Hoof question re laminitis?

0ldmare

0ldmare

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My old mare had a massive and prolonged cushings related laminitis attack a while back. She's now 100% sound (at the moment anyway!) But the farrier made a comment and I want to see what you think...

He said that because her pedal bone had rotated and dropped so much the wall of the hoof will never re-attach and she will always be taking the weight on her soles from now on (which thank goodness are now as hard as nails and v v thick). But do you think that's true, they can never re-attach no matter how much they grow or how long she goes without another attack?

A bit depressing really, but she is sound and as happy as a pig in a poke so maybe I'm worrying unnecessarily...
 
I would ask the expert if I were you. Robert Eustace or Sue at the Laminitis Clinic. Cant think of the number offhand but I am sure you will find it if you google it.
Robert is the world expert on all things laminitic. A brilliant if off the wall guy! My pony spent 6 weeks with him. He had surgery on his tendons, and Robert walked him twice daily which included a visit to the kitchen for toast!!.
 
It may be that in your farrier's experience that will happen. But I don't think that is everyone's experience. Could you post photos and/or x-rays?
 
frozzy said:
I would ask the expert if I were you. Robert Eustace or Sue at the Laminitis Clinic. Cant think of the number offhand but I am sure you will find it if you google it.
Robert is the world expert on all things laminitic. A brilliant if off the wall guy! My pony spent 6 weeks with him. He had surgery on his tendons, and Robert walked him twice daily which included a visit to the kitchen for toast!!.
Click to expand...

09051051051 if the answermachine on you just have to keep trying
 
0ldmare said:
My old mare had a massive and prolonged cushings related laminitis attack a while back. She's now 100% sound (at the moment anyway!) But the farrier made a comment and I want to see what you think...

He said that because her pedal bone had rotated and dropped so much the wall of the hoof will never re-attach and she will always be taking the weight on her soles from now on (which thank goodness are now as hard as nails and v v thick). But do you think that's true, they can never re-attach no matter how much they grow or how long she goes without another attack?

A bit depressing really, but she is sound and as happy as a pig in a poke so maybe I'm worrying unnecessarily...
Click to expand...

As far as I understand it, if it is bad enough that the pedal bone has rotated and dropped it is permanent and has a very poor prognosis. :( If your horse is now sound I wouldn't imagine things we so bad that the pedal bone dropped, I wonder if your farrier saw X-rays or spoke to the vet?

I think your best course of action to understand it would be to speak to your own vet :)
 
Agree with frozzy and Noisygirl, our mare had lami very badly and the pedal bone pierced the sole. After a stay and intensive treatment cared for by Robert & Sue at the laminitis clinic she came sound and was in work for a further 10 years until developing Cushings.
 
Gosh nettle123 I can't believe your mare not only survived that but went on to work afterwards!

That's the thing, mine was x-rayed about half way through the attack and there wasn't a huge amount of rotation or dropping, but then she got a lot worse, but wasn't re-xrayed. The visiting vets kept talking about how much more the pedal bone had dropped just by sight (and the degree of hollowing where the hoof meets the leg. But nobody has actually seen inside!

My farrier (who is superb, very experienced and who has made the most enormous difference) says you can tell its dropped by the amount of separation (which is v visible)

Thanks for the phone number/suggestion re the laminitis clinic
 
Eesh sounds terrible poor mare. She's sound even with the hollowing at the coronet band?
 
Your farrier obviously hasn't been catching up on what the "barefoot" world is achieving then...

http://www.naturalhorseworld.com/Laminitis.htm

http://www.hoofrehab.com/rehabilitations1.htm

http://www.barefoothorse.com/barefoot_Founder.html

My own horse had x-rays which showed rotation but manifested in what is called boxfoot/contracted heels and is better through barefoot rehab so it isn't true that once it has rotated it will never come back even though I was told the exact same thing last year - I was also told he would have to have his entire hoof resected and even then no guarantee!!!!

Challenge that belief and let nature look after the hoof!

Here is the same hoof 7 months apart (Aug '10 - Feb 11) and now, May '11 - hoof has changed even since that photo. Anyway, just wanted to show you that it is possible and you can have a sound horse after rotation.

photo0114-1-1.jpg
 
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tallyho! said:
Your farrier obviously hasn't been catching up on what the "barefoot" world is achieving then...

http://www.naturalhorseworld.com/Laminitis.htm

http://www.hoofrehab.com/rehabilitations1.htm

http://www.barefoothorse.com/barefoot_Founder.html

My own horse had x-rays which showed rotation but manifested in what is called boxfoot/contracted heels and is better through barefoot rehab so it isn't true that once it has rotated it will never come back even though I was told the exact same thing last year - I was also told he would have to have his entire hoof resected and even then no guarantee!!!!

Challenge that belief and let nature look after the hoof!

Here is the same hoof 7 months apart (Aug '10 - Feb 11) and now, May '11 - hoof has changed even since that photo. Anyway, just wanted to show you that it is possible and you can have a sound horse after rotation.

photo0114-1-1.jpg
Click to expand...

With you Tallyho - having seen it more than once for myself I know that rotation and sinking can be reversed.
 
Thanks for the links, very interesting reading.

The only problem is I'm a bit scared to change anything since she's sound at the moment (and has been for about 4-5 weeks now). The farrier has dramatically improved the shape of her feet/angle etc but is 'old school' so probably not up on the latest thinking. They were shockingly bad before he started doing them as my old farrier went long term sick and I (wrongly) trusted his partner to continue his good work.
 
0ldmare said:
Gosh nettle123 I can't believe your mare not only survived that but went on to work afterwards!

That's the thing, mine was x-rayed about half way through the attack and there wasn't a huge amount of rotation or dropping, but then she got a lot worse, but wasn't re-xrayed. The visiting vets kept talking about how much more the pedal bone had dropped just by sight (and the degree of hollowing where the hoof meets the leg. But nobody has actually seen inside!

My farrier (who is superb, very experienced and who has made the most enormous difference) says you can tell its dropped by the amount of separation (which is v visible)

Thanks for the phone number/suggestion re the laminitis clinic
Click to expand...

Oldmare, we were so lucky and deeply grateful to all the people that helped us. Our Vet and Farrier had written our girl off and a second opinion from another practice agreed with their verdict. Our own Vet had come out to pts but before he arrived I remembered an article about the laminitis clinic where a welsh cob was bought back from the brink and made a full recovery.

The Xrays went to the Clinic and they agreed to take her. We travelled her well padded and booted and she had a resection on both front feet. She came home after around a month and was on box rest for another six being taken to the Clinic regularly for shoeing and trimming.

It was a testing time and not for the faint hearted but our mare took brilliantly to box rest home here with us even though she was a big bolshy tb/id. The first time she was ridden after her ordeal was a tearful moment.

Our Vet was certain that she had reached the end of the road and bless him, every time he came to see us for years afterwards he would pick her feet up and scrutinise them !. Obviously not every case has such a great result but its always worth referring the Xrays imho.
 
There is an alternative to resecting. It's barbaric and unnecessary. I'm glad your horse got better though nettle - that would have been the route I would have taken were it not for taking a leap of faith. So glad I didn't.
 
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