Laminitis advice please...

[MarinaBay]

I feel so guilty. I posted in here yesterday saying that I thought Angel might be in the early stages on laminitus. Well I had the farrier yesterdayand he confirmed that yes she is on the boarder of getting it. Should I et the vet?
I feel so bad as I haven't been riding her as much lately and she has put on some weight. She does just have to sniff grass to put on weight but i so should have seen this coming sooner.
She has been in the shortest paddock at all times. I just hope I have caught it in time, and that she dosn't get a full bout of it.
Farrier advised me to keep her in for 2 days then turn out at night only... he told me to do this yesterday afternoon, she has been in since. He said not to ride her for a few days is this the right sort of advice? Sorry I have never dealt with it before and panic when its my baby! Could I turn her out tonight and then bring her in tomorrow or keep her in till tomorrow evening? I have heard that stress dosn't help and she isn't to happy being in.... The other thing is I am meant to be moving yards in the next week, will that unsettle her to much causing yet more stress!
She is cresty, no pulses, slight heat from the coriner band, when he changed her shoes she did shift her weight slightly, she is a bit quieter then usual but is desperate to get out!
Sorry so many questions but I am in panic mode! This is also in New Lounge.

 

[AmyMay]

Personally I'd give the vet a buzz.

 

[sally2008]

Your best course of action has to be to call the vet immediately. Laminitis is not something to be triffled with. They will be able to answer all your questions on managing your horse during and after an attack.

Wishing you and your ned well.

 

[VLHIEASTON]

Mines just been diagnosed by vet...
Your horse needs all feed & grazing restricted immediately.
If she goes out to grass then also put a muzzle on if poss.
Do not feed her any hard feed, and when in the stable give her some hay which has been soaked overnight...so that all the nutrients are removed.
If she does get it then you need the vet to put it on ACP and quadrisol or bute.
The digital pulse is the thing to look for.
You may have just caught it in time.

 

[Annie&Amy]

Please get the vet asap, and don't turn out till vets been xxxx

 

[Tia]

C&Ped as per reply to you in Lounge.

I'd imagine the farrier is saying she is borderline because he may have seen some blood in her trimmings. That is usually one of the first signs a farrier will notice.

Turning out overnight, as has been said, is because the fructans are lower overnight than they are during the day.

If your horse is right on the cusp of having laminitis, then you stand a very good chance of dealing with it quickly and effectively. In the acute stage, she needs to be on a deep shavings bed and yes soaking her hay is the way to go.

Exercise is paramount. Even if it is just handwalking around the yard a few times a day. If the ground is uncomfortable for her to move on, then buy some Old Macs and these will give her the comfort she needs, but will also allow her the much needed movement. Exercise gets the blood circulation going in the legs and feet and this is exactly what you want to happen. To increase levels of blood circulating in the feet is your biggest chance of them self-righting; particularly at the stage you are at. So your farrier's advice is pretty much spot-on.

It would be very advisable to have a vet come check on Angel. Anti-inflams would be useful at this stage. Good luck.

 

[Cassy]

Don't delay call a very good horse vet. I lost my lovely 5 year old mare last year to laminitis it was horrible and I am so careful now. We even sent her to Robert Eustace's clinic and he operated on her but after a month she had to be put down. Such a sad loss of a very promising young horse. Looking back she was too fat and we had changed grazing. You live and learn with these things.

 

[Flame_]

It would definitely be worth you getting the vet if this horse doesn't have a laminitis history and pattern that you are used to dealing with. What you need to be doing and what treatment the horse needs depends on how bad the attack is and at what stage its at. The best person to assess in here would be the vet, then they'll tell you what you need to be doing.

I disagree with the advice to exercise the pony. While some are of the opinion that this can be beneficial it can also knacker the horse up completely and until your vet has confirmed that its the right thing to do total box rest is the way to play it safe. You can't do any harm by doing box rest, walking the pony could be totally the wrong thing to do.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
You can't do any harm by doing box rest..

[/ QUOTE ]
On the contrary you can do harm by keeping a laminitic, at the chronic and pre-acute stages, in small confined spaces. The laminae can die due to starvation of oxygen from the lack of blood. Exercise is needed to stimulate the blood getting all the way to the laminae.

As you no doubt read, my advice was to keep the pony on a deep shavings bed at the acute stage.

My little pony became part of a study and a bit of a legend at my vets. She had full blown laminitis in all 4 feet. She had rotation in front feet and was destined to die. She didn't die, and my vet and I were convinced that taking her off the wedges at the stage I did, having the farrier care for her feet every few days and taking her out for short walks with her Old Macs on, helped save her life.

Angeldelight; as has been previously said, calling your vet is advisable because right now it sounds like you have caught early and hopefully no lasting damage should be done if you take action straight away. Best of luck.