laminitis grazing muzzle

[tudor rose]

Hi my mare had laminitis a few weeks ago and is now allowed out , i'm really frantic and need to calm down lol, but am worried about just how much grass she is getting via the grazing muzzle ?? her field has been cut down to about 20ft by 20ft but the grass is so green , and not a starvation paddock as we do not have one at our yard. She is out for about 6 hours a day which has now been built up , and she isn't the type to be left in , she is 14.3 h h and 18 years old , at present not getting any exercise as farrier said leave it a few weeks more .

My vet has instructed that she is to have 12lb of hay a day and small handfull of happy hoof twice a day, and to go out with the muzzle on , however she seems a bit stiff again on her back leg, does anyone think it may be the grass she is getting which is bringing laminitis back ???

Oh and just to add insult to injury someone at the yard confessed to me the other day that they thought she was hungry and put a slice of haylage in for her ... now im panicking aaaaaarrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ....

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

It is possible,

but first question is, is the hay soaked and for how long??

if it is, then I would take her off the grass for maybe a few days or a week to see if it was that - ie if all she has is the hay etc and it improves then it might be the grass, if it stays the same then its not the grass, so maybe then its the hay or haylage.

Studies have shown that grazing muzzles which the horse isnt getting off or ripped the hole bigger, then reduce intake of grass of between 50-70% so very worthwhile. Better than restricting time out grazing as horses have been shown to compress almost a whole 12 hours worth of grazing into as little as 2 hours once they learn that 2 hours is all they will be getting each day. They are v clever! Also the muzzle helps to make them eat the older less sweet ends of the shoots, not the really sweet ones just coming out of the ground.

So your horse could have still got lami from the grass they are getting from the muzzle, but the muzzle is the best possible thing for when the grass is safe for them.

I would also put a notice on the stable door stating that horse is on a vet prescribed diet and that no feed or forage must be put in without your permission. hopefully the 'V' word will have some effect on well meaning but stupid actions.

The one thing that does ring slight alarm bell is the 20x20. If she is sound then she would poss be better on a larger area as on 20x20 the grass she is eating will be all the very youngest sweetest stuff, and for lami recovery she needs to exercise in the paddock esp if she cant be ridden yet, to help the hoof recover. So altho its a difficult balance, personally I wouldnt restrict the area so much if she is muzzled and the 'keeping in' experiment seems to show that it isnt the grass causing the lami to threaten to return (if it is then she needs to be off it altogether until it is less rich unfortunately). hope this helps.

 

[tudor rose]

Thankyou.. her hay is soaked as the vet instructed for at least an hour not overnight, iv'e only just pulled the paddock in after people up the yard were panicking saying she was hungy and am letting her have 15 min without the mask and staying with her , I consulted the vet who said this was fine.. but now panicking again since she has gone stiff on the back leg , I am going to keep her in for a couple of days to see if this makes a difference.. (the 15 mins has only been for today and yesterday ) which im now going to stop , the vet did say she can go out on a small area without the muzzle or bigger with , but i'm really not sure about this.. she still has a crest and a fat bum and a slightly loaded shoulder ,I would say her fat score is about 4 .... x

 

[sanchob]

Thankyou.. her hay is soaked as the vet instructed for at least an hour not overnight, iv'e only just pulled the paddock in after people up the yard were panicking saying she was hungy and am letting her have 15 min without the mask and staying with her , I consulted the vet who said this was fine.. but now panicking again since she has gone stiff on the back leg , I am going to keep her in for a couple of days to see if this makes a difference.. (the 15 mins has only been for today and yesterday ) which im now going to stop , the vet did say she can go out on a small area without the muzzle or bigger with , but i'm really not sure about this.. she still has a crest and a fat bum and a slightly loaded shoulder ,I would say her fat score is about 4 .... x

my pony also been diagnosed with laminitis . He has been on box rest for 3 months and is now being allowed to walk in school for 10 mins a day. He is not going to be allowed out until at least july time with a muzzle which i am sure he is going to hate...People who chuck food over doors need to be told in no uncertain terms !!! . I am in the same boat as you . we are on livery yard with no say about our grazing , but did read that they are better off out at night in summer with muzzle and in during the sunny times.i am really worried about him trying to get the muzzle off and getting hooked up .It does send you bonkers stressing about every little thing.My vet did say that as his not metabolic (we had him tested ) i have to be very careful for ever more . hope yours gets better soon . you sometimes feel that its 2 steps forward and 3 back but just have to take each day as it comes .Just to add that i do soak his hay for at least 7 hrs as it is the only way to remove the sugars from it don't think 1 hr is enough

 

[Lotty]

My girl had an attack of laminitis about 3 years ago. Touch wood she has been fine since, but I do keep her on a stict routine. I weigh and soak her hay over night, the next day these get thoroughly rinsed then I soak more during the day. I stable her at night with her soaked hay, she gets exercised every morning then turned out with a greenguard muzzle on for 5-6hours. I also get her weighed on a weigh bridge every 3months.

 

[tudor rose]

Hi thanks for all your replys.. this morning she wasn't stiff at all thank god , and has gone out . The farrier said he thinks she jus thad a touch of it as she came almost sound in 3 weeks.. as for her hay iv'e decided to soak it overnight now.........Soon we will be putting out overnight and she does have her own field so I can keep fencing down to a minimum if needed.

I wish you all good luck and seek help. there is help out there that is free,