Laminitis - next steps help please

[emfen1305]

Bit of back story: Cob is 14 years old, diagnosed with navicular 2 years ago (not sure on what actually caused the lameness but had coffin joints medicated, shockwave and tildren but been sound since treatment, removed shoes one year ago and has been better than ever. Can be a bit iffy over the big stones but I have boots for hacking, no problem on soft ground. In work 5-6 days a week competing at novice level dressage and supposed to do first elementary this month. Ran through a full novice test on Wednesday night, filmed and sent to my instructor who didn't see any lameness or issues.

On Thursday morning he came in visibly lame on his RF from the field (11 hours after the above filming). Attempted to trot him up on the concrete but he refused to trot so took him into the arena and was the same in there. Popped his boots on and he was more willing to trot but still lame. Feet not hot, a couple of us tried to feel for pulses but couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary so put him in the stable bedded to the door and called the vet. Vet came in the afternoon, he was definitely worse, rocking back on heels before walking and couldn't turn at all. Wasn't reactive to hoof testers but vet said she could feel pulses so was 50/50 laminitis or abscess but leaning more towards laminitis due the rocking and pulses so told to give bute, soaked hay and box rest for 2 weeks.

On Friday morning I had to get him out to clip and wash his legs (he has CPL and mallenders), vet said she was happy for him to walk a short distance to wash bay as long as he wore his boots and pads as it was more detrimental to him not to have them sorted. Anyway, he walked out completely sound and no issues with turning.

Yesterday morning (Saturday) he escaped and trotted off up the yard sound, managed to retrieve him and put him back in the stable and decided to reduce bute to one a day as don't want the painkillers to mask it too much in case he's doing himself harm moving around the stable.

This evening (24 hours without bute as hadn't had his tea yet) he went to attempt another escape but caught him in time but had to bring him out to put him back in. Still absolutely no problem with turning and then had a tantrum involving some spanish riding school moves and some passage so have decided tonight will be his last bute to see if he's sound off them.

Vets said no need for xrays, blood tests or shoes and if he is sound in 2 weeks there's no reason why I can't just pick up where I left off as she says I caught it early but I don't know what to do for the best - I don't want to keep getting him out to check him and risk doing more damage but it just seems bonkers for him to be in when he is seemingly sound (although this might change without the bute) and completely fine in himself. Should I just get the x-rays this week for piece of mind to make sure there's no rotation? I am just a bit confused, I have never managed a horse with laminitis before and all of the ones I have seen have not been like this. She didn't mention if not laminitis it could be the navicular as same foot but he wasn't lame the first time round with it.

Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated and apologies for the long message!

 

[asmp]

Don’t want to read and run but seems very odd that he appeared sound so quickly if it was laminitis.

 

[meleeka]

It doesn’t sound like it was laminitis to me. Turning on tight corners is usually painful even if it’s mild. It’s also usually both fronts although one can be worse.

I think if he was mine I’d keep him off grass this week to be sure and then carry on as normal.

 

[scats]

My mare recently had a bout of laminitis and she presented as lame in one foot at first in trot, then 12 hours later she was crippled with obvious laminitis, then 24 hours later she was seemingly back to normal.
I chose to have her x-rayed and she already had 4 and 6 degree rotation.

So they can appear to make a miraculous recovery in a very short space of time, but I would be extremely cautious as it does not mean that there has been no damage done.

 

[PSD]

I would push for x rays, you can never be too cautious. There could be something else going on that you could pick up with an x ray.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It doesn't sound like laminitis mine had a similar thing happen and I x rayed and he just had very thin soles I also tested for cushings, so in your situation I would x Ray before he goes back on the grass and possibly test for ems or cushings if you expect either obviously depending on weight symptoms and so forth.

 

[emfen1305]

Thanks all - yes agree with all points, have booked him in for x-rays tomorrow to see what's going on, just hoping maybe a very bad bruise or even an abscess that's worked it's way out somehow. I am going to speak to them about EMS too!

 

[Maryann]

My mare recently had a bout of laminitis and she presented as lame in one foot at first in trot, then 12 hours later she was crippled with obvious laminitis, then 24 hours later she was seemingly back to normal.
I chose to have her x-rayed and she already had 4 and 6 degree rotation.

So they can appear to make a miraculous recovery in a very short space of time, but I would be extremely cautious as it does not mean that there has been no damage done.

I had a very similiar experience. Turned the horse into a large deep litter pen to potter gently (on farrier's instructions) and he fell over and injured his shoulder fly bucking. He could barely move 48 hours earlier. It was laminitis and he had some rotation.

 

[emfen1305]

Vets called this morning to say that they would prefer to wait 2 weeks to xray as might not see anything with it being quite early and if we don't see anything today, doesn't mean we wouldn't in a week's time and she doesn't want me to waste my money. He has now been off bute 48 hours and still seems fine in the stable. I asked the vet about whether I could walk him with boots just around the arena to keep his mind happy and she was non-committal and suggested sedation if I was struggling although to be honest I am reluctant to get him out as keep reading all sorts of horror stories of what can happen which is why I wanted x-rays in the first place so I guess he will just have to be box rested until next Thursday.