Bruised soles or laminitis?

[only_me]

Couple of weeks ago found horse in yard (Open system) reluctant to move forward on front feet. He had concussion laminitis a few years ago (v arthritic coffin joint) as Per vet but rehabed really well and hasn’t had any issues since then until couple weeks ago.

He had increased pulses and was happier on soft so treated as lami and restricted diet and no grass. Back to normal self with 3 days standing in and the past 10-12 days or so he’s been mooching about the yard and wood chip area happy as Larry.

But I’m now questioning myself if it was actual bruised soles rather than laminitis - bugger got into the field this morning and had been out probably 5 hours on grass by the time I came home. Got him back in, he cantered up the steep hill and when I checked his feet pulses were normal and both feet not hot. Moving freely and happy storming over the concrete.

what do you think?
I’m wondering is it worth putting him on a small patch of grass (old pasture field) to help the diet and reduce boredom but I don’t want to put him out onto grass too early if it was lami. experienced YO wasn’t convinced it was lami but I was treating as if it was.

 

[Lady Jane]

No one can prove either way now. I would treat as lami as its the safe option

 

[holeymoley]

Always treat as if laminitis. Especially if previously laminitic. Keeping him off grass is probably for the best.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of mine presented as laminitis so kept him in on bute then x rayed feet and they said it was very thin soles.

 

[Lady Jane]

One of mine presented as laminitis so kept him in on bute then x rayed feet and they said it was very thin soles.

What made you x-ray? Its what I would do but not everyone agrees?

 

[only_me]

Always treat as if laminitis. Especially if previously laminitic. Keeping him off grass is probably for the best.

So this is another thing I’m not 100% sure about as well, given that his previous lami was concussion cause then it’s likely that if this is a lami episode then it’s also concussion again. Therefore grass restriction wouldn’t have as much benefit other than to lose weight as theoretically it’s not the grass/sugars that have caused the initial problem?

he’s a big horse that can stand to lose a good few Kg which will benefit his joints regardless so will eventually be going out onto flat restricted grazing, it’s just when to make that leap now!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Just because they have concussion laminitis once it doesn’t follow that they will get it again. My Connie had it the other way round, normal laminitis one year and two years later concussion laminitis. Both times his treatment was the same and he was kept on box rest, deep bed, shoes off and no grass with weighed soaked hay even though last year he was fit and very lean anyway. Once they have had it they can get it again and if yours is on the heavier side and needs to lose weight then it’s probably a sugar induced flare up. Either way you need to keep him off the grass whatever the cause because you don’t want to end up with a rotation.

 

[only_me]

Just because they have concussion laminitis once it doesn’t follow that they will get it again. My Connie had it the other way round, normal laminitis one year and two years later concussion laminitis. Both times his treatment was the same and he was kept on box rest, deep bed, shoes off and no grass with weighed soaked hay even though last year he was fit and very lean anyway. Once they have had it they can get it again and if yours is on the heavier side and needs to lose weight then it’s probably a sugar induced flare up. Either way you need to keep him off the grass whatever the cause because you don’t want to end up with a rotation.

Not sure its just the sugar - he’s a retired 17hh ISH hunter type so doesn’t even fit the Kg on a standard weigh tape, even when eventing fit, I just mark at end and check the movement. He presented the same way the last time. Probably a mixture of both but his coffins are really arthritic and will only be worsening as he ages. I’ll never take his front shoes off but he’s unshod behind. He can stand to lose Kg but he’s not massive - I’ll take a pic tomorrow of him side/behind.

How did you differentiate between yours having the concussion lami and the standard one?


At the end of the day he normally lives out 24/7 and has been on the same pasture for the last 13 years so not having him on grass ever again just isn’t a practical option. I plan to strip graze him like last time on the level part of the field And slowly reintroduce back to normal grazing, which he has been on for the past 3 years with no issues. The fact that he managed to escape into the field (looks like the donkeys pushed the chain off and stressed hook to breakage) and cantered up the v. steep hill without even an increase in the foot pulse is the reason why I’m not so sure it was lami in the first instance. There was no rocking/leaning backwards it was literally reluctance to walk forwards hence I treated as such as is the safest option however if it wasn’t lami then the rehab and management is very different.

I’ll keep him bare for another couple of weeks and then slowly start to reintroduce.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

What made you x-ray? Its what I would do but not everyone agrees?

I wasn't convinced it was laminitis as he went sound so quickly the vet sort of said the same but he was so lame so it seemed like the only thing to do really.

 

[AUB]

I had exactly this scare last year. Horse presented as slightly lame on the right front leg in the spring, had increased pulsation in both front legs and both front hooves were sore when palpated. Treated as laminitis for 2 weeks as per emergency vets recommendation, but when my usual vet came out she didn’t think it was laminitis but thin soles and we tried turning out again with no issues. Horse got inserts/soles in the shoes for the summer and is now back to normal shoes and has no issues whatsoever.

So in our case it actually just was bruised/thin soles. But I would always treat as lami initially, better safe than sorry!

 

[holeymoley]

It could still have been concussion laminitis, if he’s arthritic and the ground is so hard at the moment. After all, laminitis is the inflammation of the laminae.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Connie was diagnosed by vet, he was fit and and slim but the ground was like concrete and he had torn the gel pad in his shoe and it presented in just that one foot. I initially confused it with tweaking his suspensory again as he tripped a few days before and then took a few short strides and went lame two days later but vet checked and it was fine.

Hopefully your boy just has sore feet but given he has had laminitis before it doesn’t do any harm to be cautious. As for grass mine goes out all year round although this year I have made a track as my EMS pony just can’t tolerate the grass from March to October and they have to be on the same routine.

Edit to add I have taken him out of steel and gel pads now and he is in composite shoes as they move with the foot. The difference in his movement is very noticeable.

 

[Poppy2003]

We have very similar now. Vet said possible lami so let’s be safe and treat as that but could also be arthritis or bruised soles. Initially off the grass in a tiny starvation paddock then farrier thought more likely to be joint issues and he couldn’t find any signs of active laminitis but also said let’s just be cautious. The last few days he’s had a tiny strip of grass in his paddock and still seems fine but I’ll always now remain extra cautious