Laminitis Caused by Steroid

[Pinkvboots]

One of my horses had steroid put into his hooves about a month ago I have been extremely careful with his management since his on a bare field over night and in during the day with soaked hay and a handful of graze on chaff his not over weight, his out of work at the moment waiting for an mri he was booked in last week so as he had pulled one shoe off I got the farrier to take the other one off, I didn't end up taking him in the end it's long story his been without shoes before and been fine but one foot is a bit broken up around the hoof wall.

This morning I get him in and didn't like the way he walked on the concrete he just looked sligjtly footy and slightly worse on a sharp turn,so checked his pulses which I thought were stronger than normal, vet has been she is not convinced it is laminitis one foot was sore around the edge of the soles but not so much at the toe, the other one was only a bit sore on one side, we are treating him like he has laminitis but I just wanted to ask if anyone has had a horse come down with laminitis so long after steroid treatment vet has said it's normally within 2 weeks if they are going to get it, I can't think of any other reason why he would come down with it I am absolutely gutted, I am meant to be going away for 4 days on Sunday was looking forward to it and I just don't want to leave him now

 

[wkiwi]

Although corticosteroids are implicated in laminitis, there is no research to prove the link (last time i looked). Researchers have tried to reproduce laminitis by giving C/S's, but not been able to.
However, in America the courts upheld a claim that they did cause a case of laminitis, so it has become a 'thing' and the possibility is commonly mentioned.
So many many things cause laminitis (even a touch of colic that has cleared by morning) that I think it would be hard to pin-point the steroids as a cause even if the time span was closer, and usually a dose of corticosteroids has long cleared the system before this (as per clearance times for racing, though i suppose some horses could be slower processing a course of high level systemic drugs).
Don't know if this helps you or not but hopefully things will become clearer re his symptoms soon.
Note that the digital pulses will also be increased for infections etc. too, i.e. it is not diagnostic for laminitis.

 

[Beausmate]

Bruised soles could give the same symptoms. How hard is the ground where you are?

 

[Pinkvboots]

Bruised soles could give the same symptoms. How hard is the ground where you are?

it has been really hard until Sunday night when it really rained so it's a bit softer now but I suppose his been on the hard for a week without shoes, the vet did say there were a few areas he reacted to with the testers but not really the toe which is where you would normally see a reaction when it's lami

 

[Pinkvboots]

Although corticosteroids are implicated in laminitis, there is no research to prove the link (last time i looked). Researchers have tried to reproduce laminitis by giving C/S's, but not been able to.
However, in America the courts upheld a claim that they did cause a case of laminitis, so it has become a 'thing' and the possibility is commonly mentioned.
So many many things cause laminitis (even a touch of colic that has cleared by morning) that I think it would be hard to pin-point the steroids as a cause even if the time span was closer, and usually a dose of corticosteroids has long cleared the system before this (as per clearance times for racing, though i suppose some horses could be slower processing a course of high level systemic drugs).
Don't know if this helps you or not but hopefully things will become clearer re his symptoms soon.
Note that the digital pulses will also be increased for infections etc. too, i.e. it is not diagnostic for laminitis.

thank you for that information it's very helpful

 

[PorkChop]

I've had a horse come down with laminitis after having a steroid injection, however it was within a couple of days and very severe. There was no doubting what caused it.

From what you describe I don't think it has been caused by the steroids.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My mare came down with steroid induced laminitis, this was oral steroids though, on day 11 of a two week course. It presented as typical acute laminitis but she recovered very quickly from it with minimal rotation in one foot. She didn't have any more episodes.

Hope your boy is feeling better soon.

 

[wkiwi]

https://www.veterinaryevidence.org/index.php/ve/article/download/12/19

 

[Andalucian]

It's too long after the steroids for them to be the cause, if it is laminitis. The next couple of days will be telling, if normal laminitis, no grass, soaked hay, soft bed should elicit a positive response. Hope so. x

 

[Lurfy]

A few years ago my horse got steroid induced laminitis. He had 5 days of steroid injections to treat a dreadful skin reaction. On day 6 he was hobbling with an acute reaction to the steroids. Intense cryotherapy, soaked hay, box rest etc and he recovered with no rotation thank goodness. He is a big tb who now eats a low starch diet with careful management on pasture, but otherwise fine.

I should add the episode happened in Summer when the pasture was completely dried off, so it wasn't induced by grass.

I was just wondering Pinkvboots why did he have cortisone put into his hoof?

 

[Pinkvboots]

Thank you everyone I have just been outside and his pulses seem to have gone down a bit I am just hoping I have caught it very early.

 

[Lurfy]

Great news, early detection is the best . Good luck with his recovery.