Laminitis..help!

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natwood7

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My horse has been a bit uncomfortable on one foot since shoeing two weeks ago but not noticably lame. On Monday he came in hopping lame on the other foot, shoe was taken off and vet found a large bruise around nail hole. I poulticed and left him in. Yesterday he was noticably sore on other front foot, choosing to weight bear on bruised foot with no shoe on. I spoke to vet and she mentioned laminitis. The horse has never had laminitis and isn't the typical candidate..fit TB event type. Now I am panicking that he needs xrays and that the problem is really serious. To make things worse my farrier is on holiday! He is in his stable on a huge shavings bed so is comfortable but I really don't know what more to do. Hopefully the vet will come back out tonight. Any ideas..can laminitis come on this quickly and could there be bone damage already??
 
Well if the vet thinks it could be laminitis they need to come out staight away as the horse will need medicating.....
 
Any type of horse can get laminitis at any time of year...they don't have to be small, fat ponies. It can also show signs over night.
This year because of the warm and wet summer allot of horses and ponies are coming down with Laminitis.
Feel the hoof for heat, feel the back of the leg for a pulse and get your vet out.
Stop all sugar in your horses diet right away including grass and treats, even carrots and apples contain high amounts of sugar. Feed hay which has been soaked pref for 24hrs to reduce the sugars etc.
If you still need to feed your horse to mix medication then feed Happy Hoof or Healthy Hooves. Also try feeding Formula 4 Feet or Farriers Formula as that will help hoof growth and provides vits and mins to stay healthy.
Do not starve your horse as this will lead to further problems
Your vet may fit foam pads on the feet to help support the foot. They should also give you bute which will help with the pain and is an anti inflamatry and also an ACP like Sedolin.
Bed your whole stable out with a soft deep bed, idealy not straw as your horse may eat it. Shavings are normally good as it moulds around the foot.
Do not take your horse out of the stable, even for a short walk to stretch it's legs. No Walking...
Your vet may need to take an x-ray now and one in a weeks time to help monitor the rotation (if any).
The Laminitis Trust have a website whith loads of advice and the feed companys like Spillers can offer loads of feeding advice.
If your farrier is on holiday then maybe get another farrier out just to check...vets aren't feet experts but you need the vet to give the drugs!!!
I hope it is just a bruised sole or maybe an abcess but don't delay in getting the vet out.
Good Luck.
 
Thanks for that. Just waiting for vet, they weren't too concerned when I rang but i'd rather be safe than sorry. Horsie is in deep bed and is on limited feed (only has fibre based feed anyway) and is already on formula 4 feet. Hopefully he just has sore feet from nailing as this is always a problem at this time of year but will see what vet says. It is difficult to say without xrays though as symptoms will be the same whatever is wrong! farrier back next week so hopefully he'll be able to help. Planning on putting some imprints on for few months anyway so that may be the solution?!
 
Don't mess around with it. Even if turns out not to be laminitis, better safe than sorry.

Tommy started off like this and was put down this tuesday after fighting the attack for about 5 weeks. He was a big 18.3hh TB x, so not the type either! We had his lameness down to an old absess we found in one hoof, but then became lame in the other and was diagnosed with lami a week later when he couldn't get up in the field.
It's devastating..do everything you can while you can rather than.

Xrays this early wont show anything to do with the lami as most likely no rotation yet, but may show another cause for the lameness if it's not lami.
Imprints did our boy wonders and were the only things stopping his bone coming out his sole. We got them on within the first 2 days of the attack near enough.
Sadly the amount of drugs ours was on lost him.
[scroll back on new lounge 2 for tommy posts for everything withhim]

Good luck, Hope it's not serious xx
 
Binky - so sorry to hear about your boy, it is a horrible disease. The vet has been again and is happy it isn't laminitis, he believes it is just very sore soles/toes due to concussion. He has put frog supports on to make him more comfortable and to stop further bruising. We will prob put him some imprints on when farrier is back next week. Until then he is confined to his stable just to be safe!

Baby bells - No cresty neck - he is underweight if anything!
Yes digital pulses in front feet but vet says that is due to bruising.
 
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