DuckToller
Well-Known Member
Been reading so many lami stories recently, so thought I would throw in my story for good measure.
Last May our 20-year-old cream pony went down with laminitis. He has Cushings and had had it before, but this was a very sudden onset and the worst he had been. New vet came and x-rayed (didn't want to travel him to usual vet and cause more pain) and the x-rays showed rotation. Vet was obviously very negative, and said the pedal bone was so close to the sole the prognosis was poor and it could take 2 years of corrective farrier/plastic shoes before he could be ridden again. My next phone call was going to be Holts, the amazingly kind knacker-yard, but as I leafed through my address book crying, I remembered The Laminitis Trust.
They charge £1 a minute and it was the best £30 I have ever spent. They talked me through the x-rays and the pony's past history and their view was that although the pony did have pedal bone rotation, without previous x-rays it was impossible to tell whether the rotation was recent or from a previous bout. They also felt that while foundering, when the whole bone sinks, is the point of no return, rotation in itself isn't always the end.
So back to usual vet, who confirmed that he hadn't foundered, so we put on frog-supports (he was already on acp and bute) and I called the farrier.
You could almost hear the groans of pleasure from the pony when next week my fab farrier fitted plastic imprint shoes, as he had been barefoot since the x-rays and very uncomfortable (I could only get him into his box after the x/rays by laying out an old duvet for him to shuffle on). It was instant relief (well not for my bank balance) and was the start of a long, slow but steady recovery.
Briefly, after weeks and weeks of box rest etc., by late autumn he was walking gently in the school, we kept him on soft surfaces for months, and last week he won a small open class with my daughter, almost a year on.
I don't want to give anyone false hope, but just make that phone call to The Laminitis Trust (they are used to people blubbing on the end of the phone) and although they can't make a telephone diagnosis or perform miracles, they do offer brilliant help and support and in my case, they offered a viable alternative, and saved our pony's life
Also credit to my farrier, who was willing to come out on a Saturday to fit the imprints the minute they arrived in the post and who has been instrumental in reshaping the post-laminitic hooves.
I would post a pic of the happy boy but I was so thrilled on Sunday that I forgot to operate the camera!
Last May our 20-year-old cream pony went down with laminitis. He has Cushings and had had it before, but this was a very sudden onset and the worst he had been. New vet came and x-rayed (didn't want to travel him to usual vet and cause more pain) and the x-rays showed rotation. Vet was obviously very negative, and said the pedal bone was so close to the sole the prognosis was poor and it could take 2 years of corrective farrier/plastic shoes before he could be ridden again. My next phone call was going to be Holts, the amazingly kind knacker-yard, but as I leafed through my address book crying, I remembered The Laminitis Trust.
They charge £1 a minute and it was the best £30 I have ever spent. They talked me through the x-rays and the pony's past history and their view was that although the pony did have pedal bone rotation, without previous x-rays it was impossible to tell whether the rotation was recent or from a previous bout. They also felt that while foundering, when the whole bone sinks, is the point of no return, rotation in itself isn't always the end.
So back to usual vet, who confirmed that he hadn't foundered, so we put on frog-supports (he was already on acp and bute) and I called the farrier.
You could almost hear the groans of pleasure from the pony when next week my fab farrier fitted plastic imprint shoes, as he had been barefoot since the x-rays and very uncomfortable (I could only get him into his box after the x/rays by laying out an old duvet for him to shuffle on). It was instant relief (well not for my bank balance) and was the start of a long, slow but steady recovery.
Briefly, after weeks and weeks of box rest etc., by late autumn he was walking gently in the school, we kept him on soft surfaces for months, and last week he won a small open class with my daughter, almost a year on.
I don't want to give anyone false hope, but just make that phone call to The Laminitis Trust (they are used to people blubbing on the end of the phone) and although they can't make a telephone diagnosis or perform miracles, they do offer brilliant help and support and in my case, they offered a viable alternative, and saved our pony's life
Also credit to my farrier, who was willing to come out on a Saturday to fit the imprints the minute they arrived in the post and who has been instrumental in reshaping the post-laminitic hooves.
I would post a pic of the happy boy but I was so thrilled on Sunday that I forgot to operate the camera!
