Founder prognosis - vet says pts!

Rjd84 said:
Just wanted to give an update and seek some reassurance (again!). My horse has been on prascend for 2 weeks now and the transformation has been unbelievable! He's gone from 4 bute a day to one, and is walking out of his stable sound! Have just walked him a few yards to a soft wood chip area while I muck out as he's still on box rest but he's looking very good. I can't get my head around the vets poor prognosis and his apparent speedy recovery, although I know we're not out of the woods yet! His management hasn't changed, soaked hay, deep bed, heart bar shoes with gel pad but now reduced bute and added prascend. I know founder and sinking has a poor prognosis but I'm heartened by his current movement to soundness since starting the prascend. Wondered if people had experienced similar and am I right to get my hopes up?! Thanks again for responses so far x
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OP - oh I feel for you. My mare got laminitis in March 2012 and after 3 months of boxrest she was sadly pts. She had stress laminitis and was 16.3hh and had bad founder in both fores. She seemed to start making a recovery and responding well to the pain meds, but then her sole started going necrotic in one fore and the vet said that in her opinion pts was the kindest thing. I think if the sole starts to disintegrate like that the chances of the pedal bone penetrating are high. So I would say stay positive, but realistic. Just do all you can for your horse. Good luck.
 
Hi I sadly had to put my mare to sleep after she got laminitis from metritus 3wks before she was due to foal, I found Robert Eustace a great help if you haven't already talked to him,
I hope it all works out for you
 
I thought id give an update, partly incase it helps anyone else who may come across this post in the same situation in the future. So almost 7 weeks on he's off bute, and some days strides out of his stable as if there's nothing wrong! He has the odd lame day, can't really say why but it's very up and down and heart rendering. He's still got heart bars on the fronts and a thick gel pad on the bad foot, last week farrier took off old pad and shoe and said the sole has hardened, it's no longer 'bulging' and he cannot palpate it like he could before. He has one very small bruise on his sole and that's it. He seems happy to put weight on it now and turns perfectly when walking in hand on his good days. I should say he's still on box rest, I walk him a few steps out of his stable when mucking out and that's it, but he's a live wire after all this box rest and has bucked, span round and bolted on a couple of occasions! My heart was in my mouth!
I'm hoping I can start to turn him out soon in small bare paddock once bloods are stable. Prascend appears to have worked wonders, he's very slim, less of a ganet with his food and has lost those cushingoid fatty deposits. Still cheeky and full of beans, but the lame days do eat away at the old positivity! Hoping the gel pad has continued to support his pedal bone through the odd bucks...
 
Rjd84, glad things are going well! My daughter's thoroughbred Cushings mare is now back in work and sound after developing laminitis in all four feet last Christmas. She was box rested until July and I always remember my lovely late vet telling me years ago "The longer you leave them in, the better they come out!" and that has been the case with Lizzie. She looks absolutely amazing and is SO on her toes and lively, and we're constantly getting compliments about how well she looks! I'm so pleased - I really thought we were going to lose her! Her former owner and his family, back in her pointing days, we're all set to come out and say their goodbyes to her at Christmas.........
 
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