how to keep a locked up laminitic occupied!?

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Sophstar

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My little old man came in foot sore last night and after an emergency phone call with my vet, he is now locked up for 2 weeks with the assumption of laminitis. He thought it was luxury spending the night in a stable filled up to knees in shavings with some food until he realised this morning he wasn't leaving (after attempting to make a break as i entered) and by the time i left him this evening, he was literally throwing himself at the door and this is only the end of DAY ONE!

Any suggestions on how to keep him slightly more occupied? i put my other pony in with him for 10 mins this evening so he could have a good scratch and catch up but a temper tantrum was the result when taking him away again! i've got a radio to take up as he's in a quiet part of the yard and a friend suggested putting a football in...all i can say is he will have officially climbed the door by the end of 2 weeks!:rolleyes:
 
Are you soaking his hay ,it can be put into several nets to slow down eating, you obviously cannot give the usual treats of carrots, but I pull up nettles and thistles and they can have a pick through , my pony loves nettles and he will eat them freshly picked.
 
Yep he is having his hay soaked overnight and split between 3 small nets a day and a handful of hi fi for his bute. Having his hay in a net is new to him so he's mastering throwing the net around to get the hay! I felt cruel as my cob munched on his feed bucket and carrots outside his stable but you've got to be cruel to be kind. You walk into his stable and he starts saying please with his front legs as if he's desperate for a sugar fix!
 
I find the haynet spat out of the window by my pony when she was in pony prison.
She is now sound and out in bare paddock being fed soaked hay in day but in at night.

I find a kilo of HifiLite (dengie sell a very useful measuring bucket so you dont have to weigh it) divided into about 4 small piles round the stable very good for alleviating pony boredom. Altho you might think, o no, it will get in amongst the shavings, it is that which keeps them occupied for longer, trying to eke out the last tiny particle of hifilite!
 
Depends on your yard layout, but could you fence / gate off a small area (literally size of stable) outside his stable? One of mine had bad laminitis many years ago, had to be box rested but he went mad, I ended up doing this and immediately he was so much happier. He could stand inside if he wanted or watch the world go by out.
 
slinkyunicorn said:
As many nettles as possible - act as a blood detox :)
Click to expand...

and thistles :) also maybe raspberry canes and willow (natural pain killer) if they grow near you? not sure of calorific value of them though....but if low enough then cut them and allow to semi dry then give them to him

i would say apples in water bucket but i suspect that's a no-no as too high sugar....
 
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