laminitis recovery

[mrsbloggett]

How long, on average does this take?

Maisie is nearly 4 weeks into her attack, very sore in front left, pedal bone has rotated. I am told by vet & farrier that the rotation is only slight. Farrier came to start remedial farriery on Wednesday, the change in pony is stunning now she has shoes on, and only looks slightly lame. I still have her on box rest with an hour of leg stretch in a very small playpen in the afternoon.

How do you know when an attack is over? Maisie has always had warm front feet and a digital pulse even in winter, so I don't know how to tell she is okay. I don't want to keep her on box rest more than necessary, and realise I will have to restrict her grazing severly (I've got electirc fencing kit).

Any advise gratefully recieved

 

[brightmount]

I haven't the first hand experience to answer your questions, thankfully, but you might want to consider magnesium supplementation as it has been shown to protect against laminitis. There are the agricultural products such as CalMag and MagOx, or the more readily obtainable supplements from animal feed suppliers. I use NAF Magic, which is a Calmer containing magnesium. Formula4Feet has some very good feedback and could be greatly beneficial for your pony.

 

[Thistle]

Can take 6 months or more for the feet to heal enough to return to normal work. During this period there can be a gradual build up of turnout and work. www.laminitis.org is a good site.

 

[Clodagh]

Hate to say this, but my pony had remedial shoes last year after having lami, and although his rotation was only slight it was 3 months before he could even do light work, and we did nothing serious all year. It really is worth waiting, as now you can't even tell he has ever had it and he is 100% sound without shoes.
He was turned out with a muzzle on after the first six weeks, so he could move around freely, but I'd take your vet or farriers advice on that.
Aloe vera is supposed to help, and yakult. (Mind you, even on starvation rations he still wouldn't eat the yakult, can't blame him!)

 

[Wooleysmum]

Hi! Mine had it badly, pedal rotation, in 2004. Been lucky, not had it since. He got it at end of May, inside until August, with plastic shoes, then it was a gradual return to gentle hacking, no cantering for months though and I dont jump now. He wears a muzzle from March to November with free grazing only a few hours a day in the summer, never in the Spring.Fed hay, Hi Hi lite too with Lamigad and Yea Sacc. just read up all you can, seek advice from the vet and farrier, make informrd decision about the pony's routine. Dont listen to folk who know zilch about it or do gooders who say how cruel muzzles are, they are life saving! Mine is Best Friend.

 

[Kris R]

Laminitis can be rather frightening for us horse owners. I own a laminitc pony and she had her first attack a couple of years ago. It isn't all doom and gloom at all.

Have a look at the following websites and understand more about the anatomy of equine feet.


http://www.hoofrehab.com/

and

http://www.equilife.co.uk/about.htm

good luck