Laminitis - please be extra vigilant.

EllieBeast

EllieBeast

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Tomorrow morning we will be having a lovely warmblood mare put to sleep due to laminitis. She is 17hh, and not at all overweight. She has been in the same fields as for the past 10 years and nothing has changed in her management. She has never had laminitis before.
The vets said they have seen a massive increase in these sort of cases in the past couple of months, probably due to the rubbish growing weather at the start of spring, followed by a big grass growth spurt later in the season.
What makes it worse is that she was misdiagnosed to begin with, due to her not being in the high risk group, and due to the fact only her hind feet are affected. She may have been savable had she been correctly diagnosed in the first place. As it is now, the degree of pedal bone rotation, coupled with her size stacks the odds against her and she will never return to the quality of life that she has been used to.

Please please keep a close eye on your horses. Laminitis doesn't just affect affect little old ponies.

:(
 
I am so sorry for you, that's really made me well up. Sending you lots of hugs and thanks for posting a sensible warning to all.xx
 
So sorry to hear about your horse! I too was welling up reading that, it sounds like such a "freak" thing to happen really.
I think we do underestimate the risk that all our horses have of getting laminitis as we only really hear about it overweight horses or small ponys/native types.
Hopefully after reading this people will think again and really keep an eye on every horses wether it is in the high risk group for lami or not.
 
Really sorry to hear about your horse :(

Its such a shame that lami isn't advertised enough - the fact that it can happen whether your horse is old, young, big, small, fat, thin and that it can come on through stress or a build up of toxins which you can't help.
Makes me sad when I think about the people turning their horses out for all of summer and never once coming to check they're okay.

Thanks for posting this, I hope it makes people think
K x
 
What a sad ending.

I have noticed this last week that my horses poo has suddenly become greener in a way that it hasn't done so far this year. So I have had to re-mask my old girl as it is my worst fear that she gets laminitis.
The grass does seem to grow all year now in a way that it never used to - the grass had usually stopped growing by the beginning of July but it seems to grow all year round now.
 
My farrier was just here, and he says he's never seen so many 'normal' horses getting lami this year. By normal he means not overweight, in work and not in a recognised risk group.

My own horse is included. 19 yrs, homebred and never had Lami before. Fortunately we caught it very early ( 1st 12hrs) and she has made a cracking recovery.

Sorry to hear your result is not succesful :(
 
Sadly, big horses ARE in the 'at risk' category as much as small fat ponies. Any horse can get it, it's just a time bomb really. There's been a rapid increase in big horses and lami over the years and they're almost as much 'at risk' as the stereotypical ponies are.

Our lad was 18.3hh and sadly lost him to it. He wasn't grossly overweight and vets said it was toxin induced, from possibly an infected fly bite or a chip he had possibly. Whatever it was, we shan't ever know for definate anyway.

I'm sorry for your loss :( It's excruciating seeing something that big come down with lami. It's a horrible disease at the best of times.
 
I have known of a few 'unlikely' type horses that have had the same problem and had to be pts.
We have 2 at our yard, who aren't the normal types to get it, neither overweight, and they have had problems this year and last year. Again, in the same fields for years.
Because they are out daytime and in at night just now, my tb mare is having to do the same as she won't stay out on her own. I'm not too worried about her not being out 24hrs just now, just in case.
It's a horrible thing, so sorry to op about your mare.
 
I'm so sorry - my heart goes out to you.

My ISH had lami last year - the vet took one look at my slim, fit horse and shook his head in amazement. :(

As previously stated, laminitis does not only affect fat ponies.

ETA: If you do not know where your horse/pony's digital pulse is, please find out and check it regularly
 
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I am so sorry, thinking of you at this horrible time.

My 16.1 warmblood x shire has got laminitis at the moment and I'm really struggling x x
 
Thanks guys, it is really sad but at least we will know she wont be suffering any more. She will get a big breakfast and will be allowed grass for the first time in weeks, so she should go happy :)
Hugs to anyone else who is going through this, Laminitis is a horrible, horrible illness. And good luck, I hope you're ponies make good recoveries!

xxx
 
This is sooo sad. I feel dreadful for you, I really do. I have pony with it at the moment although she does tick all the boxes as a candidate. Nonetheless, it's a vile thing and particularly in such a fit, healthy horse as yours. My thoughts are truly with you.
 
I *knew* there was a good reason why I have left my 2 fatties on a bare (and I mean BARE) field and not let them on the grass with my youngster!! They look at me like I am wicked and I feel so guilty, but cruel to be kind and all that.....

I am very sorry for your loss.....thankfully (touching wood) I have never had to deal with a case....

Slightly OT, I cannot feel a pulse on my hairy horse at all....she has such chunky legs....I assume I *would* be able to feel if her pulse was markedly increased??
 
I'm so sorry I cant imagine how your feeling. Oscar my 2yo wasdiagnosed with lami just over 4 weeks ago. He too was not over weight (slightly skinny) and only had it in one front foot. Our vet also said there was an increase of "unsual" cases thins year.

Im so sorry RIP x x
 
Well put, I lost my beautiful boy in March and I think big horses are a far bigger risk because IF they do get a laminitis attack then there is such a small chance of recovery. I noticed within 3 hours of him getting lam (he had never had it before in 16 years of ownership) and we instantly changed feed/x rays/ bute/ACP/ deep bed and hay soaked for 8 hours........we still lost him
 
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