Basic Laminitis Questions!

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Maisy

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I have a pony, roughly 6 years old, welsh x something like a fell, but of no specific breeding (stocky little thing!).

I have just aquired new grazing for her and my other mare.

The new fields havent been fertilized for years (really.....*years*!!!), and have had various horses graze them over the years, though for the past few, only one 35 yr old horse (he is amazing!) wandering around over the whole 6 acres.

I have sectioned off a piece of the field, which, although the grass is fairly long, it isnt what I would call 'lush'. It has the odd buttercup, and some kind of purple flowered weed here and there.

I am pretty sure my pony will be ok, she isnt overly fat, and not a greedy pony (she spends a fair bit of time trotting round and seems to stop eating when she has had enough).

Anyway, my question is, are there any 'symptoms' to watch out for before the onset of laminitis? My farrier told me to watch for the bulge over the eye socket, I know about the crest on the neck, but are there any more?? I assume hot feet is not a good sign, but does their poo turn sloppy or anything like that?? Atm her poos are their normal 'pelletlike' shape, and I am thinking that is good and means she is digesting well, but of course, I have *no* experience with this at all, and am just guessing.

Last year I used a muzzle until the grass was eaten down, but that was in a field where the grass was fertilized and far more lush.

All the posts on here are making me paranoid! If only there was some kind of test!!

TIA!
 
the digital pulse can be felt before any of the other signs can be seen, i think. you can feel it just above the fetlock, either side of the bottom of the tendons. usually you can't feel it at all, but if they're laminitic, it'll be pounding, very very obvious.
cresty, hot feet, and then of course the classic "leaning back" posture.
most of all, i'd just keep a serious eye on her weight, especially from behind... if it starts looking as if her bum dips down to her spine (m shape!), rather than the line just going across (it would go upwards to spine in a thin/very thin horse), i'd ration her a bit more.
will be interested to see other responses.
 
I keep an eye on both horses bums.....they are rounded, but no channel down the middle.

Should I muzzle her even if she isnt overweight or anything?? I have the muzzle in case she does become obese suddenly, but was hoping that she wouldnt need it!

(She has no digital pulse atm, and is happily trotting round the field etc, so I am sure she is perfectly healthy at this point!)
 
If there is lots of grass then I personally would muzzle her as if she gorges herself silly then there is a possibility she might get lami - I don't think it's worth the risk but at the end of the day it's entirely up to you. She doesn't need to be obese or overweight to get it.
 
Thanks for your advice. I was hoping that I wouldnt have to muzzle her, as she wasnt fond of it! But I guess you have to be cruel to be kind!

I was hoping that there was a series of events that lead up to getting it, i suppose, so that i could watch carefully......maybe not hu?? I guess if it was that simple there wouldnt be so much of it about!
 
The fat pads over the eyes are a symptom of Cushing's, not laminitis, although Cushing's can often be a precursor to the laminitis.

Well done you for considering the issue. I agree and would muzzle anyway, or fence off a smaller area. Some ponies, it has to be said, never get laminitis - but who'd run the risk of finding out?

As for the signs, once you can spot them your pony has already begun with the changes in the foot and it needs to be treated as a medical emergency. Seriously, its future depends on the speed and quality of your remedial action. The vet should be called without delay and the horse or pony immediately confined on a deep shavings bed. Feed only hay which has been soaked for at least an hour and be prepared for the long haul.
 
I too would muzzle given the amount of grass you have. Not just to guard against laminitis but also colic which is also a risk.
 
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I am pretty sure my pony will be ok

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In my experience that is a very risky thing to say! I agree with spaniel, although they look "cruel" muzzles are still often the best way to go for many horses/ponies, especially this year with lami being so prevalent even in the most unlikely horses. I have been carefully strip-grazing my horse as she is overweight and already has seedy toe so is at a higher risk of pedal bone rotation if she gets lami. Damned thing escaped a few weeks ago and pigged out, luckily she didn't get lami but she did end up mildly colicking. Since that episode, and what with one of the horses at the yard having come down with very very bad lami, ALL horses are on strict diets now. Cruel to be kind, as they say.
 
I wasnt saying that the muzzles were cruel. As I said, I do have one that she wore last year on fertilized shorter lusher grass.

They are restricted in their grass; I have fenced off a smaller area......I dont want anyone to think I am being irresponsible....

I suppose the answer to my actual question is 'No'! There are no warning signs....by the time you can see signs it is too late!
 
My lad had a very mild twinge of it last year and I found him one morning stood looking like he was having a doze. But as I got on with poo picking and chorse I noticed that he was steadily shuffling backwards until he was sort of in the middle of the field dozing. I thought this very odd behaviour for him as he usually just stands in one place near the fence to doze. I got his headcollar to bring him in to his stable and realised he was reluctant to walk. That was when I realised he had lami...it was really subtle and if I did not know him so well may have just thought he was resting.
I was damn lucky in that it was a twinge and treated easily by getting him off the grass and given some bute by the vet.
Unfortunately lami tends to either not be there or is there and it is then sort of too late...whatever happens and at whatever level, once they have it you must treat it as an emergency.
If I was in your shoes I would be going for prevention measures just to be safe. Weigh tape your horse every week at the same time to keep an eye on weight increases, perhaps use the muzzle during the day and off at night just to restrict their intake a bit. Strip graze them by moving the tape a small way each day or week.
My lad is on a grazed down area the size of about 2 tennis courts...there is only really bits to pick at rather than grazing and he has ad lib hay too. I move his fence once per week and move it by two normal steps.
Exercise is a good one to keep the weight off and there are arguements to say it helps circulation and thus prevention of lami.
Good luck, it is difficult but it really is so much better in the long run to prevent it in the first place.
By the way...my lad got it in his hind feet not the front ones too!
 
The fat pads above the eyes usually happen in conjunction with fat pads elsewhere such as tail head and the classic cresty neck. This is really a sign of insulin resistance (IR). I had my warmblood mare tested for IR, the test came back negative but she tends to have the classic signs such as cresty neck and LGL (low grade laminitis) and might be one of those horses that 'slips through the net' with the blood test as they are not always accurate. Anyway, I now feed her as if she is IR, strictly no molassed feed, grazing muzzle on at night, in during hottest part of day, extra magnesium, soaked hay to reduce sugar content.
 
i wouldnt even run the risk, please do not think becuase the grass hasnt been fertilized that it is ok.. This is not aimed at you but alot of posts i have seen over the last month have been very much "shrugged off Lammi" with the attitude of if they get it - they get it im not muzzling them
As a owner who has experienced acute Lammi in my pony i certainly would not have that attitude. I do everything i can to help and not hinder him.

Anyway signs are not always there - mine went down with acute Lammi overnight - idiot throwing grass cuttings over hedge.
But i have seen signs of swollen sheaths, and a cresty neck.
Anyway good luck
 
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