Laminitis management tips

[foxy1]

Farrier came yesterday and warned me that my pony has had a mild laminitis episode (stretched white line, but was never lame), so I need to get on the case with managing her, especially going forward in to spring.
What are the main issues dealing with laminitis these days? No grass, weight loss etc?
Thanks in advance

 

[HollyWoozle]

We keep our EMS pony on what is essentially a bare paddock - there is a tiny bit of grass he can pick at but it's not a big area and he has a companion. We feed soaked hay twice a day, weighed out and in small-hole nets to last them, and they each have a bucket twice a day. The EMS pony has just a handful of very low cal chaff with some 'lite and lean' balancer from Spillers and a little bit of milled linseed, whilst the other pony (who needs more calories) has a proper feed and they are separated until they've finished.

Thanks to the limited grazing, we have never needed to muzzle. In my experience the best thing you can do is feed no grass and substitute with soaked MEASURED forage, weighed according to your pony's weight. This website is a great resource of information, including feeding and general management advice: http://www.laminitis.org/

Of course if you are able to manage your pony's weight with some exercise then that is ideal, but to be honest I would discuss appropriate diet and exercise regime with your vet and farrier to be sure to get it right. A strict routine is absolutely key in my experience and it's a fine balance, limiting their calories whilst still ensuring they have plenty to munch on to ensure both their physical and mental health.

 

[scats]

I have a pony who got laminitis last year. We manage her by getting her weight down as much as possible over winter before spring, muzzled all spring and summer and worked as much as she can tolerate (PSD so not always easy). This winter is a bit of a nightmare as I’ve got a broken ankle so I can’t ride and I wouldn’t put anyone else on her (she was the ankle breaker and I won’t risk anyone else’s limbs!). Depending on how her weight is as we go into January, and once I’m back on my feet, she might go out to a friends place on their winter holiday field and stay there on minimal grass into spring. We are on rye here and it’s a nightmare for lami types.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would test for Ems and cushings first and foremost because if you don't treat the cause and get it under control it makes managing it really difficult.

 

[foxy1]

To be honest, she is overweight. I struggled this autumn with the late flush of grass combined with my illness which meant she was not exercised as much- would you still test for cushings/ems?

 

[holeymoley]

Blood tests. That way you can check if there's a metabolic problem that is causing it. Cushing's tests too, I do these annually in the Winter as likely to get an in-acurate reading certain times of the year - if there's EMS or such, then test annually too. Even 6months if high risk.

On a day to day basis, I muzzle. In peak grass growth months he's muzzled and on 4 hours turnout. Muzzled all year round until we get low temperatures and grass stops growing. Last year it was so mild that didn't happen but this year, once the frost lifts and temperatures stay low, he will be without a muzzle.

Hay weighed and soaked. 1.5% of ideal weight to loose weight. 2% to maintain weight. Test hay for sugar and starch levels and ideally go for un-fertilised crop. Some people avoid ryegrass, but I believe if sugar levels are low enough, ryegrass mixed with meadow/timothy is absolutely fine to feed. I soak for 1 hour for dust and reduced sugar levels- my hay is low sugar so doesn't need to be soaked for long. Just now with the icy weather, I'm feeding dry and adding in some low sugar and low calorie haylage.

Hard feed- I really like Simple Systems as if metabolic, you know exactly what's going in to them. I do a basic fibre diet of chaff and cubes then add powders on top.

Once sound- exercise.

Also farriery- ensure all hooves are well balanced.


Have gone on a bit but a subject very close to my heart as almost lost my gelding to it 4 years ago. Thankfully it's never returned and he got a full clean bill of health yesterday.

 

[shortstuff99]

Mine was kept on a dirt paddock in summer, never put out on frosty grass winter. Always soaked hay, on shavings for a bed. Never fed hard feed which had any form of sugar or grain in.

Exercised to keep slim.

 

[Sprogladite01]

I have one at home who is high risk for lami and one who has EMS and has had a couple of bouts before she came to me. We soak and weigh all hay, their turnout is extremely limited (small field, 2 hours max) and their diets have been changed accordingly (they are now on forage plus laminae plus and speedibeet, plus linseed). The EMS pony is dropping weight slowly but surely and I will up her speedibeet when I want that to level off, and up her hay to 2%. When they are in from the field, they get top chop zero or honeychop light and healthy (I am moving over from topchop to the honeychop atm). Neither of them are rugged, except when it's below zero and even then only at night - one is a welsh sec a and the other is a fjord so both quite hardy. Both have an extremely deep bed in their stables. Hay goes into hayballs or double netted small hole nets as they are both ALWAYS ravenous (even if they've just eaten).

My vet has told me you can safely go down to 1.2% with the hay weighing, but honestly I felt mean so have stuck to 1.5%. Nets are soaked and then thoroughly rinsed and left to drain before feeding (that's been a real delight with recent weather!).

My little welshie has never had lami but is very overweight - he eats everything (ate a flippin milk top the other day - he's a hoover) and I'm desperate to get weight off him. Unfortunately I can't reduce his forage any more so I'm very likely going to start hand walking him to get him moving while he's still sound. Vet is coming to do his jabs in early jan so I will get their opinion on whether to retest for PPID/EMS - he was tested last year but he's blown up like a balloon this year and it doesn't appear to be coming off!

There are a few good groups on facebook which are worth looking into. I'd honestly say the biggest challenge for me personally has been having the time to do all the hay soaking/going out constantly to top up their forage while they're in - I am super lucky in that mine are at home and I work from home, so I can go out every 3-4 hours - but I honestly don't know how people manage on livery!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

To be honest, she is overweight. I struggled this autumn with the late flush of grass combined with my illness which meant she was not exercised as much- would you still test for cushings/ems?

Yes I would ems is often caused by them being overweight so you can reverse it as such once they loose it but there are medications that can help, cushings would depend on age and if they are showing symptoms a very high percentage of laminitis cases are caused by a metabolic issue so it is definitely worth looking into.

My mare was overweight but couldn't be ridden so I struggled to keep her slim and she positive for both.

 

[Chianti]

If you can make a track for her. Then she will walk the weight off by herself.

 

[meleeka]

If you can make a track for her. Then she will walk the weight off by herself.

I wouldn’t be without my track in the summer. It’s amazing how trim it keeps my oldies.

 

[foxy1]

Unfortunately can't have a track as on livery with no flexibility from grazing point of view.
Thanks all, lots of great advice

 

[SantaVera]

There is a laminitis app you can get on your phone, tells you when the grass has high sugar content, I find it very useful.

 

[nikkimariet]

Cushings test?

I took as much sugar out of figs diet as I could - saracens fibre cubes kept the weight on him alongside linseed and chaff (he was only in hacking work the last few years I had him).

 

[Patterdale]

I have recently bought a pony who we’ve discovered is prone to laminitis after he had an attack shortly after arriving.

I cannot personally do a lifetime of measuring and soaking hay and keeping him stabled or muzzled on a postage stamp of bare earth. I don’t think it’s a nice way to live, and I also privately believe that these systems make ponies even more sensitive and susceptible to slight changes.

So far he has recovered from his attack and is sound after reducing him onto two small slow-feeder nets a day of hay instead of haylage, and one big ad-lib net of barley straw. He’s out 24/7 on 1/2 an acre which is the usual winter field.

My plan is to hunt him this winter and get him super lean (he’s only just very slightly overweight now) and take him into spring with his ribs showing and super fit. Then keep him out with the others on poor grazing. If he still has an attack I’ll test for EMS.

Maybe I will eat my words but I’m hoping this will work. Once you get on the keeping in and super restrictive regime I think it is very hard to get off.

 

[SEL]

A friend has done a cracking job with open access to a small paddock with short grass then if he's hungry he has to walk up to her yard to a net of mixed hay and straw - shifted 100kg off her cob and he actually looks slim.

My EMS one has suddenly developed a crest like a camel hump. It's literally this week because when the vet was out 7 days ago she said what great condition she was in. I have a feeling the combo of v low temperatures (raise blood sugars), no exercise and more hay than normal is the culprit. Just hoping it shrinks and there's no knock on effects