blackcob
🖖
Three weeks ago now B became quite suddenly lame on one or both front feet - she was shod on the Friday and the farrier thought she was a tad sensitive but nothing to be concerned about, a tad pottery on a circle on Saturday and obviously lame by Sunday. Vet nerve blocked the off fore foot and she appeared pretty much sound, dismissed any lameness in the other front foot and advised box rest and bute for a week.
We called him back 48 hours later as she was very lame, reluctant to move at all, alternately resting front feet and rocking back. Still reluctant to diagnose laminitis as she had not had a blade of grass (no winter grass turnout, only on a bare concrete paddock with hay, stabled at night), was not overweight, no change in feed or management, no bounding digital pulse, no reaction to hoof testers etc. and appeared significantly worse on one foot. We took her to the clinic for x-rays to rule out a pedal bone fracture. X-rays were clear, no fracture, no movement of pedal bone.
Advised to poultice and treat as if a very deep seated abscess. Very small amount of pus came out two days later. Farrier came back to put the shoe back on (it had to come off for x-ray and poulticing) as she is very flat footed and vet advised it went back on as soon as possible. Next 72 hours she improved greatly, happy to mooch around the yard, sound in a straight line, only a little lame on a circle.
I arrive on the following Monday - so two weeks after initial lameness - to find her suddenly barely able to walk again. At this point vet confirms laminitis. We swap deep straw bed for even deeper shavings, continue bute and add ACP. Hay now weighed and fed in small holed net, what little feed she did get (half a scoop to come into the stable at night) is swapped in favour of a minimum amount of sugarbeet in which to take her medication.
She is tested for Cushings, EMS etc. but all come back negative (we were expecting positive EMS, she is a native pony who has previously been overweight, gets fat on fresh air etc). Still no idea what the trigger for the attack was.
One week on from there she is still very, very uncomfortable despite the painkiller and sedative. She is lying down for several hours during the day (and by god didn't that make me cry the first time I saw it
). Vet suggested that the relapse may have been triggered by the shoe going back on (on the understanding that laminitic symptoms occur as a result of input approx 48-72 hours earlier).
He is now very keen to have heart bar shoes on and farrier (who has been excellent throughout) is coming out tomorrow to do this. I am terrified, however, that another stress on her poor feet is going to result in even more pain. Everything I'm reading says not to mess about while the horse is still in extreme discomfort but, obviously, we are now concerned that with the length of time this has been going on the probability of rotation or sinking is becoming higher. Vet has advised further x-rays after heart bars have been on for a while.
I don't know what to do. Everything I read says 4-6 weeks before rotation or founder is pretty much inevitable and there has just been no improvement at all since the second attack.
We called him back 48 hours later as she was very lame, reluctant to move at all, alternately resting front feet and rocking back. Still reluctant to diagnose laminitis as she had not had a blade of grass (no winter grass turnout, only on a bare concrete paddock with hay, stabled at night), was not overweight, no change in feed or management, no bounding digital pulse, no reaction to hoof testers etc. and appeared significantly worse on one foot. We took her to the clinic for x-rays to rule out a pedal bone fracture. X-rays were clear, no fracture, no movement of pedal bone.
Advised to poultice and treat as if a very deep seated abscess. Very small amount of pus came out two days later. Farrier came back to put the shoe back on (it had to come off for x-ray and poulticing) as she is very flat footed and vet advised it went back on as soon as possible. Next 72 hours she improved greatly, happy to mooch around the yard, sound in a straight line, only a little lame on a circle.
I arrive on the following Monday - so two weeks after initial lameness - to find her suddenly barely able to walk again. At this point vet confirms laminitis. We swap deep straw bed for even deeper shavings, continue bute and add ACP. Hay now weighed and fed in small holed net, what little feed she did get (half a scoop to come into the stable at night) is swapped in favour of a minimum amount of sugarbeet in which to take her medication.
She is tested for Cushings, EMS etc. but all come back negative (we were expecting positive EMS, she is a native pony who has previously been overweight, gets fat on fresh air etc). Still no idea what the trigger for the attack was.
One week on from there she is still very, very uncomfortable despite the painkiller and sedative. She is lying down for several hours during the day (and by god didn't that make me cry the first time I saw it
). Vet suggested that the relapse may have been triggered by the shoe going back on (on the understanding that laminitic symptoms occur as a result of input approx 48-72 hours earlier). He is now very keen to have heart bar shoes on and farrier (who has been excellent throughout) is coming out tomorrow to do this. I am terrified, however, that another stress on her poor feet is going to result in even more pain. Everything I'm reading says not to mess about while the horse is still in extreme discomfort but, obviously, we are now concerned that with the length of time this has been going on the probability of rotation or sinking is becoming higher. Vet has advised further x-rays after heart bars have been on for a while.
I don't know what to do.
Everything I read says 4-6 weeks before rotation or founder is pretty much inevitable and there has just been no improvement at all since the second attack.
x fingers crossed you get everything sorted soon! Since my incident I have much sympathy for anyone who has to experience it 
