Laminitis? SOS

Me too Mitchen. Horrible situation to be in. Don't take any notice of nasty comments on here

Hoping he pulls through for you x
 
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Oh Michen, I am so sorry to read this thread and the updates. I was going to say don’t panic about the sidebone (mine has them but he’s been fine etc) but sounds like things have progressed beyond that. I am keeping everything crossed for you and lovely Atlas.
 
Ok, his fever is back. Things not trending well

I have 3 options.

Euthanize now
Put him on all the supportive care, ice boots to try and prevent lami, etc etc. Probably looking at around $8,000 assuming he is fit to leave sunday/monday
Take him home, nurse him as much as I can myself and if he makes it he makes it and if he doesn't then I did what I could.
 
I am so sorry you are facing this. One thing is for certain your care for your horses is beyond reproach. Often on here we have posts where people say pts is a reasonable thing to do more a multitude of reasons including financial ones so no one should judge you whatever you decide. I think it's very hard for many of us to understand your situation, a totally different lifestyle in another country, a high pressure job and huge amounts of bad luck in your life in recent times, a fraction of this would break many of us and yet here you are showing amazing resilience. What shines through is you are an amazing caring horse owner and whatever you decide for Atlas will be a considered decision and right for you and him. My thoughts are with you x
 
Michen said:
Ok, his fever is back. Things not trending well

I have 3 options.

Euthanize now
Put him on all the supportive care, ice boots to try and prevent lami, etc etc. Probably looking at around $8,000 assuming he is fit to leave sunday/monday
Take him home, nurse him as much as I can myself and if he makes it he makes it and if he doesn't then I did what I could.
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I'm so sorry M. No easy decision, but I'm sure you'll make the right one for you both.
 
Sorry to hear this Michen. Do they know what the cause of the problem is?

BTW you are a fantastic horse owner ignore the comments about your work situation. It is an expensive hobby and many may find themselves in situations where they are having to work away from home or not be able to be with their horses to nurse them as they cannot risk loosing their job and have to outsource care.
 
It's very hard because I am an all in kind of person and the thought of not giving him 100% the best that I can is kind of killing me. But I'm also trying to be practical, this is a lame horse, whose already had a lot of stuff happening and last time it was not $8,000 with Boggle it was tens and tens and tens of thousands because, as is often the case with these things, it can escalate. It probably will. And then you are in so deep you just keep going and spending a bit more and a bit more... I don't regret that for Boggle but I will not do it again for a horse I've owned a year.

But taking him home and trying to care for him myself this weekend may not be the best for me, let alone him.

So, it's tough.
 
SEL said:
I'm so sorry to read this - do the vets think a virus? Could it be the EPM?

Xx
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No, he's not neuro which is a miracle in itself but I've been careful to maintain him on the appropriate meds and as soon as things esculated yesterday before he went into the vets he got the treatment rather than maintenance dose. It was looking like a kidney problem, it's now looking like a virus that's caused a kidney problem.
 
TheMule said:
Had a horse with a virus that led to kidney damage a few years ago. He ended up having a kidney removed. It was awful- he was very ill and he really resented all of the treatment. He did go on to live a normal life, but I would think long and hard about putting a horse through that again.
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Thanks, that is helpful to hear. Definitely not something I'd consider here. One of his kidneys is rather small, which may be why they are so insulted at whatever he has.
 
But what is exactly wrong with him have they given any clue what it is

And how is he behaving, is he eating, distressed, lame etc

Just read suspected virus sorry

Well viruses can pass which leaves you no further forward really.

The toughest part is wanting to do your best for him.

Can you let it go for 24 hours and see how it progresses
 
So sorry to read this update. I don't wish to sound harsh, but I don't think option 3 is truly an option. I don't think it would be good for you to nurse him, so that if he deteriorates you end up questioning whether you made the right decision, whether he would have been more comfortable in hospital. You have a stressful job, you've had more than your fair share of stress and upset with horses in recent months. If you have the money, I would focus on options 1 and 2.

I'm hoping he makes a sudden improvement, and also that the vets figure out exactly what the issue is.
 
Yeah I had the viral panel run yesterday despite the fever normalizing, but whilst we HOPE the results come back today it may be monday. So it doesn't really help me right now because finding the cause of these things take time and often you have to worry more about the secondary things like laminitis, pneumonia rather than the virus itself. And that's where the supportive care comes in with ice boots etc.

We've started him on antibiotics this AM and running some more bloods whilst I think about things.

It's scary, scary how similar to Bog this is. He went in albiet presented differently but it was fever, virus suspected and then the subsequent pneumonia. He also went in with the same easycare shoes on that Atlas just had put on. Atlas was also ataxic this year, so was Bog albiet they had different causes.

He's even in the same damn stall that Bog was in at hospital, albiet he's moving to isolation now.

It's like a sick joke.
 
When my old pony had his first bout of lami, he went onto soaked hay. A week in, he went down with temp, diarrhea, shaking and standing head down and collapsed as we waited for the vet. He had salmonella from the soaked hay. Is it worth checking with the vet wether this could be bacterial, not virus?
 
Just read this whole thread and cannot add anything other than my heartfelt support! Crikey, you have had a hard time. Whatever you decide will always be a well thought through decision from the best horsey owner any horse could hope for.
Badly put, but I hope you know what I am trying to say!
 
mustardsmum said:
When my old pony had his first bout of lami, he went onto soaked hay. A week in, he went down with temp, diarrhea, shaking and standing head down and collapsed as we waited for the vet. He had salmonella from the soaked hay. Is it worth checking with the vet wether this could be bacterial, not virus?
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That's a thing? Goodness.. ok.

Salmonella is one of the things we've tested for.
 
I made the call. Bringing him home felt like a bad option albeit tempting as a way to find a middle ground but not for- a) my own mental sanity b) it was a three hour wait for a vet yesterday, if he nose dives I want him to be in the right place to end any suffering.

For now, I am going to give him the projected extra dollars for a couple more days of more intensive supportive care now that he needs icing, isolation, more drugs than before, pending any serious developments such as laminitis or pneumonia which if that happens is immediate euthanasia.

That is dependent on if repeated bloodwork shows anything that looks really scary this morning, in which case, euthanize.
 
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