Guarded prognosis

[samuelhorse]

Hi,

My beloved Samuelhorse (King and spoilt one) is broken.
He is lame, vet thinks its laminitis, xrays show pedal bone rotation and some founder - worse in near fore though cant tell me if these are new changes. I know he has had lami before i got him (my farrier informed me shortly after buying him) and has had a couple of pretty textbook mild cases in spring.

This time he hasnt warm feet and bounding pulses or pottery or finding it hard to do llittle circles on concrete - everything he usually exhibits....

Anyway done 3 weeks boxrest, soaked hay and stuff.... managed to start turning him out bit at a time and got to overnight in starvy with muzzle on....

Anyway jumped aboard this morning and was lame again, just been to see him and all four feet are quite warm, no pulses....

Is this laminitis or are vets missing something??????????/

Im miserable too, as collected insurance form from the vet, that prognosis is guarded, does that mean not going to make it and the vet hasnt told me???????

: <font color="red"> </font>

 

[Nailed]

souns like lami.. the fact he's had it before is pointing to lami and you say that the x-rays shoe pedal rotation..

Sound like laminitis.

Lou x

 

[Bossanova]

When were the x-rays taken?

Sounds like lami and I would certainly treat it as such- get straight back in on thick shavings bed and really restrict his diet. I'd also be checking with farrier about what sort of supportive shoes he'd like to use- in consultation with the vet who can show him the x-rays

 

[samuelhorse]

was hoping someone would say something different

 

[Nailed]

Nah.. id say lami..

sorry..

what did you hope it was?

Lou x

 

[samuelhorse]

Bossanove xrays were taken 2 July, his diet is restricted, looking bit thin if anything.....
will give my fantastic farrier a ring.....

Do they always have pulses though?? Usually can feel them and this time i cant...

All these what ifs are going through my head and am really worried am i doing this right for him.... So worried about him as I love him dearly and cant face anything happening to him.....

 

[Bossanova]

You may need to x-ray again then. Talk to your vet too.

What is his lameness like?

 

[samuelhorse]

not bad, just bit hobbly only when Im on him though, wore off a little as I rode up the lane at the farm, vet told me to exercise him at walk to burn glucose up once he was sound, this would have been my third ride in 4 weeks as seems perfectly sound in hand, but not so when he is ridden... so not got much riding done as doont feel it right to ride a lame horse

 

[Nailed]

no they dont always have pulses.. or lamness.. or head in the feet..

The symptoms are diffrent each case.

He is struggling to bear your weight as well as his own and this would be in keeping with pedal rotation.

LOU X

 

[samuelhorse]

[****], he was reshod last week, toe cut back but put same shoes on, they look kind oval and no groove where nails fit in , my farrier said it helped breakover. Said there was no sign of lami when he shoed him...

Am about to have a cry, am so worried.


How can he get it in a starvy with a muzzle - should i be asking for blood tests for insulin resistance/cushings etc
been in through the day with soaked hay.....

 

[Nailed]

HUM... shoes sound like eggbars.. which is an average laminitis shoe.. as is the dobbin of the toe.


if your that worried get the vet out.. if not i would have him back in on hay and water and a nice thick bed.

Lou x

 

[samuelhorse]

Hes in, so will leave him in with heap soaked hay........
If its not the grass the only other thing i gave him was a carrot??
back off the carrots just incase.....

thankyou very much Lou.

Hxx

 

[spottybotty]

definitly cut out the carrots! or any other succulants.Sounds like lammi, three weeks box rest is quite a short period of time to be starting to ride him again especially with the rotation.

 

[hellybelly6]

Poor you and poor horse.

Hopefully, he will be ok with your careful management.

x

 

[brighteyes]

Toddle into the veterinary forum - there's lots of it in there......mind have some helpful info. It might be Cushing's - how old is he?

 

[Parkranger]

oh no - can't offer any advice but hugs x

 

[Persephone]

Just to say my mare was 6 when she was diagnosed with cushings and symptoms were occult. Just unexplained laminitis.

You shouldn't normally be able to feel any pulse, but the absence of such does not mean your horse does not have Laminitis.

Good luck. It's early days so fingers crossed.

Jo x

 

[Flame_]

Sorry to hear your horse is still not right. Don't worry that the prognosis is guarded, thats just what they put when they're a bit clueless and can't make a good guess at if a horse will get better and how long it will take. Is Samuel definitely lame in more than one leg, if so laminitis is really likely. IMO heartbar shoes are usually the safest bet, they're used to treat nearly every foot problem I've come across, including laminitics, I certainly couldn't see how they could do any harm.

I look after a laminitic who while recovering from the lami suffered a severe heel abscess at the same time - just cos lami's not complicated enough - lol. He also has EMS but I wouldn't panic about that yet with your case, three weeks isn't a long time to recover from an isolated attack. It might be worth getting his bloods tested if he's got lami in spite of all your careful management though.

 

[samuelhorse]

hi, lame in hand tonight, feet cooler, but off fore and hind warmer than near side

Quite happy to stay in, now im worrying the grass will grow in the starvy while he is out...... Misunderstood another girl at the yard who i thought was happy to go in a mow down the starvy for me, now she isnt happy!

Then to top it all another livery suggested that he needed to be pts!
That he shouldnt be a pet if i cant ride him again....

Is it me or what... He isnt THAT lame and is happy in himself and eating and moving around... why do people suggest to get them shot just cos you cant ride them again.... Utter bollocks! Sorry but its hit a nerve....

 

[samuelhorse]

oh, dont know his age - just guestimate of around 16

 

[Flame_]

[ QUOTE ]

Then to top it all another livery suggested that he needed to be pts!
That he shouldnt be a pet if i cant ride him again....

Is it me or what... He isnt THAT lame and is happy in himself and eating and moving around... why do people suggest to get them shot just cos you cant ride them again.... Utter bollocks! Sorry but its hit a nerve....

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually agree with the livery, however, when the vets can't even give you a definite prognosis its far to early to be shooting him! Some people are a bit too keen to 'bite the bullet'. You can't make any decisions about shooting or retiring him when you're not even sure what's wrong with him and what the outcome will be. And if you do want him to be a pet, he's your horse so you can do what you want.

 

[Persephone]

I put my mare down at 8 years old because she couldn't even have 3 hours in a paddock without coming down with Acute Laminitis due to Cushings. If she could have been field sound and able to have 10 - 12 hours grazing a day I would have kept her in retirement. You need to think about quality of life when and if you get into that kind of situation.

Like I said, early days, try to kick back and give him some time.