lami - anything else I can do?

noblesteed

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So my horse had the vet for his annual vacc a couple of weeks ago. Vet said great to see him in good shape, he's nice and thin. He noticed he was slightly lame on a foreleg and I said farrier has cut him a bit too short this time so we though nowt of it. 2 weeks later he has come down with lami. Brought him in to ride and he looked 'off' so trotted him along the field and he was ok. Decided to leave him in as he was footy on hard rocky ground, and I thought he looked a bit 'bloated'. Over next couple of days he got more and more lame, stopped eating and looked ill though the bloatedness went, gave him bute for 2 days. Wouldn't eat his soaked hay or drink. Finally got him to eat dry hay and this made him need to drink. He was initially lame on his hind feet (he has had steroid-induced lami in them before due to hock injections) but they seem better now and he's lame on both fronts. He's been in a week on last year's dry hay, straw and TopSpec anti lam. He seems no better. He's still very lame.

Is there anything more I can do to speed up his recovery? I daren't soak his hay as he won't eat it and I don't want him colicking!
 

JillA

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Not to speed up his recovery, that is a tall order for laminitis (it normally takes months to get a whole new hoof capsule grown) but really you need x rays to know what is going on - rotation, sinking of the pedal bone, thinning of soles etc. And then deal with that - you have to know what is happening on the inside so you can rehabilitate his feet accordingly. Mine is on his 3rd set of x rays and just about coming out the other side.
And ditch the straw for something that will conform to and support his column of bone from underneath - shavings, chopped straw, chopped rape straw etc, and get some more support for if and when he needs to move. Styrofoam pads taped and vetwrapped on, or hoof boots and pads. If you don't provide that support and he is crippled lame chances are the pedal bone will penetrate the sole - the laminae are no longer up to the job of connecting it to the hoof wall.
And have a good read on here, they have a good track record of rehabilitation of laminitics http://www.thelaminitissite.org/
 

Schollym

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Despite being slim, get him checked for cushings, our pony who had episodes of laminitis and we kept on a tight regime, not fat, but still had issues. Cushings diagnosis and on medication hasn't had it since.
 

eggs

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I'm assuming that you vet has given you the usual advice of a good thick bed of shavings or something similar right to the door. Have x-Rays been taken to see if he needs the support of something like styrofoam pads?
 

Goldenstar

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What's your vet said ?
At the very least he should be wearing frog supports .
And X-rays are essential .
I hope you're not going it alone through a major lami attack .
 

Micky

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X Ray's, deep shavings bed, soaked hay, no hard feed bar low sugar/starch feed if needed, vets for bloods for ppid (cushings) and ems testing..bute in feed if you feel needed...
 

noblesteed

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Yeah I am doing all those things, aside from no x rays yet because I am not prepared to trailer him on a 60 mile round trip to the vets til he is able to walk more comfortably! Vet's on case as he has had it 4 years ago and was blood tested then but negative - vet warned me cushings reading was high end of negative so it may be rearing it's ugly head. His chopped straw bed is squishing nicely under his feet and making little slippers for him! He was standing a lot better today and moving round his stable more without any bute so fingers crossed we are over the worst. I daren't take him out of his stable onto concrete for a few more days to give him optimum healing chance. FIngers crossed I caught it before permanent damage could be done but we'll have to wait and see...
As for the hay he can't have haylage at all as it causes lami in him too! I had a delivery of better hay (he tried it and found it delicious) so hopefully if I soak that he will eat it.
 

JillA

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Get them to bring the X-ray machine to him .

This, and don't be lulled into a false sense of security. All good horse vets treat lammi as a real emergency, and it can take a long time for those laminae to recover enough to support his pedal bone adequately - and I mean weeks or months. Don't take risks, get good support for it, and without x rays you have no idea what is going on inside. The inflammation may go, and the pulses reduce but that doesn't mean the feet are safe to support themselves. Read the Laminitis site I sent you the link to. I don't mean to scare you but it is potentially life threatening.
 

Tyssandi

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So my horse had the vet for his annual vacc a couple of weeks ago. Vet said great to see him in good shape, he's nice and thin. He noticed he was slightly lame on a foreleg and I said farrier has cut him a bit too short this time so we though nowt of it. 2 weeks later he has come down with lami. Brought him in to ride and he looked 'off' so trotted him along the field and he was ok. Decided to leave him in as he was footy on hard rocky ground, and I thought he looked a bit 'bloated'. Over next couple of days he got more and more lame, stopped eating and looked ill though the bloatedness went, gave him bute for 2 days. Wouldn't eat his soaked hay or drink. Finally got him to eat dry hay and this made him need to drink. He was initially lame on his hind feet (he has had steroid-induced lami in them before due to hock injections) but they seem better now and he's lame on both fronts. He's been in a week on last year's dry hay, straw and TopSpec anti lam. He seems no better. He's still very lame.

Is there anything more I can do to speed up his recovery? I daren't soak his hay as he won't eat it and I don't want him colicking!

If he is hungry he will eat soaked hay, having lost one to Lami I would be a lot more persistent in making him having soaked hay. What is more important at this moment in time getting the lami under control or the small risk of colic?? I know which would bother me since mine is coming through his first bout of lami, he has 24hr soaked hay and only 9lbs in one day
 

Goldenstar

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When you're managing horses with problems you just ask yourself what's my biggest problem .
In OP's case the horse is clearly in the grip of a severe lami attack .
So the most important thing is to restrict the diet .
So the small risk of colic must be viewed along side the bigger risks that come with not soaking the hay .
It's also madness to keep the horse without frog supports and the X-rays need doing nowso you have idea what youre dealing with .
 

Tiddlypom

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It's also madness to keep the horse without frog supports and the X-rays need doing nowso you have idea what youre dealing with .
Your vet seems too casual about this lami attack, it's crucial for a good outcome to throw everything at it management wise from the off.

Any decent equine vet practice will have a portable x ray machine, you need images asap which will show what's happening within the foot, and how best to deal with it. Call in another practice if yours doesn't have one.

Good luck. You are dealing with an eveil disease which has been the end of many good horses.
 

eggs

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I'm surprised your vet has not brought out a portable x-Ray machine. Also I wasn't clear from your previous post whether the high end of negative Cushings test was from four years ago or from now. Again, if it was four years ago I would expect your vet to recommend another test.

Don't rule out haylage as it is lower in sugars than hay. If fact high fibre haylage is sometimes recommended for laminitis.
 

_HP_

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His whole hoof needs supporting not just the frogs. Gardneres kneeling pads are good with a hole removed where the pedal bone may be (just in front of the point of frog)
If you can't get xrays, your farrier may be able to 'read' his hoof....if his heels are long then they need taking down and a good bevel rasped all round ....pads on and box rest. He'll need trimming more regularly than usual as laminitis hooves grow quickly so shoes off is best.
Once he is comfortable enough to get xrays then make that your priority.
Old hay will still need soaking or you could try high fibre horse hage.
 

SusieT

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I wouldn't be manaigng him without bute- there's no reason for it and lami is incredibly painful
 

noblesteed

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He's had bute. Read the post! Don't talk about what is inside and outside the law either Goldenstar, that's a contentious issue in itself and could be deemed slanderous. I posted on here for advice to see if I could do anything more for MY horse that I CARE ABOUT. If I didn't give a **** and wanted to leave him suffering in pain I wouldn't bother posting for advice and waiting around for replies would I?????

He's had bute until he was OK without it. He's now walking round his stable fine 10 days after the initial attack without any anti-inflammatories other than his turmeric and rose hip which he always has for his arthritis. He is unfortunately now very stiff due to his arthritis which is another issue in itself, but I daren't walk him out yet. Farrier is coming tomorrow with various pads etc to see what will work best and then will liaise with vet as to next steps. Farrier is absolutely top notch when it comes to things like this. Thankfully he's eating the new hay, soaked so not worrying about colic any more.
 

OldNag

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Mine could never have travelled for Xrays. Vet brought machine out - several times. Vet and farrier needed the Xrays to see how much rotation and sinking had occurred, and to decide on trimming etc and to assess how much it was improving each time. She also had frog supports on 24/7 from day one. If I were you OP I would be really concerned that your vet and farrier don't have Xrays.

Lami is horrible. I hope yours nakes a good recovery, OP.
 
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