Agghhhh - laminitis - what to do!! (also in vets)

[Horse555]

Only had my horse for 2 weeks - old owner said that he had NEVER had laminitis before etc etc, but the blacksmith came tody & said that she looked like she had a touch (he was perfectly alright yesterday), so he got to work & he said that he had had it before -

- wish the old owners would have told me, cos i would still have brought him, but would have been more cautious.

Any tips on how to get it sorted - i realluy want to take him somewhere on saturday - is that just wishful thinking?

 

[cob1]

I would get the vet, as they can prescribe pain relief (if req) and give you good advice on the management of it, both short and long term as it is possible that your new one could get it easily again. If required the vets can also xray to check the extent of rotation of the pedal bone if any, if this is needed.

I have a friend whos pony has laminitis and they are struggling to get it sound after 6 months, and it cannot even go in a field. I cannot stress the seriousness of laminitis, no matter how mild.

 

[Chestnuttymare]

one of mine had it last year. the first time in the 5 years i had had him. i knew that he had it before but was careful with him.
i put him on box rest on a deep shavings bed. he had some happy hoof for dinner and brekkie. he also had well soaked hay. and was on danilon. he came right after about 5 weeks. can't see you going anywhere this weekend tho'. don't try to do anything too soon. if it is just a 'touch' like your farrier said then if you are careful, then it shouldn't be too long. when he got it i got the vet out right away. he has been fine since thankfully.

 

[jazzy19950]

You would think in this day and age that some kind of cure could be found for this dreadful condition. Don't worry though, with careful management and being alert to the warning signs it is possible to enjoy a normal existence with your horse. First of all I would put him on a deep bed of shavings or deep litter (The spongyness helps to support the frog) Cut out grass completely for the time being but we feed plentiful soaked hay (preferably not this years hay though!!!) and unlimited chop.(Happy Hoof is great)
All horses and ponies respond differently but we hose some of our ponies hooves with cold water which definitely helps some but not all. We also use laminaze in two of our ponies feeds(which works wonders for them) but we have one pony who it doesn,t make a scrap of difference to.
We have a section of the field which we use for the lami prone ponies but you do have to be careful when they are out as the dawn grass has higher levels of nasty fructins in which is the root of all evil. We tend to turn out 10ish and bring in 4ish. This seems to work for us as long as the ponies are also being exercised.
Do not lose hope, if it is only a mild case then there is a chance you may be able to do something at the weekend.
You could also contact your vet who might give you some ACP (this helps with the pounding pulse in the foot)or Bute which would help but be v careful about competiting or riding, leave at least 2 days before riding after giving acp.
Keep an eye out for the warning signs, cresty neck, hot hooves,slightly pottery etc and take off grass straight away.
Hope this helps

 

[OWLIE185]

Was your horse vetted when you bought it? Did they take any blood?

Why does your farrier think your horse has Laminitis. Is it because he is lame or because the white band/lamini have stretched in the hoof?

If Laminitis is suspected which in your case it has been it is essential that you call in the vet immediately and without any further delay to carry out a full diagnosis. Your vet will probably also take blood to try and determine the reason for the lamninitis.

Laminitis can be caused by many different things from too much nutritious grass, emerging encystead red worms (which can not be detected in a worm count), stress, concussion from working on hard ground, being on medication such as steroids, Cushings Disease etc.

If your horse has Laminitis then it may well have to stay in its stable for at least the next 6 weeks on a very thick bed and also your vet may prescribe medication such as Finidyne. Your vet may also fit rubber frog suppports by taping them in place. Your horse will have to be on a restricted diet but fed soaked a slice of 1 hour soaked hay every 4 hours to keep it's gut moving.

You may well not be able to ride your horse for at least 3 months.

Good luck and I hope that all goes well.

 

[Horse555]

Thanks for your advice!! The vet has just been - he only did a few lame strides when he first came out of teh stable & was then fine & was totally fine on grass - turned him on a tight circle on the concrete & the vet was really pleased with him cos he wasn't unsound at all, so fingers crossed we've caught it early & he'll be ok!!

I've put him in a deep shavings bed & got him some happy hoof - i'll take him out tomorrow moringing & see how his!!