Horse even more broken - Update from before

[Sheri]

The vet came up Friday and said she has acute Laminitis

She had her shoes off the day before that as I thought she was to be out of action for a while with her 'shoulder' she was footy (but our yard is a little gravelly) the vet came up and she walked ok in the school but was totally lame in trot.

She has the pulses, was tender with the hoof pincers and has heat in her feet but isn't leaning back, isn't overweight (although i now know they don't have to be) and is ok when you pick one up and she is leaning on the other.

She has the biggest bed ever known to man and is on tonnes of meds - was almost totally knocked out last night, the vet put hoof blocks on too and will see her again on tues - thing is I don't even know why but I'm not totally convinced it is Laminitis I just have a niggling feeling that its something else.

I am totally devastated if she does have it as it came on with no warning (unless its been building up and showing in the one leg for a while) I am a total noivce when it comes to Laminitis.

Has anyone had this mysterious onset before? The vet said it couldbe due to changes, ie going out 24/7, could be that she is in season, counld be concussion from riding and many other things that just pushed her over the edge

 

[Birker2020]

Hi Sheri. Sorry, fortunately I have no experience of laminitis but please access this link for as much info as you need regarding the subject, some of the top vets in the country write their research in it.

http://www.laminitis.org/

Good luck

 

[IsabelleJ]

So sorry to hear this

Can't help, but all the best for the future, and good luck helping her through this.

Isabelle

 

[pottamus]

My lad went hopping lame on a hind foot in 2007 overnight and it was a bit un-clear as to which one it was. Got the vet out as he was in pain when I found him in the morning...laboured breathing and a sweat on. Vet came out and identified an abbcess in one hind so cleared and drained it as usual...had a good poke about all feet as he was overweight at the time but completely ruled out laminitis.
Following the usual treatment of poultices etc the farrier came out to put the shoe back on when all healed and upon triming his hinds found evidence of mild laminitis in both hinds! Un-spotted by the vet and masked by the abcess completely. My vet seemed to think that the abcess was the last straw and that the pain and stress brought on the sore feet too, coupled with the weight and lack of exercise at the time due to me having a bad back and not riding. But it is still a bit of a mystery what caused what.

 

[Flame_]

One of works driving ponies had a weird case of laminitis.

For starters, it happened in the middle of winter, on Christmas eve. Initially he seemed lame on the left fore, mainly on turns. It was (mis?)diagnosed as an abscess. After a couple of weeks of abscess treatment with no pus coming out, shoes on and off and on again etc, he still wasn't sound.

A different vet came and he nerve blocked the left fore and the pony went lame on the right fore. Vet diagnosed laminitis. Pony went on standard laminitis treatment (box rest - which he was on anyway - bute, ACP).

Well the pony wouldn't get better. After another month or so, he was looking in more pain, he was also now lame in both back feet and he was just more uncomfortable and more miserable. We had him x-rayed repeatedly and luckily the structures inside his feet never really deteriorated, but the vets were baffled why he wouldn't improve.

As a last resort, even though the pony tested negative for cushings, the vet tried him on pergolide and he picked up within a few days. Then he worsened again. This was three months on from the initial onset of the lameness.

Anyway, the farrier came to shoe all the ponies and he had a look at this one. He said the inner heel of the pony's left fore was very painful and there might be an abscess.

After much digging, tubbing and poulticing an absolutely killer abscess burst with loads of puss. Then there was a massive improvement but its taken a year to get him totally sound, and his feet are still sensitive.

No one knows if the abscess was there all along and triggered the laminitis, or if the initial lameness was laminitis and was just mis-diagnosed, the abscess occurring later due to the inflammation and weakness in his foot. The vets have recommended leaving him on pergolide though, they think he'd get laminitis again without it and I agree.


With reference to yours, the grass is going mental at the moment with all the showers and sunny spells, that can be enough of a trigger. It could be related to an abscess or leg injury, the extra weight-bearing on the opposite leg coupled with the stress of being in and treated for the problem can be a trigger. Lots of other things could be too.

I hope your horse responds quickly to the treatment.

 

[f_s_]

One of ours had an abscess that came out through the coronary band.

Initially the vet thought laminitis, but, I just didn't think it was in this case. The vet dug and we poulticed her foot for ages, nothing.

Eventually, she was so bad, I thought that if it was laminitis I would have to have her PTS as she was shockingly bad.

Anyway, after much tearing of hair and sleepless nights, I had a different vet out. They took one look and said, abscess, and that it had travelled up, that's why it was so hard to find and diagnose.

After two days it erupted, the pony suddenly felt at lot better and went on to recover very well.

However, it did take eighteen months before the hoof grew out, and I do still watch her closely for laminitis.

I suppose, in your case, I am trying to say, if your gut instinct tells you differently, then get a second opinion, you could be right.

Good luck, and I really hope that your horse recovers soon

 

[scally]

She doesnt have to be leaning back, over weight etc etc to have laminitis. Please treat as such till you know differently, this is a life threatening illness. Hopefully it could be an abcess brewing, but very unusual in both front feet.

Laminitis is till not fully understood, and the best kept horses can get it, it can also come on within an hour, horse fine one minute, crippled the next.

You have nothing to lose it it is laminitis, if it isnt then what you are doing will help any other ailment too.

I hope it isnt for the pair of yours sake, and hugs to you and hope she is soon on her way to a speedy recovery.