LAMINITIS IN THE BACK FEET

[Wundahorse]

My 27 year old Arab had problems moving from behind yesterday and she eventually rooted herself to the spot which is so unlike her.Called the vet who was at first mystified by her presentation.Then he had another thought,looked at the lush grass in the paddock,noticed a fatter buttock on the left compared to the right side and immediatly thought laminitis.I had already kept her in during the day as it was too hot and there is no shelter in that paddock.Kept her in overight with no food,just water as instructed.This morning put her in the sparse paddock and within 1/2 hour her back feet were hot.She is now back in the stable where i have no doubt she may remain for a while.She has never been sick or sorry in her life so this is all a shock.Vet coming wed to take blood for metabolic syndrome as there is a company which is doing this for free.I now have one lush paddock which cannot be used and even the other one has a good layer of grass.Apart from the 3 TB's on the yard we are all being careful as never had so much grass before.Anyone had similar experiences of laminitis staring in the hinds as opposed to the front feet.I would also welcome suggestions in management,supplements etc.The irony is i have muzzled the section D and put her in during the day as i always believed she was most at risk.Fat WB is also on restricted rations.

 

[AngieandBen]

There is a lot of lamitis cases at the minute People just don't realise that although there may not look like a lot of grass they are eating it down as it grows, especially as we had a lot of wet weather followed by warm sun!

My saved paddock has grown by at least three inches in 4 weeks, so obviously this is the amount they have eaten!

I keep mine in during the day and they go out on a track system at night, a quarter acre paddock lasts the two of them unitl October by strip grazing.

Hope your horse is ok and makes a speedy recovery, I had a friend whose pony used to get it in the back feet.

Feed something like Fast Fibre with magnesium

 

[misst]

Our 28yo arab x connie has had it for the last couple of weeks in all 4 feet
She has never had it before but was diagnosed with cushings last year and is on pergolide. Like you I found her one morning planted not moving in the field. She did live out 24/7 because this is the only way she is really content. She is retired.

Vet thought we had caught it early but the longer it goes on the more I doubt it is a mild attack. We think it is probably due to the heavy rain followed by lovely sunshine 2 weeks ago causing the sugars to rise. She is not overweight at all.

We have had her locked in the field shelter with deep shavings for 2 weeks. She is on 2 bute a day, hay soaked for 24 hours and a double dose of pergolide. Vet due tomorrow. She is better at moving (taking longer strides) on the straight but still not comfy on the turns She had pulses again this morning. I do know they should not go out until sound without bute and that they need soaked hay and no grass. Ours is unshod and has been for years. Farrier has been and says her feet are still great and we won't see the changes until they grow down.

We are having a serious chat with the vet tomorrow about her future as she will not stay in happily and lives to eat the grass She is 28 and this is the first time she has ever been lame in all the 16 years we have had her
I hope yours comes sound soon but would keep in until the vet visits again and soak all your hay for 24 hours.

 

[Black_Horse_White]

Yes my section D had it mainly in his hinds. He came in and could hardly walk and kept holding them up. We thought he had hurt his back at first, he was recovered and back out hacking in just over 2 months. Luckily we caught it early and he had no rotation. Vet said he will have it in the front too but hinds were probably more painful.

 

[Rosehip]

My little one is down with Laminitis at the moment too. She and my big girl were on a 1/2 acre restriction paddock, with the shelter at one end and water at the other (long and thin) and both are a good weight. They are both on a daily dose of Laminaze (Im putting them back onto Global Herbs Lami-Prone though as I feel this is much better) and Seri showed no sign of Lami in the morning (Fri) - by 4pm she was rocking back and barely walking, raging digital pulses, but oddly no heat in her feet. She too is locked in half the field shelter (its 26foot and she is 12.2!) with my big girl being severely restricted too.
My Big girl had concussive lami last year, with her front feet being worst, but she also had pulses in her hind feet.
Good luck everyone who is battling this xx

 

[amandap]

I'm sorry to read this Wunderhorse but good on you taking action so quickly.
May I suggest she isn't starved. Please feed soaked hay 12 hour soak if possible. Starving just puts their bodies under more stress, her gut needs to be working.

Have a read here and look at the emergency diet at the bottom of the page. Longer term she will need a more nutritional diet but this is good for getting it under control. http://www.ecirhorse.com/index.php/laminitis
There's a group here too and a metabolic horse web site. for more advice.
http://pets.dir.groups.yahoo.com/gr...&t=directory&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=dir&slk=12

Restricting unsoaked hay isn't imo ideal because for one you've no idea how sugary the hay is (and believe me it can be worse than grass) and if she is restricted too much, again you have the gut insult. If she needs to loose weight 1.5% dry weight hay of her body weight should be fed in 24 hours. If she doesn't need to loose weight give what she can eat.

Sadly laminitis can be worse in back feet, one foot as well as the typical front feet.

Good luck. x

 

[Wagtail]

Agree. The horse should not be starved. I am shocked that your vet instructed this as it can cause no end of problems and not help the laminitis in the slightest. Well soaked hay is the way to go.

 

[Wundahorse]

Thanks i am not starving her now,only last night under veterinary guidance.I gave her soaked hay this morning but to be honest she is not that hungry.She's never been a greedy horse,just eats what she needs and i have to try to keep her condition on as she can be prone to losing weight as she ages.I tend to give fast fibre and she has veteran vitality which are ok for laminitis.Should i now omit the veteran chaff though as i wonder about the sugar content in this.Currently she has the dengie one,although she has had none in the last few days,just a small handful of happy hoof to give her garlic in.Funny how it presented in the back feet though,but vet said this can happen.

 

[Wagtail]

I would suspect Cushings in view of her age and the unusual presentation of the laminitis.

 

[Wundahorse]

I'm sorry to read this Wunderhorse but good on you taking action so quickly.
May I suggest she isn't starved. Please feed soaked hay 12 hour soak if possible. Starving just puts their bodies under more stress, her gut needs to be working.

Have a read here and look at the emergency diet at the bottom of the page. Longer term she will need a more nutritional diet but this is good for getting it under control. http://www.ecirhorse.com/index.php/laminitis
There's a group here too and a metabolic horse web site. for more advice.
http://pets.dir.groups.yahoo.com/gr...&t=directory&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=dir&slk=12

Restricting unsoaked hay isn't imo ideal because for one you've no idea how sugary the hay is (and believe me it can be worse than grass) and if she is restricted too much, again you have the gut insult. If she needs to loose weight 1.5% dry weight hay of her body weight should be fed in 24 hours. If she doesn't need to loose weight give what she can eat.

Sadly laminitis can be worse in back feet, one foot as well as the typical front feet.

Good luck. x

Very useful link so a big thank you for that.I have had horses all my loife but none of mine have ever had laminitis before.I have seen friends struggle with theirs though and know it needs to be carefully managed.I am just shocked it's the Arab who succumbed.Fortunatley she is the perfect patient and will be an angel to nurse.

 

[amandap]

As she is an Arab and getting older I second Wagtails advice of blood tests for both Cushings and I/R. I have been reading about a few Arabs having Cushings and the first symptom was laminitis.

 

[Wundahorse]

As she is an Arab and getting older I second Wagtails advice of blood tests for both Cushings and I/R. I have been reading about a few Arabs having Cushings and the first symptom was laminitis.

Being done wednesday as one of the companies are offering it for free aat the moment so vet arranged it today.In hindsight i should have been more vigilant as the grass,even the cropped paddocks,is still lush.Poor thing is still sore but she seems content on box rest.

 

[Pale Rider]

Laminitis can show up in hinds or fronts, one foot or all four.

The feet are only a symptom of a metabolic attack on the horses system.

I don't think you did her any favours not giving her food overnight, in fact this probably exacerbated things. She should have been on well soaked hay/haylage, as much as she wanted.

Whatever damage to the feet has been done now, she needs nothing but soaked forage, the feet should be allowed to abscess, make her comfortable on pea gravel, or failing that rubber and deep shavings.

As for the feet, if shes shod and you can get the shoes off do so. Use padded boots.

 

[Wundahorse]

Laminitis can show up in hinds or fronts, one foot or all four.

The feet are only a symptom of a metabolic attack on the horses system.

I don't think you did her any favours not giving her food overnight, in fact this probably exacerbated things. She should have been on well soaked hay/haylage, as much as she wanted.

Whatever damage to the feet has been done now, she needs nothing but soaked forage, the feet should be allowed to abscess, make her comfortable on pea gravel, or failing that rubber and deep shavings.

As for the feet, if shes shod and you can get the shoes off do so. Use padded boots.

Well i followed the vets instructions and in fact she was much more comfortable today,but obviously it will take time for her to fully recover from this episode.She has had plenty of soaked hay today and tonight,and i have one prepared for the morning.She has a plentiful bed and looks comfortable in her stable.I am lucky she's a fantastic patient.My other problem now is what to do with her companion,our WB as he hates being isolated in the back paddock which has little grass,and i don't want him tanking around,injuring himself.May be getting some electric fencing tomorrow and strip grazing,and keep him in during the day.The paddock by the stable is too lush.

 

[Pale Rider]

Well i followed the vets instructions and in fact she was much more comfortable today,but obviously it will take time for her to fully recover from this episode.She has had plenty of soaked hay today and tonight,and i have one prepared for the morning.She has a plentiful bed and looks comfortable in her stable.I am lucky she's a fantastic patient.My other problem now is what to do with her companion,our WB as he hates being isolated in the back paddock which has little grass,and i don't want him tanking around,injuring himself.May be getting some electric fencing tomorrow and strip grazing,and keep him in during the day.The paddock by the stable is too lush.

Massive flush of grass just now, I'm bringing ours into a yard in the day and feeding hay, and grazing at night when the sugar goes down. So far so good.

 

[ha903070]

My big mare (17hh hunter) is in on box at min too with laminitis - caused by the sudden grass growth :-(

She's got it on one front foot at min, came in on Thursday evening lame, is on 1/2 a bute morning and night and is pretty much sound today and digital pulse is now weak. She's getting hay, as much as she wants.

She has only ever had lami before when we have moved yards, but has been on same grazing for 3 years so it just goes to show what the wet and then suddenly very warm weather has done to the nutrients in the grass as she hasnt tolerated this change.

She's more than happy in on her own luckily, all the others are out on the grass. She is also unshod.

She will go out with her grass mask on and then in the arena on a daytime with hay and see how she gets on - once she is well enough to anyway. Hers is EMS related.