bit thick----but-----gonna ask anyway!

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samuelhorse

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Ok, as some of you know my beloved Samuelhorse has a sick note, and has had one for last 2 month with ??? mild laminits.... Vet thought he would be sound enough in a couple of days after first visit 23 june to ride steady to burn glucose.... ok, anyway had equipak fitted to front feet last thursday and still not quite right- been hobbling lame till then. Jumped on him this morning, first time since equipak fitted to trot him up yard as lameness more evident with me on board and is very short in his stride ... Now is this the same as been lame (was hobbling before) Vet coming back friday and i dont want to look a numpty when he comes!
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I am slightly concerned when you say that the lameness is more evident with you on board. This indicates that there might be something else causing the lameness? all the lameness work ups I have ever done have been in hand/on lunge.

Whats he like when you trot him up? lunge on hard ground? should be able to tell pretty quickly if lame unless very low e.g. 1/10th which a lot of people never ever pick up on.
 
Sounds like you have some improvement .I always suggest clients put the beastie on a strict low calorie diet [restrict grazing as well] and for a few weeks an anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic properties such as phenoyl butazoline . Plus light exercise on softer surfaces . Regretfully it may take awhile to shift him around .I also prefer to rocker the toe during this period .Good luck to Sammy!
 
Thankyou for that - ive been saying for 8 weeks i didnt think it was laminitis, been thinking the vet has jumped to conclusion as he has had lami before and xrays show pedal bone rotation and a keratoma in the near fore which has eroded a half moon out of the tip of the pedal bone...
In hand he looks almost sound, and sometimes when i am on him he is sound, others not - ranging from hobbling lame to, like today, just very short.........
Havent lunged him, as poor boy doesnt know how too!!!!!
Feet warm, but no pulses to feel....
 
Brighteyes, yes, that is what the vet told me to do! Never got any further than about 25 feet as lame. Was told this would burn up glucose. He looks sound in hand- weird and not entirely convinced, hence getting a different vet out,,,
 
I would be more inclined to go with hock/back investigations if coming up short ridden.

Trot him up and see what he is like. do a flexion test and see how long it takes to recover. Then try and make him turn on small circle on hard ground fast so that he has to cross legs over. also try backing him up to see if he will take his weight on his back legs.

If still sound then try ridden. If noticeable difference then is more to do with the weight of the rider on his back rather than laminitis.

Try to video him so you can watch it again and see everything all together as it is hard to compare trot up to ridden unless see it all at the same time.

If all else fails, get a second opinion. I think people are rather scared of getting second opinions because vets make such a big deal about the insurance form and saying you wont be able to recover for tests twice etc. Load of nonsense. Do what you feel is right.

Thing with LGL is that there doesn have to be a noticeable pulse. Have you kept him in on a deep bed and only feed soaked hay? try that and see how he is. If he is really bad then bute for pain and call vet out ASAP even if you go to a different practice to get a second opinion. 8 weeks is a long time.
 
thankyou, will try that this morning. Sorry didnt reply lastnight, think forum went into meltdown and couldnt get back on........................................

yes hes on 12 -24 hour soaked hay and hi fi lite with vitamin supplement, and even stopped carrots and apples etc......
he has shavings down and on equimat mats.....

Hes been in a starvy since beginning of may, was being ridden (hacking 2 - 4 times a week - about 2 -3 hours a time) and leaner than ever has been in the 7 years ive had him......

One thing i have noticed is he still has some winter coat on his legs (had full clip) mainly just above hocks --- so starting to wonder about cushings etc............
 
Get the vet to test for cushings. Coats have been funny this year because of the weather. Mine are losing their summer coats already but then it was hot and now its getting darker earlier they have no idea what they should be doing.

You are doing all the right things in terms of management for laminitis. sometimes though, lgl can still occur even on bare paddocks so guess the vet just assumed it was that. a full lameness work up should have been done though, including flexion tests etc.

I know of a horse who has not had a blade of grass in 10 years as he would come down with laminitis and he also developed cushings. only way to keep him alive has been to turnout in a sand paddock and feed last year's hay. he is also fed pernamax which is supposed to be good for laminitics.

does your vet have a lameness clinic where your horse goes in for nerve blocks, x-rays etc and will be assessed by a couple of vets? I assumed that his back/pelvis etc was checked for any tenderness/tension which might lead to short stridedness when ridden?
 
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