Illness with laminitis type symptoms?

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Stasha22

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Bit of a long shot but my vet is baffled so worth a try...

Does anyone know of any illness, other than 'typical' laminitis, that would give a horse heat and a strong digital pulse in all feet?

Any help greatly appreciated.
 
Can you tell us any more, i.e. grazing, feed. how long you have had the horse, sound? What is dung like - any difference recently or hind lameness? Tell us all about the horse in question, height, weight, work, feed, turnout, age etc. Drugs given lately?
 
Is he lame? Does he have the typical laminitic stance with his weight thrown backwards or refusing to get up at all? What makes your vet think it ISN'T laminitis? Horses can get laminitis from causes other than rich grazing and it might be worth treating it as if it IS laminitis, ie frog support, x-rays etc etc.
 
It's a long story i'm afraid! I have been posting about the situation on here quite a bit, but this is basically what has been going on...

Lotie is a 15.2, 8 yo TB mare who I have owned from a 3yr old. No history of laminitis, despite having been on very lush grazing most summers. Retired November 2007 due to severe kissing spine. Front shoes removed December 2007.

Boxing day she came in lame on right fore from field. Initial thoughts were foot sore or maybe an abcess. Few days later still no better and then she came in from the field looking wrong all over. Vet called immediately who found heat and pulse in all feet. Hospitalised and treated for laminitis. Recovered in about 2-3 days.

X-rays, bloods all normal, no signs of laminitis. She was also tested for EMS, but also normal.

After a 2 week stay, sent home from vets and advised ok to turn out. Turned out and she was crippled on right fore again, but all other feet still normal. Vet called and hospitalised again. Nerve blocks confirmed lameness in right fore foot. Still no signs of laminitis.

Heart bars fitted and sent home for 2 weeks further box rest. No signs of laminitis.

On Friday she went to O'Gormans for an MRI scan which found severe damage to collateral ligament on right fore. Kept in as need to get more images today.

Yesterday went to visit her and she has all signs of colic, digging bed, rolling, kicking at belly, lying down etc. I checked her feet as i'm paranoid, and no heat or pulse in any apart from right fore which is to be expected due to injury. This is about 1pm.

Vet looks at her again that afternoon and finds strong pulse and heat in all feet. Feels we should treat as if laminitis, so on bute and ACP.

She has had no grass for about 6 weeks, as has been on box rest since beginning of Jan, no hard feed (only Hi-Fi lite). Only drugs she has had recently are Danillon, ACP, Gastroguard and IV sedation. No change in droppings and no hind lameness thaat I am aware of.

Vet agrees that this is not typical laminitis and that there may be something going on internally to cause symptoms. I wonder if maybe something internally is malfunctioning or having a reaction to something? I don't know.

A more senior vet is looking at her this morning so he may have more ideas. Sorry this is sooo long!
 
I thought laminitis can be brought on by stress or by toxins following surgery, well by many different things..didn't this happen to FMN's Dermot? Perhaps you could PM her..it does sound quite similar. I know he went into hospital for something and ended up with laminitis. May be worth a try..
 
Stress has crossed my mind too, although that wouldn't explain the first bout which we still have no explanation for.

I just feel that 2 unexplained bouts of laminitis must be more than a coincidence? Or perhaps I am reading too much into it? I am a very stressed and worried mum at the moment!

I will send her a PM, hope she wont mind.
 
Try cutting out the Hi-fi from the diet, although alfalfa is recommended by the Laminitis Trust for laminitics, some horses just cannot tolerate this. My laminitic pony always seemed like she was on the verge of an attack (raised pulse & heat in feet). I cut out alfalfa from her diet & she improved tremendously. She is now fed on just unmolassed beet with a vit / min supplement which doesn't contain alfalfa (you'd be surprised just how many do) and hay.

It might be worthwhile getting your hay analysised - you should aim for hay with 10% or less sugar. What ever you do don't feed ryegrass hay or stalks. Alot of people think this is okay, but it usually is very high is sugars.

Has Lottie got any shoes on? Although she might not be able to tolerate nail on shoes, I would highly recommend the glue on Imprint shoes, its amazing how much more comfortable my mare was with them when she had lami.

Last suggestion is what type of bedding is Lottie on? If its straw she may be eating it & getting the equivalant of a hard feed by consuming any seed heads.

Good luck - I know how fustrating laminitis is.
 
What a worry for you. My only suggestion is maybe to try the Metabolic Yahoo Group - they have some very experienced people on there regarding metabolic issues and may be able to help.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/TheMetabolicHorse/

Either that or try this forum - it is a barefoot one, but they are very good with metabolic type issues.

http://aepauk.proboards56.com/index.cgi?

Unfortunately both you boards you have to registered with, but it may be worth a try, as there is some good information on laminitis/metabolic type issues on there.

Best of luck. Hope your mare recovers well.
 
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