Does a pulse always mean laminitis?

asbo

asbo

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My 16.2hh idxtb 19 yr old poor doer has been stiff in his hinds more than normal the last few days, he was down in the field today and they struggled to get him up and he was reluctant to walk,but once he got moving he was ok. Hes been struggling to turn and walk backwards, he does have arthritis in all 4 legs and damaged suspensory's.

When i went to bring him in for a feed i checked his legs as normal and treated his mud fever,i noticed a pulse in one hind. Hes on 24/7 turn out, winter fields are bare but they have ad lib good quality haylage and is fed once a day on barley rings/alpha a oil/sugarbeet and his hoof and joint supplements.

Vets coming tomorrow morning,but whats the chances of him having laminitis? and how would you treat it in a retired poor doer who loses weight if not fed/haylaged
 
Well the pulse you refer to is the digital pulse..and it is always there.

If it is raised and really pulsing then that can indicate a problem....all sorts of problems, not just necessarily laminitis.

I would definitely get advice from your vet as sounds like something is going on.

Good luck - I hope all goes well :)
 
Sorry i wasnt very clear, his digital pulse is slightly raised in that one hind, having a pony already who is prone to laminitis and had laminitis last year i do worry about it,but Jay is not your average bound to get it type,hes not over weight/cresty etc, hes a poor doer who loses weight when stressed or doesnt have good grass/ad lib haylage plus hard feed.
There have been a few new members of the herd in the last few weeks and things have got heated between some of them,but Jay stays out of it.
Vets out first thing to check him,he suggested laminitis first but when Jay was a no to all the questions he asked he suggested it is possibly his arthritis getting worse? But at that point i didnt know his pulse was raised as the yard had called to say he was down in the field and struggling.
 
Ah ok....:)

Well - raised digital pulse could indicate anything - even a bruised sole.

It could well be the arthritis flaring up. I wouldn't think Laminitis in this case, but then we all think of the stereotypical fat/cresty/greedy ponies are the only ones to get laminitis. That is so not the case.

Try not to worry until you have spoken to the vet. (Easy to say I know)
It could even be the mud fever causing the raised pulse.

So this is for you to keep you going until hopefully your vet can sort you both out :D
 
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