Intermittent laminitis symptons

[wickedwilfred]

I have a Shetland who lives out all the year round (ie no restricted grass intake) with our Welsh Cob, who needs to watch her waistline, so always in well grazed fields. He can live like this all through Spring, Summer and Autumn but the problems start in Winter, when he stiffens up and has laminitis symptoms. I've looked after so many laminitis ponies over the years, that I can see this is not straightforward. If I put him on 5 days' box rest, he comes out like a racehorse and is fine for a short while, but back to stage 1 in a couple of weeks. At the moment, he is very stiff, no heat in the feet and his sheath area is covered in black gunk, which I have washed off with a Hibiscrub solution. This may be cause by lack of movement as he walks slowly and he looks uncomfortable in his hind area. His problems seem to start with the first frosts although we have had very few this year, and I can hear all the laminitis 'experts' muttering about changes in the proteins in the grass, but I am convinced that this is not the real problem otherwise he would also succumb in Spring. I think that there may be an underlying reason, but we've had him blood tested for Cushings (he's only 12) and no problems there. I wondered if this rang any bells with anyone else out there and would be grateful to hear any advice.

 

[Britestar]

Has he been tested for EMS/ IR?

 

[CazD]

My mare suffered with intermittent laminitis symptoms, always in winter. She used to recover very quickly once stabled. She turned out to have severe EMS. She was always strip grazed with the others through the summer but was quite a bully and I suspect that, come the winter, she was getting far more than her fair share of the hay put out for the herd, which probably contributed to the laminitis.

 

[Pebble101]

My horse has/had EMS - he is living out as usual at the moment. However he has lost weight since diagnosed mainly because after 5 years of retirement (injury) I have started riding him again. I read that 20 minutes exercise improves insulin sensitivity for 24 hours. He doesn't know what's hit him

I hope that for 3 months of the year he can live a normal life (frost excepted) but the rest will be combination of muzzle and strip grazing. Also I have a large winter field with loads of grass and I don't anticipate feeding hay this year as he has eaten most of what I used to put out during the winter.

 

[_HP_]

I would have him checked for EMS. Excess smegma and Laminitis are both signs of this.
It's not a disease and is reversible with diet and exercise
Is he a better weight in spring? Does he put weight on through summer and get heavier come the end of the year?
Is it definitely Laminitis and not arthritis or something like that?

Autumn/winter lami can also be a sign of Cushing's ...the test does throw false negatives and so I wouldnt rule it out just on a negative test result.
Cushings should always be diagnosed using clinical sign alongside the test. Is he showing any other signs? Abnormal sweating, hanging on to his coat for longer, a change in his coat pattern, drinking/weeing more?

This site has a lot of info you may fine helpful
http://www.thelaminitissite.org/ppid.html

 

[vanrim]

My horse are both on Prascend as they kept getting laminitis. They have had 9 negative acth tests between them. There is a more reliable test called the trh test. when mine had this test their levels were through the roof. Since being on Prascend I have had no more laminitis.

 

[wickedwilfred]

Thank you all, that information is very helpful. I hadn't thought of EMS and hadn't heard of Prascend. With his latest attack he was sweaty round his lower stomach area, but I put that down to warm weather and his rather thick coat. He does shed his coat on cue in the summer and grows his winter coat early. I will have him tested again.