is it laminitis???

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sally_and_alex

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I am really confused as what is wrong with my gorgeous boy alex...we are in corfu a small greek island where there are no equine vets or support and not alot of people to turn to for advice or help. My farrier lives on the mainland and only comes out every 6-8 weeks so is going to be a couple of weeks even until he can see him.

This is going to be a long one sorry but am really stuck as of what to do and where to go from now!! Please help!!!

Alex has been off all winter as i had to go to uk for an operation, he has been tethered and without shoes since october and looked after by a close friend with good horsey knowledge. Upon my return i brought him home and he was let loose again in his normal field and i brought him back into work slowly. After 5 days of being back i went to feed him one evening and he was stood with one front leg in the air, very lame not wanting to put any weight on it at all. If and when he put the leg down it was stretched out in front of him and all 4 hooves were kicking out a lot of heat. Straight away i thought laminitis, as he had not been on the grass all winter. There was minor swelling around the fetlock. BUT he was not standing with back legs tucked under him and only occaisionally would stand with that leg stretched out as far as possible. I spoke to 2 farriers who both thought it didn't really sound like laminitis, maybe an absess, but they weren't sure as they could not see the horse.

I took him off the grass and gave him bute for 3 days (sachet form twice a day). On the bute he was not lame but after stopping it was once again lame. i continued the bute for another 3days and this time when he came off it was not as lame but not totally sound.

I found a stable to put him in and put him on box rest for a week and a half. He seemed to be doing ok which made me think he had just hurt himself hurtling round the feild as he does. BUT then i put him out for a few hours over 2 days and by the third day he was yet again holding the leg in the air. This time i called a vet, who as all vets on the island has very little knowledge of horses but more than some others. He came out and said it was laminitis and prescribed 2 different drugs to give him in injections twice a day. Romefen 9ml 2xday for 3 days and Vifazolin 3gr 2xday for 7 days. (the vifazolin is actually a human drug) The first few days he seemed a lot better, the heat had gone in the other feet and the lame leg was only a bit hot. Today is the last day of his treatment and thismorning, yet again the leg was in the air and swollen around the fetlock and on the inside of his leg upto the knee. The knee itself is not swollen.

I am going to poultice the foot to see if there is maybe any infection to be drawn out but other than that i am totally stuck on what to do, what it is and how to fix it??????
PLEASE HELP!!!!

sally
 
It doesn't much sound like laminitis to me and the heat of the feet is not considered a very accurate diagnostic tool anymore. The stance of a horse with laminitis is very definite and in my experience with horses (I am not a vet) I wouldn't have thought a laminitic horse would pick up his foot from the floor as you describe as he would be bearing weight on the other three feet - if they were sore this would be very uncomfotable for him to do. Does he have an increased digital pulse in his foot? It sounds like it could be a infection of some sort or possibly a tendon strain and that he needs antiinflammatorys and pain killers. What do other people think?
 
Doesn't sound much like laminitis to me. Not sure what it could be - I'd be inclined to say soft tissue such as tendon or ligament if it improved with rest and bute but was worse when turned out. Also it could account for the swelling. Sorry not got any ideas what you could do. Sorry not much help.
 
Sounds very similar to the horse on our yard which has gone for x-rays today to see if it has damage to the sesamoids, or suspensory ligament. With the swelling around that area, I would be looking towards some kind of ligament/tendon damage. If the horse has been tethered all winter, then the chances of injury on turnout are probably high.
 
I can't make up my mind here whether it sounds like a foot abscess or infection - or whether it's tendon/ligament damage. All I can say is that it just doesn't sound like laminitis to me. Not much help to you, I know and I'm sorry.

Is it possible to get an equine vet to travel over from the mainland (expensive, I know - but isn't Alex worth it?)

Good luck.
 
have you checked for a pulse? dont really sound like lami but it can be really tricky sometimes a pulse would give a better idea.he wouldnt do a typical lami stance if he had it in all four feet my mare just kind of did LOTS of shifting weight.

but does sound like something else especilly with the swelling around the fetlock.

i would really try and get an equiine vet like others have said im sure hes worth it

good luck
 
I don't know much about tendon/ligament damage, so will take it as a possibilty, along with quite likely to be an abscess.
 
Just want to say that the leaning back stance is not the only symptom of laminitis. It depends on the horse. Some just go short or are reluctant to move. Legs can also get swollen. Fel for a pulse in the digital artery on the inside of the fetlock or either side of the pastern. If raised it could be laminitis. It could also be other things such as an abscess though!
 
Hi

Just had an abcess, Vet said it was an abcess but did not pull shoes as farrier was due later, farrier could not find anything and said it must be the leg, Vet came back and showed me how to find digital pluse as teddyt said and then she started to dig further then the farrier would have (blood drawn) found abcess, wet poultice, dry poultice etc. Now okay just bruised (we think-farrier again tomorrow) From what my vet told me, I would suggest hot wet animaltex poultice for 3 days changing twice a day and see if anything draws, you could always cold hose in inbetween poultices to be safe.....(check that bit with someone who knows more!).
Good luck, its really scary not knowing whats wrong.
 
I wouldnt cold hose if laminitis is still a possibility. Cold hosing will make laminitis worse by restricting blood flow to the feet further.
 
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