Laminitis and excerise

[Helen010382]

My pony Frodo has lami

The vet came out yesterday but has said the lami is only very very slight and we luckily have managed to catch it in the very early stages.

The vet is more concerned about Frodo's weight (he is probably classed as obese). Please don't slate me about letting my pony get fat - I have tried EVERYTHING to get his weight down. Vet is wanting to test for Equine Metabolic Syndrome as he says Frodo looks like a classic case.

Anyway, the vet has said I can start walking Frodo on grass at the weekend - obviously not far - as he says the excercise is what Frodo needs to start loosing weight as being on box rest won't help loose weight.

Now somebody has told me I shouldn't walk him for at least 3 weeks (their pony had lami - they now think they are experts..).

What would you do? My thoughts are to go with the vet (he is one of the vets from Liphook so think he knows what he is doing)


Sorry for long post - just want to do the best for my little fella.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Poor Frodo, lami really is a horrible thing

I'd go with the vets advice. He's seen the pony, and is in a position to give a professional opinion as to his treatment and rehabilitation.
Good luck with Frodo, and do let us know how he gets on.

Bethxx

 

[AmyMay]

ditto SD

 

[vix564]

People worry about the pedal bone dropping, but your vet should advise on when to start work. If he said this weekend, ride this weekend.

Sometimes they need weeks of box rest, other times they are fine just be walked out straight away. My old pony had it, first time he had to have three weeks box rest, the time after he could be ridden straight away but gently.

 

[bex1984]

A horse on the yard I'm at has it at the mo, they caught it very early. On the vet's recommendation, the horse was stabled for 5 days, and is now turned out in a small woodchip arena thingy 24/7. Vet said she'd be better out: she'd be happier and her circulation would be better and it seems to be working well for her so far.

 

[Helen010382]

Thanks guys.

I just needed a bit of reassurance that I was doing the right thing.

vix_indie - I won't be riding this weekend - Little Frodo only stands 31" so I think I would squash him!!! LOL!!!!

 

[howengold]

I go with the vet. My sj pony mare got it a few years ago and she couldn't be exercised but my friends pony was able to do what yours is. Its different in each case. Do everything according to your vet and you will be fine x

 

[brighteyes]

Trust the vet! And now go to Yahoo Groups 'themetabolichorse' for a better insight into what the vet thinks Frodo might have. There are some experts on there with practical experience and many years of coping with the disorder. Good luck and I hope he's feeling better soon. Don't punish yourself about his weight. You are not fighting a fair enemy if he has got insulin resistance or some similar thing. The normal rules don't apply and you have to get radical.

 

[MagicMelon]

I personally wouldn't exercise him until he's sound again. I can understand that he needs to begin losing weight but it's not going to make a huge difference over the next fortnight or so (at which point, hopefully he'll be sound again if its really a light case).

Is there anywhere you could turn him out on a dirt paddock? My lami pony has been on our yard which is basically just dirt (no grass at all) where she gets loads of hay. She then willingly moves about on her own all the time which is way better than forced exercise or box rest. Or even more ideal would be to turn her out on a surface like an outdoor school if you had one to yourself?

One of my (slim!) ponies got lami very very badly about 10 years ago. I was told to keep him on box rest for about 3 months, but after 3 weeks he was miserable as hell as losing weight because of it. So I had to turn him out (on a dirt paddock though) and instantly he brightened up. Vets are of course great, but only you know your pony. You should be able to tell if he's happy being walked about or not.

 

[Helen010382]

If i turn him out in the dirt paddock I know he will run and mess around so I think walking him would be better for him as I can control what he does easier.

 

[Happy Horse]

I'd sign him up to Weightwatchers

(You know I'm kidding - I can't believe you have to make my little fat friend diet

)

 

[Helen010382]

How many points do you think he is allowed a day???????

He is so miserable having to be stuck inside all the time.

Zeb's not enjoying being out on his own either - he got excided yesterday when he mistook Max (the boxer dog) as Frodo!

Your little fat friend! PMSL!!!!

 

[LusoLover]

I am no vet, but my belief is that the blood needs to be circulating to help the healing process and gentle exercise will help with this. My old pony had cushings and would frequently get mild laminitis. As long as he wasn't crippled with pain, I would continue to exercise him and the symptoms would go after a few days.
At the end of the day you know your pony best, so go with your gut instinct.

 

[Tia]

Gentle exercise certainly was paramount in the recovery of my pony when she came down with laminitis. Exercise helps the blood circulation and in my experience quickens the recovery process.

I bought little Old Macs for my pony as she found the ground too hard to walk on and they worked perfectly. Good luck.

 

[LusoLover]

Ooh yes , use of Old macs is great for Laminitics.

 

[Helen010382]

Thanks Tia - I value your opinion.

It's not going to be any major excersise - the vet said just a few mins walking on the soft grass would be fine. It doesn't help that his stable isn't the largest so its not like he can even walk around much in his box.

I am tempted to put him in a larger stable so he can move around more but last time he went into a bigger stable he freaked out. So really don't want to stress him by doing this.

How small do the Old Macs go? He does have tiny feet (He only stands 31")

 

[Tia]

I'm not sure how small they go; possibly not as small as your little guys size. They have a website which might help you: http://www.oldmacs.com/

They are really great though. My little pony had rotation and her soles were starting to drop out of the bottom of her foot, so exercise was what she needed to get everything working properly again, and thankfully it worked.

The other thing I used to do with her, although I don't know how useful this was, was to take her into the river and just stand there with her for 10 minutes or so. I started off just walking her around the farmyard and then from there moved up to going around the village. Most walks were very short to begin with and it took her a long time to get anywhere fast, but I just took it at her speed and we persevered, so she was going out for 5 minutes walks a number of times a day and then after the first week of doing this, she was able to make it around the village (about 15-20 mins) and she was doing this in super-speed!

I know everyone has different ideas of how to manage this and it may not work for every pony, but it did with mine and within about 6 weeks she was able to be ridden gently. Once she was competent on her feet again I took her out of the stable and put her in a tiny pen of about 50ft x 50ft and fed her ad-lib Dengie Hifi Lite as a hay replacer.

4 months later she was given a clean bill of health immediately prior to being flown out here to join us.

I know how horrid it is but I was desperate and did so much research on the condition and a number of times I came up with the "exercise is best" theory, so felt it was definitely worth a try. I'm so glad I did, even though plenty of people told me that I shouldn't.

Very best of luck to you and your little man.

 

[Helen010382]

[ QUOTE ]


The other thing I used to do with her, although I don't know how useful this was, was to take her into the river and just stand there with her for 10 minutes or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

I always thought that standing them in water was an old wives tale? I can remember when I was young a pony in the village spent every summer stood in the stream because of lami. (It lived to be 35+ and old age killed it before the lami did!)

Thanks for the site - will have a look.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
I always thought that standing them in water was an old wives tale?

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!! Me too! However, both vet and farrier had made some mention of it so I just decided to give it a try LOL!!

As I say, I was absolutely desperate, and at that point I was willing to try anything to bring her back from death's door.

 

[Helen010382]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I always thought that standing them in water was an old wives tale?

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!! Me too! However, both vet and farrier had made some mention of it so I just decided to give it a try LOL!!

As I say, I was absolutely desperate, and at that point I was willing to try anything to bring her back from death's door.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hopefully we haven't got to the 'deaths door' so may put it on hold at the moment! At least I won't have to find deep water - I'm sure a deep puddle will do!!! (one advantage of having midgets!!!)

 

[Tia]

LOL!!

 

[Happy Horse]

You can always stick him in the car and we'll go to the seaside!

 

[Helen010382]

[ QUOTE ]
You can always stick him in the car and we'll go to the seaside!

[/ QUOTE ]

Bognor beach has too many stones for his little feet!!

Do they allow ponies at the Witterings???

I'm sure once he is better he would love to go anyway - you could go paddling with him and get him swimming - they do say its good excercise!!!!

 

[amandaco2]

i wouldnt walk him out if he was still uncomfortable and personally i would also want to see some xrays 7-14 days after onset to check if he has had rotation.
if he is sound and comy with frog pads on then 5 mins will be beneficial but keep a close eye on his pulses etc.
obviously if he is still accute walking him will cause more damage to the laminae and could cause rotation.

 

[amandaco2]

i mean *comfy*

feeding a mixyure of soaked hay and straw was good to get the weight off my ISH.she has 4 slices of a hay over 24hours and 4 slabs of straw.she a little too slim now!

 

[Honeypots]

daughters pony had mild lami last year. She was on box rest for two weeks and then I made a small space for her out side her stable using elctric post and wire, about the size of another stable, so she could walk in and out of her stable. She used that until she was sound again (another two weeks) and then I gradually made it bigger until she could go out in the field again. (her stable is in a field BTW). She made a full recovery too.

 

[dozzie]

I had the same sort of advice. I think my pony (went down with lami in January!!! Totally caught me out!)had about ten days box rest then loads of walking. Think I also had to lunge in the arena to get weight down fast once she was sound on bute. Plus I was told exercise increases the bloodflow to the foot. My pony was fine and never suffered again.

 

[MagicMelon]

[ QUOTE ]
If i turn him out in the dirt paddock I know he will run and mess around so I think walking him would be better for him as I can control what he does easier.

[/ QUOTE ]

If he's running about then he's obviously feeling well! I don't see the harm in allowing him to do this? Exercise is very good for lami's to get the circulation going. Although I guess, the concussion wont be so good......

but he would loose weight quickly! Would he really run about the whole time? My ponies usually run about for 5 mins with the excitement then get bored of it! I just think it's best to let them exercise themselves rather than making him walk (when he may not want to some days).