing but box walking.

We have moved her onto Happy Hoof and the vet told us to feed around 15-20lbs of hay per day.

Has anyone else had a horse come down with laminitis in pregnancy or would anyone have any other suggestions, as we have never been in this situation?? Like I say we are worried about the mare and fear that we may have also lost the foal, and we want her to be as stress free as possible...
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Can't advise regarding the laminitis and pregnancy - but if she is stressing, then I would strongly advise having someone in with her. If you rotate who stays in - at least they only have to stay in one day out of ?? depending on how many horses you have at home....
 
I think you'd be best buddying her up with someone to reduce her stress - do you have or know someone who has a 'spare' shetland pony you stick beside her? I suppose to reduce the risk of her reabsorbing you need to get her stress levels down pronto. Alternatively, ask your vet for some ACP / Sedalin and give her that whilst other horses are out. Would recommend that you rescan her once you've got the stress thing under control and then you know whether she's hung onto baby. Hope all is well though - it's not fun when you've got to keep one in in this weather!
 
As AMy said, isn't it possible to alternate who spends a day in with her, even a mare and foal if that is all you have about, they will cope as long as they have plenty to eat!? In winter I sometimes have to alternate groups on our wet land and within the day they have got into the routine.
I think it's anything to save stress in this situation and company I would have thought would be the main thing.
Good luck when you scan next time.
 
I cant be much help I'm afraid, but do be aware that stress can make laminitis much worse so if you can juggle horses to keep her quieter that would be for the best. I really sympathise as my boy really worries when he is in by himself- its a horrible situation to be in. I do hope your mare and foal are ok.
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I made a couple of small outside pens for my Cushings laminitic next to his field shelter. The first was a 'temporary' solution of bales of shavings and the second when we knew his survival chances were improved was a more permanent structure with terram membrane from the builder's merchants and a bulk lorry load of silica sand. Was fortunate to have a faily well drained existing semi-hard surface to lay this on of planed road scalpings and mill waste.The shavings lasted for a fair while but eventually rotted . The sand has been in place for around 4 years but as the surface water from above the pen drains through some can get washed away in times of heavy rain so need to top up occasionally. Have found the pen very useful over the years .
 
Thank you for your responses, we are actually getting her scanned next Tuesday, as she was supposed to be scanned this week but we treated her for the laminitis instead.

Unfortunately its not ideal to rotate the mares with the foals at foot because they are all partnered up with one other horse (i.e. we have our horses in groups of two's). We are at the point of several inseminations just now and I cannot afford for any of the others to get upset either if I take them away from their current friend (so am in a Catch22).

It just happens to be that my 19 year old mare was in with two other mares with foals at foot, hence why the other two are relatively happy.

The small pen my 19 year old is in looks over the fields so she can see a few if the other horses, but she is taking exception to being in on her own (even if she can see them). For the first couple of days I kept my two yearlings with her, but even doing that she still neighed for her pal, and then they were getting all hyper because they were not out.

This is only for during the day as all the horses come in at night, but I think that makes her worse in the morning again...
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I had thought about borrowing a shetland or something, but my OH is not keen on this at all (as he always worries about anything happening to other horses). Dont want to have her sedated either if I can help it.

This was why I wondered when the point would be that I could even make up a small square area in the corner (with little grass) of one of the paddocks for her (so she is next to her pals)....but I am presuming that I could be a while before I get to this point...?
 
Have you thought about stable mirror? my friend got one to put in her lorry for her horse who stresses when he travels alone - worked a treat.
 
I have limited experience of laminitis as we had a pony someone loaned and got too fat, we brought him back the same day and followed the vet's advice.
The vet was insistent he stayed in one place and didn't even leave the stable, the bed had to be thick and he wore frog supports taped on with duct tape.(I used rubber overreach boots which cut and folded made a super V shape!)
I think the main criteria is soft bedding and lack of movement, so if you can replicate that inside a paddock with electric fencing I would try that.
I think she will do more harm box walking than penned outside on a bed.
We've successfully penned two before, both with broken splint bones, the secret is use a field with others they can see, and use high fencing posts. If she keeps walking reduce the size of the pen so it's impossible to do it.
 
I penned my 2yo last year after colic surgery - made a stable sized pen with electric fence in the corner of her normal field where her two friends were.
I gave her hay and water, and was careful about sunshine.
She was much happier there, than in the stable - and I gradually made the pen larger with no silly behaviour from her. I found the other two would sleep beside her, which chilled her out immensely.
I hope your mare scans in foal, and recovers quickly.
S
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