Laminitis. Week four of box rest. (Pictures)

Wagtail

Wagtail

Horse servant
Joined
2 December 2010
Messages
14,815
Location
Lincs
Visit site
Just an update for those interested. My girl has been given a bit more freedom today. She can now come out into the area in front of her stable whilst I am mucking out the others. She is on day 6 of the metformin, and has had one danilon a day for the past couple of days as she was a little sore. She's now sound in her imprints on one danilon a day. I am going to stop the danilon tomorrow and hope that she stays sound. She has to stay on box rest for a further 10 days once sound. How do you think she's looking condition wise? If you look carefully, you can probably see the shavings in the channel down her spine :rolleyes:. But we're getting there. I think that she's happy and coping well with the box rest so far. :)

onboxrest2.jpg


onboxrest3.jpg
 
I always find these ones so difficult to judge, as her ribs can be clearly seen but she appears quite broad across the back....

She looks really well in herself though, and hope she continues to improve for you.
 
Thanks, yes it's the EMS making her have fat in strange places and look skinny over her ribs. I think she still needs to lose 30 - 40 kilos, but I'm doing it slowly rather than crash dieting her. She's now on 1.75% of her weight in soaked hay rather than 1.5% as she seems to be doing well and it is so hard for her being on box rest not being able to nibble at hay in between her small nets.
 
pines of rome said:
I think she looks good, hope things keep improving!
Click to expand...

Thank you. She seemed to turn the corner when I put her onto marksway high fibre haylage (soaked) rather than the hay, but I am waiting for a new delivery of it tomorrow so she's back on the soaked hay. I am hoping it doesn't set her back.
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
I think you're doing a fab job there wagtail, and she looks happy. I think her condition looks better than before.

Terri
Click to expand...

Thank you, Terri. It is so hard to tell when you are looking at them every day. She is certainly very perky. I think she really wants to go out now. When she was really sore, she wouldn't come out of her box.
 
Looking good !

Dont stress about the soaked hay or even dry hay for a couple of days, give her a bit of both. And to be honest i would give her a kg of hay every day just to make it something a bit different.

At least your in the winter - when i was soaking it was mid summer and the hay got that awful smell after only a few hours.

You really are doing a grand job -

GW
x
 
She looks really well in herself :) I can see the dip in her back but you're getting there and you're doing a great job. I've been there 3years ago, mine was on box rest for 8months, shee also had imprints fitted.
 
What a beautiflu girl, she looks very well in herself, which is great to see. Laminitis must be agony and makes them so miserable, she looks well on the mend.
 
Wagtail said:
Thank you. She seemed to turn the corner when I put her onto marksway high fibre haylage (soaked) rather than the hay, but I am waiting for a new delivery of it tomorrow so she's back on the soaked hay. I am hoping it doesn't set her back.
Click to expand...
Just a tip. If you ever have to use soaked hay again soak it twice in a change of water. This worked for my laminitic until I could source another batch. Pain I know but so worth it. No need to do two long soaks btw, so long as the shorter one is at least an hour.

ps. I would never risk unsoaked hay with such a sensitive horse unless it's been tested and you know the total sugar/starch is 10% or less.
 
Last edited:
Before I even read your post, I looked at the photo and thought she looked well, very bright.
I see what you mean about the weight being in odd places, but hopefully you are getting there and she will be fully fit again soon.
If you are finding it hard to tell if she looks thinner / fatter / same week to week, maybe take photos each week, then you can compare them. I used to do this with my old horse as I found it easier to see any weight loss in a photo rather than looking at him everyday.
Kx
 
Lotty said:
She looks really well in herself :) I can see the dip in her back but you're getting there and you're doing a great job. I've been there 3years ago, mine was on box rest for 8months, shee also had imprints fitted.
Click to expand...

slightlyconfused said:
She is looking good.

My lami dropped nicely on the metformin over a month then we have just maintained it.
Xx
Click to expand...

Clodagh said:
What a beautiflu girl, she looks very well in herself, which is great to see. Laminitis must be agony and makes them so miserable, she looks well on the mend.
Click to expand...

Billie1007 said:
Isn't she beautiful! And showing off her new shoes ;). Keep pushing on WT. Well done so far x
Click to expand...

Ibblebibble said:
lol just what i thought with that first pic:D she certainly looks like she is coping well Wagtail,:)
Click to expand...

Partridg3 said:
She's lovely.
Click to expand...

Thank you. You are all so kind. If she knew what you were saying about her, her head would not fit through the door. :D

Trinity Fox said:
The one thing I would be pleased with if I was you is she is looking very bright considering the situation,that would encourage me me lot's.:)
Click to expand...

That's the thing. She always takes things in her stride and seems to keep bright and perky no matter what life throws at her. The only day I have ever almost made the call to PTS was during the night after she did her shoulder. She was in absolute agony, and I thought she had had enough. But then she finally managed to lie down and was so much brighter after a sleep. Then she never looked back.

amandap said:
Just a tip. If you ever have to use soaked hay again soak it twice in a change of water. This worked for my laminitic until I could source another batch. Pain I know but so worth it. No need to do two long soaks btw, so long as the shorter one is at least an hour.

ps. I would never risk unsoaked hay with such a sensitive horse unless it's been tested and you know the total sugar/starch is 10% or less.
Click to expand...

Thankfully I am getting my batch of marksway haylage today. I sort of prefer to use it because it is guaranteed to be under 3%. Soaking this for 12 hours seems to have the best results for her. Thanks for the tip of double soaking the hay. It's a different batch to what I used last December. Soaking that hay worked to get the lami quickly under control, but not this batch. I tend to think though, that each time a horse gets lami, it takes longer to get right. The trick is going to be stopping it happening in the first place.


Circe said:
Before I even read your post, I looked at the photo and thought she looked well, very bright.
I see what you mean about the weight being in odd places, but hopefully you are getting there and she will be fully fit again soon.
If you are finding it hard to tell if she looks thinner / fatter / same week to week, maybe take photos each week, then you can compare them. I used to do this with my old horse as I found it easier to see any weight loss in a photo rather than looking at him everyday.
Kx
Click to expand...

Thank you. I weight taped her today and she is now 532 kg. She was 570 at the start of the lami attack, so we are going in the right direction.
 
Last edited:
Wagtail said:
Thankfully I am getting my batch of marksway haylage today. I sort of prefer to use it because it is guaranteed to be under 3%. Soaking this for 12 hours seems to have the best results for her. Thanks for the tip of double soaking the hay. It's a different batch to what I used last December. Soaking that hay worked to get the lami quickly under control, but not this batch. I tend to think though, that each time a horse gets lami, it takes longer to get right. The trick is going to be stopping it happening in the first place.
.
Click to expand...

I'm also thinking of changing to Marksway haylage after reading this piece of research, abstract available here http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/168/23/618.abstract

I quote, "Despite a mean WSC loss of 27 per cent, the WSC contents of seven (out of 9) of the hays remained above the suggested upper limit for laminitic animals of 100 g/kg DM." :eek: :eek: That was after 16 hours soaking!!
My boy is not laminitic but may be EMS, so I want to keep his sugar levels as low as possible, 3% sounds excellent for the horsehage, is that the high fibre one? :). Your horse is beautiful BTW, best of luck with her.
 
Last edited:
hollybear said:
I'm also thinking of changing to Marksway haylage after reading this piece of research, abstract available here http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/168/23/618.abstract

I quote, "Despite a mean WSC loss of 27 per cent, the WSC contents of seven (out of 9) of the hays remained above the suggested upper limit for laminitic animals of 100 g/kg DM." :eek: :eek: That was after 16 hours soaking!!
My boy is not laminitic but may be EMS, so I want to keep his sugar levels as low as possible, 3% sounds excellent for the horsehage, is that the high fibre one? :). Your horse is beautiful BTW, best of luck with him.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's the hi fibre one and the timothy one. At the moment there is £1 off each bale from www.efeed.co.uk so £6.58 a bale, and only £6 delivery if you get 20 or more. Each bale weighs 22 kg. So not cheap, but worth it for piece of mind. :)
 
Thanks for that wagtail, think I'll get some in now then, and change over gradually. Its supposed to get really cold this winter too, and hay soaking is impossible for me if everything freezes, don't want to get stuck having to feed dry hay. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top