Laminitis - Good Out Comes

Our Welsh B had laminitis quite badly before we got him (in 2005), but no ex rays were taken at the time so we don't know what rotation was present then, and we were too novice to ask that kind of question. He was sound as a pound and happy in his work so we carried on his management as his owner had and he was fine.

In late Summer 2010 we had some trouble with kids letting him out of his pen and also his own escapist tendencies and he got it again. Luckily we caught it at a very early stage, ex rays showed some rotation of the pedal bone but the vet was confident that he could return to work, literally just a little bit footy, no stancing or anything.

He came in on a deep bed for about a month with just last year's hay to eat, we didn't need to starve him or anything. He had lily pads on too, then he had heart bar shoes on the front for a few months. I believe he started with inhand walks about 3 months after the initial vet visit.

We also switched to a grazing muzzle because of the risk of his escaping or being let out of his pen, after his initial dismay he rather liked it because it meant he could be out grazing with his friends and we could also continue to restrict him through the winter, something we hadn't done previously. He is now fully sound for work but has no rider.

eta- just read some of the other replies, we never needed to starve our pony, he really didn't like soaked hay too much so we just found the poorest quality stuff we could find and gave him plenty of that. I don't think starving does anything any good.
 
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My 11.2 pony had lami and I was only 3 or 4. She looked really bad and we had to keep her inside all the time ( she did not enjoy it). We gave her a toy and hang it up. At one point she got colic and then I was terrified.
Luckily though, she was alright in the end and only had lami for 3 to 4 days.
It was terrifing but she past through it and I still have her now and she is eighting.

I hope your pony past's through it.

minnierosie
 
My boy is currently recovering from an acute attack which happened at the begining of August. He had rotation of all four pedal bones, and bloods revealed that he has cushings (he is only 13). He has been on a diet (1.5% of his body weight per day) and has lost 56 kilos, his ribs are now visible but that is the way he will have to be. He is on soaked hay (I soak for an hour in cold water as recommended by the ECIR group) a handful of happy hoof and hifi lite. Everything is weighed. I also bulk up the hay with barley straw which he eats if he is hungry. I too am confused about the vitamins and minerals. Vet said to feed equivite as he was not getting all he needed from his new diet! Good to hear other success stories, we are 5 months in and all seems good, although I check his pulses at least twice a day and constantly watch how he is walking and standing, I don't think I will ever relax, but hopefully my fear of it happening again will slightly reduce when he is back in work! Good luck.
 
My made had laminitis and I kept a blog which might be helpful http://lilylaminitis.blogspot.co.uk

Gives history and recovery, she's in another home now I believe she may have had a couple of mild flare ups but is generally fine and has a normal life ridden lots. Was such a eye opener I'm now the most paranoid person about weight just wish I had been before!
 
We have had quite a number of horses recover from laminitis in our area. in fact every one we have seen has made a good, swift recovery. We aren't vets, but following the treatment of one of our own horses some years ago where our vet recommended conventional treatment, which was declined, but supported us in a barefoot recovery program. He has sent many of his clients to us for advice.
We recommend a strict barefoot diet, foot support with pea gravel, hoof boots and pads, freedom to move.
Following an acute attack we aim to get the horse back in work in weeks.
 
Pale Rider said:
We have had quite a number of horses recover from laminitis in our area. in fact every one we have seen has made a good, swift recovery. We aren't vets, but following the treatment of one of our own horses some years ago where our vet recommended conventional treatment, which was declined, but supported us in a barefoot recovery program. He has sent many of his clients to us for advice.
We recommend a strict barefoot diet, foot support with pea gravel, hoof boots and pads, freedom to move.
Following an acute attack we aim to get the horse back in work in weeks.
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Good lord!! I didn't dare post for fear of being ridiculed, but that ^^^ is much what we do. We had a 16hh Sec D go down with laminitis and, quite honestly, it was our brilliant farrier who saved him. We also went onto a very strict barefoot diet, supported his feet with a massive bed and got him back out with freedom to move as soon as he could put all four feet to the ground.

Five years later he is out 24/7 on a large and hilly acreage and is better than he has ever been. His grazing is very restricted when the grass is lush and at those times his diet is supported with ad-lib soaked hay. We never, at any time, restricted his hay.. I believe it to be one of the worse things to do.
 
I had a Shetland left in my field a couple of years ago and she was rocking like a rocking horse, bless her. I knew the owners and spoke to them and they said she had got into my field without them knowing!!! I told them about her and they said to leave her in my field and not to call the vet out. I was shocked and called the vet out to see what was wrong. I had never come across laminitis before. She was in so much pain. She had severe laminitis and it took months of care to get her well.
I have a photo in my album on here of her and her full story on my website if you would like to read about her. Her name is, Milly!
She come on amazing. I cried many tears and went through hell with her owner and managed to get to keep her. It is possible to get them through it but it is hard work and lots of care. They are worth it!
 
vikkic said:
It would be good to here from people experience of laminitis that have had good out comes. How did you manage them, feed, xrays, farrier, how long it took to recover etc.

My pony has lami at the moment with rotation in 1 foot. He has been on box rest for 5 months, he is looking better at the moment but with lami you can never tell. He seems happy enough being in, he is not fretting, is eating well and is happy in himself.

We here about the ones that don't make it but what about the ones that do. I need some encouragement!!
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Mine was not a good outcome (lost her 4 weeks today) after the lami (July 2011- Dec 2012 over a year box rest)

Though the lami was under control after around 9 months it was the aftermath that continued

With your case:
Not knowing how much rotation or what amount of damage there is its hard


What I can say is :


At 5 months of box rest after the lami and rotation and sinking in her off fore. We had an abscess that came( its in the link in my sig under l for lami.) It was small but did a lot of damage to bone and nursing was twice a day.

my advice is on a daily basis.

  • Check your ponies coronet at least twice a day check all round for the sinking dip.
  • If you spot any tiny bits of red scabby bits or redness check with your vet.
  • Ask your vet to show you how to check for pulse increase ( if you don't know how to check)
  • Check with D&D on a tailor made diet for your ponies situation.(senior nutrition)
  • If your not already check heat daily
  • soak hay 24 hrs
  • keep a diary daily of what you did - meds used- any changes appointments
xrays etc my vet commended me for keeping mine up to date. Served as a check on when things done and what reaction we got. Through this we found out what not to give to her individual case as through the lami she got liver disease and the diary really helped.

I used the LETTS diary

there are many members who have gone through bad lami recently , some got through some not. But even us who did not make it have hands on experience on what we did.

Each case is different which is why I say take it all on board and do what you see fit for your individual case. Always run past your vet any changes.

My mare had heart bar shoes which helped no end - then she went into imprint shoes fantastic as then give more to a damaged foot.


As for cutting tendon, mine mentioned this but decided its not worth the risk. As long as good farrier work the tendon should be ok and as long as pony can stand straight and square this procedure should not be necessary.
got this advice from Andrew Pointon who invented the imprints and who was my farrier. http://www.andrew-poynton.co.uk/
Do not be railroaded by the BB. PM. if you want anything else:)


Andrew Poyton said the reason my mare only got it in one foot was her conformation , as she dished in that foot only. But grain overload ( her raiding feed store) made it go to second stage lami as her diet was wrong before.
 
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My daughters pony 'recovered' after a very severe bout back in about 2002/2003. It had got to the point after 7 months that she wasn't improving and we were just days from pts as I couldn't bare it anymore. Took her off the bute to see if there was anything different and the following day she jumped the wheel barrow while I was mucking out her stable and rolled in the wettest mud possible In Her stable rug! I have never been so relieved.

Since then she has been clear of any bouts. It's all been hard work as she jumps out her field and I now have to put the electric fence a couple of feet above the post and rail to keep her in. She has restricted grazing and a carefully monitored diet. She is barefoot and she doesn't even suffer tender feet which I still find amazing. She used to be on Founder Guard, which at the time was only available on license at the time, I took her off it and now she just has normal mineral/vit supplements. She jumped at a local level with my daughters until last summer when they decided she was outgrown but now my neice has her.

Her weight has always been the thing I have concentrated on and for the first time since going down with lami, last summer she put a bit of weight on so I am now watching her like a hawk.
 
My late mare recovered and coped fine with light work happily and she had rotation in one of her fronts. I always thought I would lose her to lami one day but actually lost her to colic, which she had never had.

She had thin soles and I did buy a pair of hoof boots which protected her on the uneven ground as she always found uneven ground harder but the hoof boots gave her a wonderful lease of life, it was wonderful. She was shod on the front with various shoes over her recovery, open toe heart bars, then we went back to normal shoes in the end
I kept her weight down, she was always on restricted grazing but did always have masses of hay instead of grass, grass always worried me with her massively although her laminitis was not down to the grass, she was on loan and they worked her hard and her feet were falling to bits, they were not showing and trimming regularly and destroyed her feet. It took years to get her feet back to normal ish.
Basically there is hope, they can come right and can have a comfortable life after.
I did I hasten to add never jump her after her diagnoses, not that we ever jumped a great deal but we did the odd jump, but still I felt that was too much strain for delicate feet post lami personally. But they can recover
 
I don't know the details (how bad it was, what feed she had etc), but one of the ponies at the yard had it and was on box rest for a long time. Fast foward a year (after she came off box rest) and she's thrashing the rest of us jumping, despite being around 12hh.

So it can be done....even if I don't know how!
 
My mini Shetland mare developed acute laminitis 5 months after moving here (Ireland) she may well have had symptoms earlier that I missed in those days.
She was treated with pain relief injection from the vet, kept in a large barn on deep bedding with a mate, fed plenty of soaked hay, small amount un molassed beet with salt and magnesium oxide added. She had oral bute twice a day for three days, reduced to one a day for a further two days then stopped as she was comfortable in the barn after three days. She was trimmed by an experienced farrier/trimmer, no shoes applied. No X Rays taken.

Over the years since she has had 4 less severe bouts all associated with either grass intake or un soaked hay it appeared. She wears styrofoam pads taped on if footy. Over the last year she has been kept off grass (yarded with mates) completely, fed soaked hay and a high spec balancer along with linseed because of her diet being grass free and she is doing fab. Even my OH has noticed how well she looks and is moving over all surfaces barefoot. She was also previously prone to severe thrush but this is now a thing of the past.

ps. I have learned to notice even very minor changes in her demeanor, movement and take action quickly and have learned that she just cannot be managed like a normal horse. I am glad for every day she is well and apparently content.
 
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amandap said:
ps. I have learned to notice even very minor changes in her demeanor, movement and take action quickly and have learned that she just cannot be managed like a normal horse. I am glad for every day she is well and apparently content.
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That's the big thing. The slightest change and if you move fast you can usually avoid another attack... but you have to know your horse well.
 
I brought a horse with lami,(he was a very over weight show cob, heart ruled my head that day!) didnt know till i got him home, had him shod and his feet bled :( i had xrays done he had rotation. He went on a extreme diet, limited turnout, bute for a few days, more xrays 6months later all was well :) fastforward to now he is now out on loan as a fun allrounder :), and enjoying life! He did have one relaspe where yo turned out on a heavy frost.
 
I have a 20 year old home bred TB/Welsh D, she had her first attack at the age of about 6 which the vet put down to stress. She was lame on and off for the next 10 years and constantly had abscesses in all 4 feet shewould go down with laminitis if anything altered around her, even if new horses arrived in the field next to hers. She was impossible to keep in as the stress of being stabled brought on an attack. It has been a long, hard and stressful experience but she is now living out 24/7 which she is happy with she has restricted grazing through the summer and she has been sound for a few years now without any laminitis bouts. It seems that finding the right situation for the individual horse is the key. I doubt she will ever work again but to be honest to see her walking comfortably and being happy in herself is all I ask for. She loves going for walks and is now able to, she has been unshod since her first bout and her feet are now looking 'normal'. I am sure many people would have called it a day years ago but I don't regret keeping her especially this week when she broke into the neighbours fields over a high bank which she managed to gallop up and jump over the falling down fencing!
 
Mine only had a mild attack (I had let him get too fat) but it has taken a couple of years to get him right again. It's only in winter that I can turn him out on a big field, the rest of the year he has a small patch to pick at, at night, and is kept in during the day.
But just a minute ago I was examining his hooves and I noticed how brilliant they were looking. A good shape, no lines, and hard as nails. I did a little happy dance round the barn...all that work and dieting has really done the trick.
 
My 23 year old welsh B got laminitis about 3 years ago, he had it severe and x rays showed slight rotation of pedal bones - honestly thought he was going to be PTS.

He had pads on his feet and bandaged (can't remember how long for) he is fully sound and never been lame since *touchwood* he could barely walk at the time

He is borderline however.
 
Mine had her first attack of laminitis in February of this year. She had severe rotation and sinking in both front feet following a delay in diagnosis from a ridiculously incompetent vet. Her pedal bone was a millimetre away from coming through the sole - the sole was convex, the outline of the pedal bone easily visible and a dip around the coronet you could put your fingers in. Nothing precipitated the attack, she wasn't turned out on grass at the time, though she did turn out to have metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance so it was more of a ticking time bomb, a history of being a very good do-er etc. She went off her feet for several days, groaning in pain, and we thought she would have to be put to sleep.

She was saved by the vet we brought in for a second opinion who padded her up, gave us dietary advice, pumped her full of metformin, x-rayed at every stage and recommended a very good farrier. She had Imprint shoes for several months and now has heart bars in front and nothing on the back.

She was able to be turned out for the first time in October and started ridden work again three weeks ago. As far as we can tell she is now going to make a full recovery. :)

As far as management goes we've almost bankrupted ourselves in order to move her off the livery yard to a private plot of land on which we are constructing our own little yard so as to have a suitable turnout system. With huge credit to the landowner who is allowing us to do so, we've been very lucky! We're putting in a couple of stables/field shelters leading out to a hardcored turnout area which in turn leads out to a field that we can divide up with electric fencing as we see fit. She can be turned out 24/7 with exactly the right access to grass depending on the time of year and other risk factors. She had a relapse on hay and is now on bagged high fibre haylage.

A little companion pony is coming from WHW also which is lovely. :D The stables go up next week, I cannot wait, it has been a long hard road for all of us and to see her fit and well on our own little bit of land will be wonderful.
 
Ladyinred said:
That's the big thing. The slightest change and if you move fast you can usually avoid another attack... but you have to know your horse well.
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Yup! This is how YO prevented another attack in the pony mentioned above. She noticed an extremely slight change in her and instantly took action. Saved the pony from more misery.
 
We feed our M&Ms barley straw rather than hay - they have it ad lib in the fields, and we haven't had any cases of laminitis, despite three very good doers, who easily get overweight. I get it from the local farmer who has a livery yard on his land. All the previously laminitic ones have it, and none have had an attack since he opened over a year ago. Ours get HiFi and speedi beet in the winter, and a handful of Hifi Lite in the summer with Feedmark's Benevit.
It works for us. We have had laminitic ponies in the past, but have sorted them all out with restricted calories and a really good farrier
 
We took on a Section A last March who had a history of Laminitis - long story short lady I know had rescued her from someone who wanted her gone as had lami & couldnt be ridden any more and successfully compete on the show circuit :eek:
Cut a long story short & we have had NO issues at all with Lami even starting to rear its head, we keep a close eye on grazing, feeding etc... Farrier keeps a good eye on her feet & she is shod without fail every 6 wks...

So from being super overweight when friend I know took her on to 10th in the RDS Lead Rein out of 28 this year ( not bad for an x Lami who lives out )

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