Experience with Laminitis in big horses (good or bad?)

M

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Hi all

My big 16hh 22yo cob has just come down with lami after being moved on to a new field.

We spotted it relatively early and he is now in a small sand and rubber school, and off of the grass with ad lib soaked hay. He also licks a scoop full of brewers yeast and a scoop of pro hoof supplement from a bucket (no feed) as it brightens him up to think that he is getting some dinner!

He has now been in there for 5 days. For the first three he was given bute and on vets advice he has now been without it for two days and is showing no signs of the previous discomfort (restless, hot feet and slightly swollen legs) but he still has a slight pulse in all 4 legs. He walks comfortably on the sand but was still a bit footy on the harder ground when I took him out to poo pick yesterday.. a big improvement from day 1 but he is still definitely not right.

He is a really big built, muscular horse, almost as wide as he is tall!! but I can feel all of his ribs easily and I think that he would be about a 3.5 on a condition score. He is usually quite active but has just had 6 weeks off in the field due to a splint. He's also currently barefoot and has been for the past 7 years.

I'm to give the vet an update on his condition at the end of the week (unless he goes downhill of course) and he wants to test for cushings/IR as well. He has given me no real guidance on recovery time, I have never dealt with laminitis before and I just don't know what to expect.. when/if he will be better, when I'll be able to turn him out etc.

I wondered if anyone may have any stories to tell of their horses recovery (good or bad, I am prepared for all eventualities :( )

Thanks xx
 
It sounds like you caught it early and took effective action, well done.

At 22 it's good to test for both cushings/IR if either of these are the underlying reason for the attack you need to know.

Otherwise, get a restricted paddock ready for when he can go back out.
 
A success story for you.
My 16.1 shire x tb is now 23, last January she got laminitis. And it wasn't caught early enough.
I very nearly lost her. She was tested positive for cushings.

It took till the end of March to give her an hour turnout. And she didn't get over two hours turnout at all last year.
In winter I was able to up her turnout and she now has 6 and a half hours in the field a day with her muzzle on.

Yours was caught early and is already much improved after 5 days, I just thought Id give an example that a much worse case can still pull through.

I was given the advice to have 30 sound days before any turnout. And test for cushings to find out whether that was why they had the episode.
 
Mine is off grass atm during the day as he has hot feet and pulses. He's 17, 16.1 and tested negative for cushings.

I'm hoping this regime will fix him, as it worked last year, I struggle with logistics of moving him from field to paddock and giving him a buddy. This is ok to maintain mine sound, at least it was last year. :o

I also struggle with being told "but there's barely any grass on the field' despite the fact hes clearly got lami. He was sound with cold feet until Monday when he moved fields and I didn't know so now I'm playing catch up.
 
Know a 17hh one that was rather fat, and got lami aged about 9.

Had some time off in the thickly bedded stable and deep sand school, fed soaked hay, had pads under frogs and a gentle return to work. Went back to full work, no re-occurrence yet (4 years on), but they are careful about how much turnout he gets.
 
I have a 16hh Welsh Sec D who has only had one acute lami attack in his time with us. It hasn’t reoccurred (it was several years ago now) as we manage him carefully. You are lucky in that you caught it early and that you have a school to turn him out in. If he does go downhill, I would bring him straight in onto a huge bed of shavings and get the farrier out to put padding in. The problem with lami in larger horses is that their huge weight puts far more pressure on the pedal bone than in small ponies, so the risk of founder is far higher. You are doing all the right things at the moment so I won’t suggest any immediate changes. However, I will add that you should keep him off grass for longer than you would for a smaller pony. The inflammation must be completely gone so as not to endanger the pedal bone. Our boy was in with soaked hay for over a month, even though he was sound after 10 days. Watch him like a hawk, as I’m sure you are doing, and take immediate action if he worsens. When you do put him out, reintroduce very gradually and don’t be afraid to bring him in again at the slightest hint of footiness.

Not to alarm you, but once he has recovered from this attack, you must try everything to avoid it happening again – due to the aforementioned risk to their pedal bone. You will be very used to the signs – our boy now comes in the moment he is footy, and he can then go back out a few days later with no harm done. Sometimes, even coming in overnight sorts it. The key as you already know is to catch it early before the damage is done. Touch wood we have never had another attack so you can get through this.
 
Hopefully caught quickly as no shoes and def cushings test for starters.
Recovery time can be so variable, particularly if there is anything metabolic going on.
 
ester said:
Hopefully caught quickly as no shoes and def cushings test for starters.
Recovery time can be so variable, particularly if there is anything metabolic going on.
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I've been wondering this. I never used to think about lami when he had shoes on really, and to my shame he would get quite fat in the summer. Also not had lami since being barefoot since 2013, now had 2 mild bouts in 4 weeks.

He's not fat at all now, and would be in work if I could get and keep him sound! Not done much for 6 weeks now. Would exercise ( when sound obviously!) help stave off the lami as it's using up the sugars?
 
My 16hh horse had laminitis 2 years ago and tested positive for Cushings. She has been on Prascend since and has had no more signs of laminitis.
My vet said exercise would help when my fat welshie had lami.
 
My 16.1 wbx came down with it (PPID again, now on Prascend) in 2015.
He had been "footy" so I took him off the grass and kept him in my school (wood chip and rubber, so fairly supportive) but it wasn't enough - he suddenly became crippled a couple of weeks in. The Laminitis Site were incredibly helpful and the priority had to be x rays - until you can see inside you have no idea what the bones are doing. Mine had rotated and dropped slightly and so we had to support them from underneath - Styrofoam pads, deep chopped bedding and bute, with eventually heartbar shoes and then boots and pads.
He is now totally sound now, mainly thanks to TLS and my vet and trimmer, who is experienced with lammi. That said, horse is a good doer and it creeps up on you - physio was out today and said he had slight pulses, so although he has been on a track he needs stricter control of his diet, even though he is on Prascend and it isn't time for the seasonal rise in ACTH levels.
Read all they put on here - vast experience and expertise http://www.thelaminitissite.org/ . they also have a Facebook group.
I found laminitis isn't something you mess with but given the right care and management it is recoverable.
 
stencilface said:
I've been wondering this. I never used to think about lami when he had shoes on really, and to my shame he would get quite fat in the summer. Also not had lami since being barefoot since 2013, now had 2 mild bouts in 4 weeks.

He's not fat at all now, and would be in work if I could get and keep him sound! Not done much for 6 weeks now. Would exercise ( when sound obviously!) help stave off the lami as it's using up the sugars?
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SF with yours is there anything that has changed from last year to this?

I've been lucky with F really, he (fingers crossed) despite being of type has never shown any signs shod or bare (and he was grossly huge when purchased). He had dossed a previous spring and been ok but this spring - strip grazed- having been off the more lush somerset grass for 3 years he had a crest and had evidence of fat pads either side of his tail which is a bit odd for him befre belly. Needless to say he is now on rations and Mum has said it has now improved. I seem to have seen more lami reports this year and am wondering if it is to do with the weather, dry and cold for longer?
 
Well last year he had a head start at rockley til the end of March, then I started bringing him off the grass for a few days a week around May, with him having no symptoms just as a preventative.

Maybe the weather conditions just caught me out this year, plus our field really does seem half bald! The grass has barely grown at all but what is there must be rocket fuel. Definitely bareky any growth as his paddock this year which is in the same place as this year is completely bare earth. Last year it did have grass on to start with.
 
My 17.2 ISH came down with acute laminitis when he was 19. Vet was not hugely optimistic due to his size, as mentioned previously that's a lot of weight on the feet. He was padded with putty and strapped up for 2 weeks. He then went straight into boots and thick pads.
Tested for Cushings which was negative. He made a full recovery.
 
I've put a post in Horse Care & Feed asking a question about laminitis as I am still none the wiser and would like to prepare in advance should my mare ever get this condition. No one has answered it though.But I just wanted to wish you all the best, its a nasty condition but there are many horses that have got over it (with huge dedicaton on the owners part) and gone on to lead happy pain free working lives.Wishing you well.
 
Thank you very much for all of your replies. It is comforting to hear some positive stories.

My boy seems much more content tonight. Almost completely sound on the school surface and even (slightly to my dismay) trotted over to me to say hello this evening... I've been told to keep him as still as poss so A smaller paddock may be in order!!!

When did you all start exercising your ponies again? To be honest I would just be happy for him to come field sound, but I think he would need to be doing something to prevent him from gaining any more weight ��
 
It's difficult without xrays - movement improves the blood supply and encourages healing, but if the pedal bone is in any way unstable movement without proper support for it could be disastrous. Mine was sound and moving once he had heartbar shoes fitted (with leather pads to start with), they provided the support, but on TLS they are more in favour of boots and pads. Can you get x rays done?
 
JillA said:
It's difficult without xrays - movement improves the blood supply and encourages healing, but if the pedal bone is in any way unstable movement without proper support for it could be disastrous. Mine was sound and moving once he had heartbar shoes fitted (with leather pads to start with), they provided the support, but on TLS they are more in favour of boots and pads. Can you get x rays done?
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Thanks JillA

My vet had said he was happy enough to wait until he was more comfortable to take X-rays as the nearest solid flat ground (which is apparently needed) to stand him on is a walk down a very stony steep pathway that may do more harm than good. I'm supposed to be keeping him still until then which was quite easy at first but proving harder now he's feeling better!

He has then recommended a farrier to give him an appropriate trim but doesn't think that shoes are the way forward (not sure what I think, lots of folk have recommended heartbars and pads.. I just don't know!) he said he thought that the sand school should be providing him with enough support? Nothing has been mentioned about boots but I will have a look in to that now!
 
Mine came down with it last year - whether it was from the grass or because he was newly deshod for the first time in years, I don't know. He spent a lot of time in with 12 hour soaked hay, out with a muzzle etc.

This year has been easier so far due to the lack of rain. However, I have kept him muzzled at night, in during the day, pulses checked every morning at 7 a.m and if there is any hint of a pulse, I change what we are doing.

It was a horrible time last summer but I feel I am more on the ball this year so hopefully would notice it far quicker. Doormouse and I were discussing hot feet last night - there are hot feet from being in the sun and HOT feet from laminitis!! I know as long as my horse's feet are cool in the morning, he's ok from the grass he had the night before. His go ragingly hot when laminitis is involved.
 
MIne is 15.2 and got lami mildly age 25, was in on box for a good couple of months shoes off and in a really deep bed and had xrays which showed no rotation. He was diagnosed cushings Nov 15 age 36. Had osteoporosis of the pedal bone April 16 and was retired.

Contact the Laminitis trust they are really helpful, I did what they and my vet told me and he's fine age 38 now. He is muzzled when turned out during the day, in at night with hay and is fed Topspec senior lite balancer and topspec fibre plus cubes. Arab x cob
 
my 17.2h lad got it (cushings)
very strictly soaked hay, frog pads, frequent trims (every 2 weeks) and in with xrays until acute episode resolved. resolved very very quickly and xrays showed remarkable resolution, however he developed wobblers after this.
my other mare 16h got lami once- tested for cushings twice as not over weight, feet done every 5 weeks and worked 6-7x week.

exercise, diet and hoof trimming are essential for long term care.

my mare gets feet done every 5 weeks, in a pen during the day eating hay and out on a bare field during dark hours. worked 6-7 days a week. try to keep her at score 2.5/5.
my other mare goes out muzzled during the day into the field with slightly longer grass and in the bare pen at night with the laminitic mare.
the fat 16.2 lad goes in the bare field during the day and muzzled on the longer grass field overnight.
the youngster stays on the longer grass field all the time.

its musical horses!
 
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