Foundered mare

[Arabmama]

My Arab mare foundered a year ago. Shes been on and off. Past month shes been bad, I bought her Cavallo front boots for her feet they help. But still lots of pain. I started her on recovery EQ 10 days ago, I'm following the guidelines so not at full dosage yet. Seen no improvement, I have to mix it, so was using apple sauce and apple, or carrot. She stopped eating it, so now giving her like a cup of senior feed, just to mix it with. She eats it all up, but I'm worried as shes foundered so no grain etc but its only way to get recovery powder in her. Do you think the 2 cups( 1 cup 2x day) senior feed will hurt her? Shes on no grass just hay, a little crusty neck, shes lost weight since foundered last. Just trying to see if anyone has tips that's helped them with foundering horse?
Thank you

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Has she been x-rayed recently?

I would think that even in these difficult times that Vets would class a horse in pain with laminitis (any rotation?) as an emergency.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Follow your vets advice closely..definitely no apple carrots or apple sauce. Have pedal bones xrayed and supportive shoeing carried out. Deep soft bed to stand on. Use as little feed as possible to get painkiller into your pony.

 

[be positive]

I am guessing you are not in the UK, the supplement seems to be a US product which is more aimed at joint or soft tissue issues than for a horse suffering from serious laminitis, I would want it on proper medication provided by a vet and to have a serious discussion with the vet as to what options there are for treatment, to be on and off lame for 12 months and now 1 month of being worse is not really going in the right direction and some serious thought needs to be given as to whether it is fair to keep her going.

 

[Arabmama]

I am guessing you are not in the UK, the supplement seems to be a US product which is more aimed at joint or soft tissue issues than for a horse suffering from serious laminitis, I would want it on proper medication provided by a vet and to have a serious discussion with the vet as to what options there are for treatment, to be on and off lame for 12 months and now 1 month of being worse is not really going in the right direction and some serious thought needs to be given as to whether it is fair to keep her going.

 

[Arabmama]

I just started the recovery, we are hoping this helps her. Shes walking, eating, drinking. I'm not giving up on her. We fenced off what lil gras was in her pen 2 weeks ago. I was just seeing if people had ideas on what to mix with powder, or tips that helped them. I can bute her a couple times a day but thats not healing her inside, it's a bandaid solution. If she was laying down, not walking etc. I would take further measures.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I am guessing that you are the US and are using 'foundered' to mean what in UK we call laminitic. Here 'foundered' means the pedal bone has dropped through the sole.
I certainly wouldn't allow the pony to walk much. Neither should she be eating grain/cereal feeds of any kind. If you want to get medication into her syringe it in. Supplements won't be much use in a symptomatic lamiinitis case, she needs to see a vet asap and get some proper treatment.

 

[ihatework]

^^^ as per PAS - foundered or laminitis?

If foundered I’m afraid the mare would have been PTS at the first incident.

If laminitis, get off grain, get into a deeply bedded stable and call in the professionals. Test for Cushings. I’m afraid once they are on the repeat laminitis pathway the outcome is rarely good for the horse, even if they survive the quality of life is poor.

 

[holeymoley]

You need to find out what’s causing it.
If she’s been ‘on and off’ for a year then it will likely be either a dietary issue with an underlying condition or the hooves are incorrectly balanced/trimmed.