Calling Laminitis 'experts' - how best to manage it?

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BigBird146

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I've had a bit of a worry with my 13hh welsh mountain, who is unridable due to a bad knee and is just a companion pony for my other horse. As far as I know he's not had laminitis before but he was looking a bit pottery on Sunday so brought him straight in and the vet came out yesterday afternoon. By this time (about 24 hours off the the grass) he was much better on his feet and the only slight thing the vet could find was a raised pulse in the fetlocks (try as I might I could not feel it though!!)
He wasn't sure either way so we've decided to err on the side of caution and keep him off the grass for a couple more days then let him out with a muzzle on.
Sooo, my questions are (never had much experience of laminitis), how much do you need to restrict the grazing? Would he be OK with say, half his time out with no muzzle and half with muzzle. He's much happier out never having been stabled even until I got him a couple of years ago. I've tried to get in a habit of bringing them in twice a day for a feed (happy hoof only!) and leaving them in for 2-3 hours after but I was away last week and my stable lad (aka dad!) hadn't been doing this, but might this ordinarily be enough? Would you bring in/ restrict grazing more say after it rains when the grass might have a spurt of growth and for how many days after do you need to do this? Also, are there certain times of day when the grass is more 'sugary' so best avoided? I have 5 acres of very 'meadowy' grass, not at all rich, and I've had ponies and horses on it for 20 years and never had one come down with laminitis yet, but I know how bad it can be so am keen to remain vigilant and prevent it BUT also want to give poor ponio a decent quality of life as with his bad knee he doesn't get much fun so doesn't want to be couped up in a stable all day!! Just want to try and balance it really and not sure how much grass is too much.
Sorry for rambling on. There's always somthing to worry about isn't there?!
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Byt the way, I have looked at the Laminitis Trust website but find their suggestions a bit 'extreme' if you know what I mean? Maybe suitable for acute cases but my ponies is borderline/ mild.
 
Hi there
I would err on the side of caution, if he is "pottery" already with a mild raised pulse you have had a warning sign and you dont want it to progress.

Its hard to say without seeing your grazing and your pony, but I would restrict his grazing area with electric tape, or use a muzzel, and only turn out for a couple of hours a day until this flush of grass has died down or other horses not at risk have eaten it off. I would say that 5 acres of grass is too much for a pre-laminetic pony if he only has one field companion?

Grass obviously grows quickly if there is sun/rain/sun like there has been here in my area, and thats a danger time as well. Unfortunately a native pony who is not in work is going to be hard to keep weight off, do you think he is over weight? I would be really careful, bring him in as much as possible and check for digital pulses every day.

Good luck
Cassandra
p.s. Im paranoid about laminitis as I have seen the awful damage it can do
 
I'm no expert but did have a dartmoor pony who had it very badly. Ponies can eat all the grass they need in about 8 hours so putting the muzzle on for only half the day is no use. I'd put the muzzle on all the time until the spring grass has calmed down. Then as a treat let him graze in hand for 15 min after his happy hoof. It's cruel to be kind with laminitis. Once the spring is over he should be able to have more freedom again although 5 acres is a lot of grass for 1 horse & 1 pony. I have 2 16hh horses on 4.5 acres & i'm struggling to keep the weight off them at the moment!!
 
Firstly i would like to say you done the best thing by bringing him in asap and getting vet out.
My pony had Acute Lammi due to some idiot throwing grass cuttings over a hedge to him. i had no warning, one day he was fine - next morning crippled - so hence now i have to keep a close eye on him.
I would suggest muzzling when hes out. Please do not think that 1 or 2 hours without it will not harm him because trust me it will. Keep him on a balanced diet - and plenty of exercise.
I would also recommend keeping him in for a few days while he is pottery so as to not risk it.
Also (sorry to ramble on) i would recommend Epsom Salts in food once/twice a week (vet and farrier recommendation). Good luck and keep me informed.
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We are 'oop north' and reasonably high up on a clay based soil, so the grass only started to grow about 3-4 weeks ago, and still looks pretty thin and sparse to me. As I said, it's very meadowy (lots of broad leaf grasses that they don't touch) and they've been out on it all winter. He's not fat on his belly or behind his shoulders but has got a bit of a crest in the last couple of weeks. I know I'm going to have to restrict his grazing but just not sure how much and down to just a couple of hours a day seems a bit extreme! As I said he can't be excercised so mooching around the field (and having a good old play with my boy) is the only excercise and fun he has.
he was out all last summer with no problems but it was a very dry April so the grass didn't grow until a bit later.
 
would just like to add aswell that short/stressed grass is also a high risk. And the cresty neck is a good first sign that hes bordering.
 
Thanks for that, out of interest, why epsom salts? I had wondered about getting some NAF Lamineze but also noticed a couple of suggestions on here about magnesium. Just not sure what the aim of feeding these is in relation to the threat the sugar-rich grass poses?
 
Well its more of a help than a prevention. I think (cant remember) but it thins the blood flow?!.
I honestly dont believe in all these supplements, the grazing muzzle has been my boys saviour!
 
You must not think that you are being extreme by restricting the amount of grass he gets, my Shetland is a fat little pig. He lives to eat. His job is to be a companion to my TB. They are out in a field from 7am to 6pm each day. He wears a muzzle all the time he is in the field - ALL year. He gets to eat through a hole about the size of a 10p piece. He does not seem fussed about this, he accepts it. At night he gets a really small amount of hay. He is still very fat, so obviously what he manages to get through the muzzle is more than enough.

My vet actually tells me to starve him at night and lunge him. In the winter she tells me to trace clip him and provide no rugs, in the vain hope he will burn some weight off keeping warm.

He is still very fat. I worry about him constantly. The only supplement he gets is Formula4Feet which is supposed to help fat ponies. Who knows if it works.
 
Use a mask at all times, don't be tempted to give him a couple of hourse without mask & then put it on, the damage will have been done by then. Use Hi Fi Lite in his diet, my vet jokes that a horse uses more energy chewing the stuff than there actually is in it, but seriously it gives the forage without the proteins/sugars. Also have a read of as much as you can about this horrible illness, you can start here:
http://www.animed.co.uk/laminitis.htm
Good Luck with managing the problem. If managed properly there is no need for your horse ever to have an attack again. Just because a horse has has an attack once does not mean they will get it again.
 
At the moment i got Laminitis warning on my pony AND 16 year old mare,something is definitely happening this year since they have NEVER had it before..so its been strict diet(Hi-Fi Lite) bute for the mare and ButeX for the pony,and Lami Prone from Global Herbs for both of them and now when they are both sound they get daily excercise.
The key is to spot the early warning sign(s) that people are not really aware of which are - Hard and pointy crest,digital pulse,once they start to "potter"laminitis has generally already kicked in...They now go out at night and come in during the day,and neiter of them are impressed since they live out 24/7
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I have two lamanitics at home and manage them by keeping them all year round in a very small paddock during the day and in a stable at night with 1 hour soaked hay (to remove the nutrition). They are both in a paddock which is about a quarter of an acre in Winter (November - February) and one eighth of an acre in Summer (March - October).


Although overwight horses are more prone to Laminitis there is normally another additional reason that triggers it off such as an infection, Cushings Disease, stress etc.

Make sure that you worm your horses regularly and pick the poos up daily in the field. Emerging encystead small red worms can for instance cause Laminitis so worm with specific wormers at least every 12 weeks.
 
keep the muzzle on when he's out. As soon as you remove it he will gorge himself meaning the muzzle was a waste of time!!

I strip graze along with using a muzzle, and find this works well. Once he's able to, try some gentle exercise (inhand or on the lunge) to keep his weight down and him active. This should help ward off future attacks. Beware of the flush in October time too, people often get caught out on this.
 
If he were mine, I would take him off the grass completely until he is sound again (ideally a concrete yard or sand school). Then I would seriously restrict his grazing with electric tape, and simply strip graze him (tiny weeny bit each day). Id make sure he had loads of hay at all times though.
 
I would keep him in all day with a small amount of hay and a shavings bed(there is a pony at our yard who is prone, she is kept in a tiny starvation paddock all day and then is brought in to stand and eat her straw bed all night!!)and put him out at night with his muzzle on, if he is still pottery and not 100% sound then I would keep him in until he is.
Once he's sound then daily exercise, 20 mins lunge or an hours walk will keep the blood flowing through his feet.
 
Cheers guys, have formulated a plan involving a muzzle, electric fence and some new friends (sheep from a farmer friend) to help keep the grass down. Really want him out as much as poss as his bad knee stiffens up when he's stood around, and at least being out gives him a bit of excercise. He was only pottery for a day (Sunday) and is OK now but still in on yard with a few weeds to pick at and plenty of hay. Poor lad's very sorry for himself but am going to start turning him out overnight (less sugars in grass at night apparently) with the muzzle on from tonight and keep him in in the day for a few more days.
 
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