Any ideas - Lamanitic Horse on Box rest not getting any better

R

RyanJoker

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 September 2008
Messages
52
Visit site
Hi all - Just wondered if anyone else has been through the same and has any suggestions. My boy was originally diagnosed with bruised sole on 1 front foot so was box rested till sound (we had hard frost and snow at the time so more than possible) - all was well for about 5 days while turned out in small paddock then was wee bit sore again. Called vet back and said more box rest and x-rays - which showed no changes in the foot bar a very very thin sole so would take a while for new sole to grow so would be quite sore until this happens and will treat as concussive lamanitis. Sedlin 3 times a day and 1 danalon twice a day.

Well this was 7 weeks ago and if anything he is now worse - he seems to get bit better one week then takes 2 steps back and Vet comes once a week to check on him and this week he is now sore on his other front foot as well. He has not been sore on this foot at all until now so no idea why after 7 weeks in on massive bed (and ruber matting!) restricted lamanitic diet (I.e only soaked hay for 12 hours plus and handfull of hi-fi lite with drugs and supplements in)

Vet a bit stumpped and is bringing the senior partner next week for second opionion (having said this I truley love my vet he has treated my boy for years and trust his judgement completely and have no issues with the treatment thus far so its him that just wants a second opinion)

so sorry for such a long post but if anyone has been through similar and has any suggestions they would be gratefully welcomed.

Many thanks
x
 
When was the last time you had the Xrays done? As there can be changes in the feet for weeks after an attack.. If you had Xrays done a while ago it might be worth having some more done, to see if anymore changes have occured. Laminitis is so so tricky as some ponies recover so quickly.. we had a pony who was down with it for about 2/3 months and was on pain meds for ages..
Sorry i can't be anymore help... good luck..
 
I look after a pony that got laminitis and wouldn't get better on the standard treatment. He started off mis-diagnosed with a foot abscess that wouldn't burst, until a more brainy vet nerve blocked the lame front foot and he was then hobbling on the other one. He went on bute, box-rest and ACP but kept getting poorlier and became laminitic behind as well.

He only started to improve when he went on pergolide, even though he tests negative for cushings disease. He did briefly worsen again with an abscess complication but he's now healthy, still on long term pergolide and back in work.

If you've tried the standard treatment and it isn't working, discuss with your vet medicating for cushings/EMS.
 
hi, i have an elderly pony who suffers with lami. i have to say i always get my farrier (who is fab) out first . he can normaly help my chap and would advise letting the bed build up as they seem to use the wet bed to build up a platform they can then balance on and ease the pain. i also give my boy wendals herbs they do seem to help him(no i dont work for them!!) on the subject of hay my boy cant eat it so i find high fibre pony nuts and hi-fi lite work.
i know how hard this is for you,last year my boy was on box rest for nearly 3 months . i know you say your vet is coming out again would your farrier be available at same time maybe together they can come up with something? also your farrier may spot something on the x-rays your vet didnt see !!
good luck hope all is well soon.
 
My thoughts are..Do you know how to feel for a pulse at the back of the fetlock? Does your horse have a normal or bounding one and is it in both front legs?
Is there a possibility that the horse has stiffened up through box rest and this is why he is more lame. Is it definately foot pain or could it be elsewhere instead or as well?
How old is your horse? Could there be a possibility of cushings?
The other thing is could it be deep seated abscesses that arent coming out. This can be linked to laminitis.
 
Thanks to you all for taking the time to read and reply - it helps hearing your stories knowing there could be light at the end of the tunnel (even if it is a wee way off!)

He had all the cushings tests and all back negative - but Vet did mention trying pergolide anyway a couple of weeks ago so I'll mention it to him see what he says.

He had the x-rays about 5 weeks ago - so again it seems like it may be worth gettng more done to double check.

Re his pulse he has had a slight pulse in bad foot since the start but not raging like you would expect for lamanitic and only in the original bad foot.

He only seems sore about the size of a 10p on his sole at the point of the pedal bone which is why vet treating him as lamanitic - the other front he just seemed sore all over this week when the vet done the hoof testers (he never sore the other weeks when this has been done as vet checks all 4 feet each week)

Thanks again to you all I really appreciate it
hugs and kisses to you all
x
 
Hi

Reading your post brought back many unpleasant memories. Just over 2 years ago my healthy big 9yr old warmblood mare injured her hind leg in a freak accident whilst being led in. The vet advised that she would need 6 weeks box rest. Two weeks into box rest, she became hideously lame in front and laminitis was diagnosed (probably brought on by stress). She was x-rayed and these showed that the pedal bone had rotated in her right foot by about 11 degrees and slightly less in her left. It was awful watching her in the box in so much pain. She was on the usual medication of ACP and bute.

For the next five months we would take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. There was never a time when she appeared to be consistently getting better. She had a dorsal wall re-section to both feet two months after diagnosis and 5 months into box rest she developed a hideous absess which took antibiotics and an iodine/sugar paste to clear up.

In total she didn't step out of her stable for 9 months! and there were times that both the vet and I thought that we were going to lose her!

I started feeding her NAF pro-feet together with NAF superflex (for the extra weight taken on her hind legs) and the results have been amazing. She will always be in heart bar shoes and only yesterday she trotted up sound and passed flexion tests in all legs! She was slowly brought back into work (starting with weeks of long reining) last March and has gone from strength to strength. Only this morning we were cantering across the common jumping ditches which 12 months ago I thought would never be possible again.

Throughout the whole period, I kept a diary of medication, vet and farrier visits and took lots and lots of pictures of her re-sections, absesses etc etc.

It isn't always a hopeless case and I'm sure that with lots of TLC your lovely boy will recover. It may be worth trying him on pro-feet. I definitely recommend it!

Please feel free to ask me any other questions about my experience with laminitis and I would be only too happy to email you pics of just how bad it got.

Good Luck xx
 
Hi Ali_L - Thanks very much for your post gives me lots of hope my boy will come right even if it could be a very long haul
shocked.gif
and so glad your mare has now fully recovered and your both out enjoying yourselves I can imagine you're on cloud 9
smile.gif


It is totally 3 steps forward but more like 4 steps back for us at the moment but knowing there are others that have been in the same situation and have come through the otherside gives me hope
.
Just been on at the OH so will be off to the feed shop first thing to get naf pro feet and superflex
grin.gif


Thanks again and wishing you lots of fun with your mare this summer you both deserve it after what you;ve ben through
x
 
have you talked to your farrier? is he trained to put on Imprint laminitic shoes? these in laymans terms take the pressure off a horses foot without the need for nails and although not always 100% cured most laminitics walk away sound after having these put on.

they are not cheap though
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top