Can I leave my lamanitic out all day?

4leggedfurries

4leggedfurries

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Some of you might of read at the weekend that my shetland went down with lamanitis, so have to do the usual. So he is currently in a 10m x 10m (absolute max) area, with over half of that bare earth. This part of the field is what turns to mud so very little grows there and the rest of the field just has clumps of grass that have been nibbled down to nothing. He has a haynet haging off the fence and thats it. Is it safe to keep him out in that all day? I cant put a muzzle on him as he's an itchy pony so is always scratching his face on the fence and I cant keep him in as it distresses him being away from his friend. And if I bring his friend in to keep him company the big one goes nuts!! I cant win and I cant keep all of them in just for the shetland... Please help....
 
He should be ok for future management on a bare patch.

However if he has active laminitis atm then he should be box rested on a deep bed to prevent further damage.
 
i wouldnt allow him any grass at all whilst he is acute. the short stuff is full of sugar and possibly the worst kind.....
can you surface the turnout area with sand, heavy shavings or wood chippings? he is best on a soft surface that packs up into the foot- the ground at the moment is like concrete and will be very uncomfy for him.... also sorts out the problem of the short grass if you have the area covered in sand or similar.
i would also soak his hay.
 
Surely a pony with laminitis is risking damaging the laminae if he is moving around much at all? That's why vets tell you to put them on box rest. Once the acute phase is over he should be able to go out but I wouldn't let him have any grass at all TBH. You must control his intake by feeding him measured amounts of soaked hay during the 24 hour period. Once a laminitic, always a laminitic.
 
Thistle said:
He should be ok for future management on a bare patch.

However if he has active laminitis atm then he should be box rested on a deep bed to prevent further damage.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above - even if you have to have him sedated (my mare was)

if this really isn't possible I'd take the haynet away until he is laminitis clear then let him have it. If you hav half grass this would be enough to keep his gut happy. And when my mare was allowed out the vet put fibreglass bandage on her feet to offer support
 
amandaco2 said:
i wouldnt allow him any grass at all whilst he is acute. the short stuff is full of sugar and possibly the worst kind.....
can you surface the turnout area with sand, heavy shavings or wood chippings? he is best on a soft surface that packs up into the foot- the ground at the moment is like concrete and will be very uncomfy for him.... also sorts out the problem of the short grass if you have the area covered in sand or similar.
i would also soak his hay.
Click to expand...

I'd say that filling it with woodchippings would be best. Also, by heavily covering your special t/o section by the chippings it will kill the grass, so could be useful for longer term management as well. I would not use sand as your pony may snuffle through the sand to try and get to the grass and consume some, Ingested sand will cause more problems.
 
Another concern about being out is is there enough shelter from the sun?

You say you cant bring them all in just for the shetland but if its a case of saving the shetlands life then thats what you have to do. Or borrow another pony from somewhere and they can work on shifts to be in/out so there is always someone with each horse/pony. Its obviously not good for the laminitic to get stressed as this can make the lami worse.
 
Thanks for your opinions it is appreciated. I'm just in a catch 22 situation. He's not acute, had the farrier out on sat and he said we have caught it in time, and the vet when I spoke to them didnt say he needed to be boxed rested. If I bring him in then he gets distressed, so I have to bring in his stable mate to keep him company, but then have to bring in my other one as he doesnt like being left out on his own. I cant keep all 3 of them cooped up so hence why I want to sort out a small area so that he can be outside.
 
We have our laminitic pony wandering loose in the yard all day - it is fenced, and she loves pottering between stables before they are mucked out tidying up strands of hay etc. Seems to work quite well - and she gets short periods in the field when well. Depends on your circumstances obviously, and if you have a safe yard for them to wander in, but does mean they get some exercise without the danger of the grass.
 
Speak to your local tree surgeon about wood chippings. We have just surfaced a 30x50 schooling area for free with them :D

It might help?
 
As others have said you will need to manage this VERY Carefully. At this stage I would try restrict his grass intake and movement even more. Now your shettie has developed he is likely to be more suceptable to getting more bouts of it becomming more acute than the time before.
 
My lad went down with laminitis last autumn and was getting so stressed on box rest that the vet said for his own recovery and good, he needed to be allowed to be out in a small area in front of his field stable. So I ordered a lorry load of wood chip and dumped that down in front of his stable and fenced the area off with tape. He improved greatly for the turn out and being able to eat his hay outside in the fresh air. I would recommend the wood chip...contact some tree surgeons or the council for suppliers.
My neighbours shetland regularly gets footy through laminitis and whilst I am not in agreement with their routine, they tend to leave him out and fence off a small area of the field to limit his intake...this is far from ideal as he is still eating grass and I have seen him at times lying down all day non stop when his feet have been that sore...having said that, he does recover (god knows how) and somehow comes round after a week or so...I do not agree with this method but it is just to show that pottering about in a non grass area might be ok for a laminitic shetland that cannot cope with being stabled...certainly not right for a pony or horse though!
 
The Shetland that is in my care had a reltively significant attack in January. She now potters around my yard during the day - has both stable doors open and a decent space to mooch on - a couple of small haynets dotted about the place and a small handful of pony nuts scattered on the floor which it takes her ages to snuffle about and pick for.

Every other day, she gets to go out in the field for as long as it takes me to prep water buckets and haynets and sweep up. Hopefully if this contunies to go well, we can start letting her out every day for 10 mins, and then my aim for her is to get her able to have 1 hour a day out - any more then that will be a bonus.
 
Thanks for the advice again, have spoken a couple of more people and double checked with my dad what the farrier said at the weekend and they said he would be better off outside, in the small enclosure that he is, where he will be less stressy (plus I checked my stables when I went out at lunch time and they are hotter inside than it is out, dont think that would be good for him). I have also just pootled off to the local tack shop who had a load of damaged bags of woodfibre type bedding that they have just let me have at a bargain price. I know have dad putting down an area of soft stuff so that it will take the pressure off his feet.
 
Allowing a laminitic space to move is actually better than totally restricted. they should be able to reach food and drink without much movement if they are uncomfy, so both within reach, but it is also beneficial that they can potter a little should they want to. A sand school is the best, as the sand will support the sole.
 
He should be fine, mine is, hes out 24/7 but spends all day in the bare paddock and in the field at night.
 
I think, from memory, there's something about not turning out horses on frosty mornings when the fructose (think this is what it is??) is higher in the grass than at other times.

Gosh, I know what its like with a laminitic, a real nightmare. Its such a problem to know what to do with them and you feel like tearing your hair out.

Obvious I know, but strip feeding really is the only answer if they can't/won't keep a grass muzzle on; sometimes you've gotta be cruel to be kind.
 
Sheri said:
I agree with the above - even if you have to have him sedated (my mare was)

if this really isn't possible I'd take the haynet away until he is laminitis clear then let him have it. If you hav half grass this would be enough to keep his gut happy. And when my mare was allowed out the vet put fibreglass bandage on her feet to offer support
Click to expand...

Do NOT under any circumstances take his haynet away, soak his hay for 24 hours and give him as much as he likes. It is VERY important in a laminitic that the hind gut is kept moving. Soaked hay is infinitely better for him than grass, as, by soaking it you have removed the majority of the sugars and starches, shorter grass is packed with fructans.

I would agree with the others who say keep box rested whilst he is in the acute stage, again with soaked hay, it may also be worth feeding a probiotic to help keep his gut stable. Once you turn him out, start off with very very short periods (5 mins max) and acclimatise him gradually.
 
Thanks for everything guys. He was being stripped grazed anyway as I noticed a few weeks back that him and the other native were getting porky. What I cant understand is that the shetland had lost weight and only last thursday started getting a bit pottery around the field, but was still happy enough to run around and drag me about on the lead rope, well he still does! Like I said he is in a small enclosure that has a lovely big area of soft stuff for him to stand on, soaked haynet (dont worry I have no intention of starving him, thats the worst thing you can do) and plenty of water. He's a lot happier as he can still see his friends and mooch about and at lunch time I put his friend in the little area with him for the afternoon for company and also to help keep the weight off him too (he's still being stripped grazed). All I can do now is keep an eye on him.
 
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