Laminitis nightmare ?

[Mrs_P]

Hello all

I'm a long term lurker and really enjoy reading through the discussions on here.

I was hoping for some help with my poor gelding who we suspects has laminitis.

Bit of background he is 16yo standardbred gelding. He lives out 24/7 this time of year on around 5 acres of grazing. He has never had issues with this previously.

Back in April our yard went into lockdown as next door had a confirmed strangles case, and their fields border our fields. My boy is usually shod bit given the circumstances I asked farrier to remove his shoes as unknown how long the situation could continue and having done so previous summers when he has been turned away for his summer hols (hunter so usually has a few months off over summer).

Anyway a few days ago I noticed he seemed a bit sore. I assumed he might have been enjoying his usual favourite game of hooning about the field and perhaps went over a stone. Checked legs and hooves and couldn't see anything obvious. Checked for a bounding digital pulse and couldn't feel anything, and hooves did not feel hot, but he seemed uncomfortable.

The farrier came to check him and noticed some bruising in the white line and said this is usually a sign of laminitis and to box rest.

I rang my vet who also said box rest and go from there. She said it could be some bruising which is making him uncomfortable or he has an abcess brewing up, but assume it's laminitis just in case. He is not overweight and isn't on particularly rich grazing although I know this isn't always the cause of lami.

My main problem is he is an absolute nightmare on box rest. He will not stable on his own meaning another horse has to be brought in to kero him company. The other issue is our stables are in a huge barn made from metal sheets. In the weather we have been having it is unbearably hot in there. We do not have a sand arena or turnout that isn't grass. He is incredibly miserable and stressed at the moment and I really don't know what to do.

I am calling the vet again today but if this is going to mean he will constantly need to be on box rest then I think I may need to consider his happiness and quality of life in the long term.

I'm devastated. I watched a good friend lose her mare to lami last year and I know it always usually gets them in the end ? my poor boy ?

 

[Mrs_P]

Sorry posted a bit too quickly. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I don't have any first hand experience with laminitis. I'm following advice of deep shavings bed, soaked hay etc x

 

[bonny]

Firstly you need to confirm your horse has laminitis, he could presumably just need his shoes back on with the hard summer ground ? Thinking the worst is human nature but often there is better path to follow ?
Even is your worst fears come true there are alternatives to the stabling, you can make a small pen for him, find alternative accommodation, either temporary or permanent.

 

[eggs]

If it is laminitis then unfortunately box rest with a deep bed all the way to the door is best for him. Has your vet advised giving bute / sedalin / padding ? In your shoes I would want the vet up for confirmation if it is laminitis rather than bruising.

Given your horse's age I would consider having him tested for Cushings.

One of mine had laminitis a few years ago and subsequently tested positive for Cushings. At the time we did the box rest with treatment for 6 weeks and then slowly reintroduced him to grass in a very small - think stable sized - area using electric fence in the field that the other horses were out in so that he had company. I keep my horses at home so it was easy for me to arrange for another horse to be kept in with him as I just alternated between my other horses. Some years later he has not had another episode and is out in the field with his mates.

 

[smolmaus]

I'm not saying not to be worried about lami, always better to treat as if it is until it definitely isn't, but if he has been hooning around on very hard ground (some of our fields are like concrete atm) could he have white line bruising from that?

I think your vet needs to actually see him and yes, as above, do some prelim tests to rule out any metabolic problems before you panic about losing him completely.

 

[Mrs_P]

Hi both.

Egga that is positive news. I did wonder if he might have some hormonal or metabolic issues going on so that did cross my mind.

I will be calling the vet out to be sure. I am currently giving him 1x bute daily (under vets advice) and I was going to ask about potentially giving him sedaline to try and take the edge off. I know stress is the worst thing with lami and there's the potential colic risk.

Thanks both x

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Could you make a patch in the field you that you can section off and put some kind of surface in to make it soft? I used to do this when one of mine got laminitis so he could still see and be near his friends.

 

[Mrs_P]

Firstly you need to confirm your horse has laminitis, he could presumably just need his shoes back on with the hard summer ground ? Thinking the worst is human nature but often there is better path to follow ?
Even is your worst fears come true there are alternatives to the stabling, you can make a small pen for him, find alternative accommodation, either temporary or permanent.

Apologies I missed your post bonny. Yes I am one of those "glass half empty" people and usually jump to the worst case scenario.

I am trying to wrack my brains as to where I could put him outside of the barn that isn't on a hard surface or grass. Our friend does have a block work stable which will be cooler for him but I don't know if he works settle as it's "new". He is such a quirky b*gger. I adore him but my god ?‍

 

[Mrs_P]

Could you make a patch in the field you that you can section off and put some kind of surface in to make it soft? I used to do this when one of mine got laminitis so he could still see and be near his friends.

The problem is its a large field on a hillside and its all pretty much grass also yard owner does not like electric fences so very difficult to make the field smaller. If the others went out of sight and he couldn't get to them I worry this may stress him out more.

 

[Mrs_P]

I'm so sorry if I'm coming across as negative. I'm truly grateful for all your suggestions and they are very much appreciated.

 

[SEL]

A few years back we struggled in summer as well with a small welsh pony. In the end we padded her feet with cut up bits of yoga mat and large socks to keep them in place. She definitely had laminitis so was off grass for ages and our sock arrangement allowed her to go over concrete to a small pen where she could see her friends.

 

[PurBee]

If he’s always been on this land, and management of soil/grass practices havent changed - i would be looking at a different trigger for the laminitis aside from his usual grazing land.

What else has changed recently? New batch of hay? Worming just done? New feed?

Mine have been footy after some worming doses - anything that causes an immune system alteration =inflammation, or gut bacteria change, can trigger laminitic symptoms too - its not always about high sugar trigger.

 

[meleeka]

I have one that won’t be box rested so I muzzle him when I need to reduce his grass intake. It’s worked well so far. Can you restrict him outside? I don’t think I’d want to force stabling in your situation unless you have to. My top tip for deciding if it’s laminitis is to turn him in a tight circle on concrete. If it is laminitis that will be painful.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I would definitely work with your vet and farrier to see if it's definitely lami and perhaps ask for a Cushings test? In 2020 my retired mare (now 20) became suddenly footsore, having never had any issues and no lami previously (and a good weight). The vet seemed clueless to be honest and it was my farrier who said she just needed some front shoes putting back on - here we are in summer 2022 and she has been perfectly happy ever since, wearing front shoes. Other posters on here suggested testing her for Cushings at the time and that did also show that she had a very mild case of it, I never would've tested if it hadn't been mentioned here.

Now I simply keep her shod and a good weight and she lives out 24/7 with no issues (although our grazing is poor and we feed hay). No medication either.

 

[Mrs_P]

If he’s always been on this land, and management of soil/grass practices havent changed - i would be looking at a different trigger for the laminitis aside from his usual grazing land.

What else has changed recently? New batch of hay? Worming just done? New feed?

Mine have been footy after some worming doses - anything that causes an immune system alteration =inflammation, or gut bacteria change, can trigger laminitic symptoms too - its not always about high sugar trigger.

Nothing... literally nothing has changed and he was wormed back in April.

Same fields. Same routine.

 

[Mrs_P]

I have one that won’t be box rested so I muzzle him when I need to reduce his grass intake. It’s worked well so far. Can you restrict him outside? I don’t think I’d want to force stabling in your situation unless you have to. My top tip for deciding if it’s laminitis is to turn him in a tight circle on concrete. If it is laminitis that will be painful.

He is very pottery/sore turning to be honest

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

FB has a "Laminitis Crisis Support Group". Might be worth a look for anyone with a laminitic. Some good advice on there.

 

[misst]

When our old girl (who had cushings as her lami trigger) had to do box rest we used the field shelter. It wasn't perfect but she would not stay in on her own. She would box walk, kick,call and eventually more than once took the door down. We put tons of shavings on the field shelter floor and then used electric fencing round it. It meant she could move around the large shelter if she wanted to, have her soaked hay without eating everyone elses normal hay and rub noses over the fence with her field mates.
She broke out once overnight despite a good shock on the electric fence and I found her happily grazing the lush stuff whilst our youngster was asleep on the deep shavings in the shelter! Apart from that it worked well. We then extended the area in front of the shelter slowly so she had minimal grazing. If it is lami I feel your pain. To be honest we only did this for about 7 weeks and then she deteriorated and we PTS but she was 27 so if you can do something like this it might work for you.

 

[Gloi]

Definitely get the vet to test asap for Cushing's and EMS. If you find a metabolic cause you can treat it. It may be a good idea if you can find another yard that is set up for laminitis horses where they can be together in a bare area eating soaked hay.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would get the vet out asap, ask for a TRH-Stim test for Cushings (more reliable than ACTH) and sedalin to keep him calm in the box. Sedalin has the added benefit of helping with the laminae. As soon as you know whetehr you need Prascend or not, you could look at padding his feet so that he can go out in a box-sized space with a friend nearby.
If he needs it, Prascend will make a huge difference almost immediately, ime.

 

[nutjob]

was going to ask about potentially giving him sedaline to try and take the edge off.

My horse was put on sedaline for the first few days he was diagnosed with laminitis. It's supposed to reduce blood pressure in the laminar vessels as well as the sedative effect. This is quite useful

https://www.rossdales.com/assets/files/Laminitis_CHN_May19.pdf

You need to treat it as an emergency as the first steps you take can affect the long term outcome. Hopefully, it's just bruising but you need a veterinary diagnosis.

 

[GreyDot]

A great way to pad the feet (after years of experience) is using cheap (so big and fluffy) sanitary pads folded in half and then duct-taped to the bottom of the hoof. Stays in place and gives great cushioning.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would get the vet out asap, ask for a TRH-Stim test for Cushings (more reliable than ACTH) and sedalin to keep him calm in the box. Sedalin has the added benefit of helping with the laminae. As soon as you know whetehr you need Prascend or not, you could look at padding his feet so that he can go out in a box-sized space with a friend nearby.
If he needs it, Prascend will make a huge difference almost immediately, ime.

Basically this

 

[Sir barnaby]

We had a horse with suspect laminitus, it turned out to be and abscess so just get the vet to determine the cause, if he does have to stay in then maybe some of the other horses would come in on a rota system so he’s not on his own, it’s difficult when on large areas, when we had a pony with laminitis we put some rubber mats in a small eaten off area and made sure there was another horse next to him rather than in the stable barn alone where he couldn’t see anyone so if you can improvise try to do something like that. Good luck hope it isn’t lami. When a mare came to me last year after foaling she had sore feet so I stood in the paddock with a hose and saturated the grass where I held her twice a day and after 2/3 days she came sound again so that was just bruising and I had at first thought lami. Thankfully it wasn’t.

 

[Mrs_P]

Thank you for all your replies. Its much appreciated. Vet coming Wednesday.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but other than xrays to check for rotation, how does a vet diagnose lami?

 

[meleeka]

Thank you for all your replies. Its much appreciated. Vet coming Wednesday.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but other than xrays to check for rotation, how does a vet diagnose lami?

They will put hoof testers (like pliers) on the sole and put pressure under the tip of the pedal bone. If it’s laminitis (and your horse is normal, unlike mine!). they’ll give a definite “ouch!”. They’ll also feel digital pulses which will be bounding in both front feet. It’s hard to tell if you aren’t used to them when normal.

 

[Chianti]

If he was really tearing around on hard ground then the concussion could have caused laminitis. My old mare got it this way - not helped by a new farrier cutting far too much off her feet. I would persist with the box rest - making the bed as deep as you can and sedate if necessary. I've known vets to give ACP to take the edge of if they're stressed by box rest. At one point it was also meant to help with the laminitis but I don't know if that's still the case. The chap down in the west country -Eustace? - is very good for how to treat.

 

[Mrs_P]

The vets have offered for me to collect some sedation for him this evening. I will put him in my friends stable next to entrance of the barn as it has the best ventilation. Hopefully that should help keep him a bit cooler and calmer.
Thank you all for your replies. I will let you know how we get on with the vet on Wednesday x

 

[mustardsmum]

You really have my sympathies, I am going through the same. My boy had lami several years ago and we've kept him lami free since with a strict regime of managing him in the summer. But this year, he has just gone down with it. He'd put on a bit of weight mainly because of his age and other issue (breathing/arthritis) we cant do as much exercise with him. Box rest and soaked hay with a deep bed are key to getting pulses down, and keeping them comfortable. You don't want him moving about any more than necessary. Bute is your friend and my boy gets two a day. Get bloods tested for cushings and EMS. If he stresses, def use sedalin/ACP. Used this on one with tendon injury and it really helped. I am not normally one for the chemical cosh approach, but to be honest, you cannot explain to them why they are confined. Sedalin is not a sedative, it just keeps their heart rate low and keeps them calm, all their normal reactions are still just below the surface. It doesn't work for all, but there are similar alternatives. Sadly with lami it's just time, and then limited turnout. I would also ask about putting him into a different stable - give sedalin when you first move him. As for turning out in restricted area you are well off that for now, but could you get some rubber mats and pen him somehow in the yard. I agree concussion can cause lami - we actually wondered if that's what triggered this bout as he was galloping around the night before - but he is still overweight which wont be helping. Good luck - it is amazing how with the right management you can come through this.

 

[PeterNatt]

I am amazed that your vet did not come out immediiately as Laminitis is an 'emergency' and needs to be treated immediately. Your vet needs to come out and determine if it is Laminitis and if so or suspected take bloods to check for Cushings Disease, Equine Metabolic Sydrome or something else has triggered it off such as encysted small red worms (which can not be detected in a normal worm count). I would also suggest that you need to find yourself a more pro-active vet who responds immediately.