Laminitis - why? Rant...

R

RachelB

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 December 2004
Messages
6,881
Location
back of beyond
Visit site
Why oh WHY do people wait until their horse actually HAS laminitis to do something about it????!!! *I* have been muzzling my fat horse, stabling her overnight, soaking her hay for 12 hours... the other two at the field have, on the other hand, just left their already fat horses out in about half an acre of recently fertilised grass. Asking for it or what...? So today we decide to get the horses in for a bit, and Kit is unusually easy to catch. I try to move her and she will not budge. Manage to get her to move a couple of steps and she is HOPPING lame, mostly on the right front but occasionally she goes evenly sound but very pottery (bi-lateral lameness). I stop, feel her feet, they are burning up. I drag the poor beast in very slowly and put her on a very thick bed, get friend (N, owns Berlin - other horse) to call owner (J). J is a total novice, agrees to call vet. Seeing as most people round here are with my old vet practice, I am not surprised to hear that she can't get through to their "24/7 emergency line"
frown.gif

N now decides that maybe she should start worrying about her horse getting lami (you think? He's HUGE, you can actually see he is covered in fat...
crazy.gif
) Phonecall from J's friend and it seems that as J couldn't get her vet, and J's friend's pony has had lami for all of TWO days and now thinks she is more expert than a vet who has spent five years studying... J is now not getting a vet out but will wait and see if she is ok in the morning. I have tried and tried to tell her that if she is worse in the morning she will be KICKING herself for not getting vet out sooner...
Sadly there is nothing else I can do. I have offered my stock of bute and N has said she will talk it over with J, N being very experienced with all sorts of things (and happening to agree with me that vet should have been out by now), but ultimately it is not our horse so the poor thing will have to wait. If she is worse in the morning I am going to be FUMING.
Funnily enough, as I said, I am the one with the non-laminitic horse who is muzzled and stabled, and I am the one with the decent vet who will pick up the phone at all hours...
frown.gif
 
I lost my mare to Laminitis nearly two years ago. Moved to a different yard and everybody I think got fed up with me warning them.

One horse has now gone down with Laminitis. He also had it last year apparently but the owner missed it?!

I just wish people would take notice before the fact, rather than reading from the same book after the damage is done.

I find it really frustrating and quite upsetting tbh.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I find it really frustrating and quite upsetting tbh.

[/ QUOTE ]
Quite. I have never had a horse with lami, and I never intend to. Others are just so flipping complacent about it. Especially when they have a few years' experience and think they know more than someone with a lot of years of experience and five years' training under their belt.
I am going to be SO SO mad with mrs-know-it-all if Kit gets worse!!
mad.gif
Poor pony
frown.gif
 
I would warn them about a few ponies you "know" being pts. Mine was and I did everything by the book. (She got it through Cushings)
People amaze me when they would rather keep their pony in a way convenient for them, but stuff what's right for the pony. Make's me so mad.

Jo x
 
I think J's friend's issue is that she is skint, so can't afford vet's fees (all the less reason to have a horse IMO) so she is always looking for ways to make things cheaper. J is not exactly skint (she owns the field for a start) but is too novice to know better, and she always listens to her friend over N and myself. Hopefully Kit is feeling more comfortable with the bute, N is checking on her in a while and I will be up bright and early in the morning to see how she is.
If only I could explain to my horse that this is why I am being "mean" and putting a muzzle on her, because it hurts a hell of a lot less than lami does!
 
It drives me mad if it's set of by illness or cushings it's understandable and unfortunate but when it's just rubbish management the owners ought to have their bones pushed through the soles of their feet and see how they like it.
Just remind them how painful it is to trap a finger in a door or stub a toe and compare it to what the poor pony must be feeling. It must have an analgesic that is a welfare issue.
 
She has had bute and has a HUGELY thick inedible bed, with a very small amount of hay. I almost think it would have been better had she been showing proper signs, leaning back and everything, then owner might have done more...
 
Bute is most certainly not powerfull enough to relieve the pain of laminitis. The horse needs the vet out immediately. This is a welfare issue and under the new welfare act the owner of a horse has a duty to call in the vet immediately the horse is showing any sign of illness or discomfort.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bute is most certainly not powerfull enough to relieve the pain of laminitis. The horse needs the vet out immediately. This is a welfare issue and under the new welfare act the owner of a horse has a duty to call in the vet immediately the horse is showing any sign of illness or discomfort.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or if the owner refuses to call the vet out, the yard owner is ultimately responsible for the horse's welfare.

Perhaps this person would like to contact me - I can tell them exactly what it is like to nurse a pony with laminitis and ultimately have to have them PTS inspite of the best veterinary and farriery care. Just because they are a novice horse owner does not excuse them from cruelty.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Or if the owner refuses to call the vet out, the yard owner is ultimately responsible for the horse's welfare.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yep - it's called duty of care.

Silly girl. Poor horse, and poor you.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Or if the owner refuses to call the vet out, the yard owner is ultimately responsible for the horse's welfare.

[/ QUOTE ]
crazy.gif
The owner of the horse owns the land!
Kit is worse this morning, surprise surprise. J was walking her around, I tried my best to stop it but they wouldn't listen. In the end I got on with mucking out my stable and was about to leave when I think J realised I was very, very unhappy about the situation and said "I'm going to get the vet out". I've offered to be there when vet comes so J doesn't panic or forget to tell vet all the details, so I'm now waiting for her to call to tell me when he/she is coming.
I am absolutely furious with all concerned for being so damned complacent. They all think I am cruel for treating my non-laminitic overweight horse like a laminitic. I think they are exceptionally cruel for not getting a vet out immediately. I will try to have a word with the vet so see if he/she can get it through to J that she shouldn't fanny around when it is obviously an emergency. And hopefully J has realised that I DO know what I'm talking about.
Fingers crossed vet gets here soon!
 
Its a subject that infuriates me too. You can see it happening from a mile off.
My pony first got it when he was 5. I done everything to stop him from getting it. All it took was for some mindless idiot to throw grass cuttings over the fence and within 8 hours he had acute Lami and . I have luckily managed to now keep it under control with a grazing muzzle, good diet and regular exercise.

If i was you i would have a stern word with them and maybe get the vet to mention how evil this is. Failing that RSPCA/ILPH... Idiots
 
I don't think a lot of people regard laminitis as a veterinary emergency. There seems to be a lot of "I'll see how it is tomorrow" mentality. Quite frankly I think these type of people need a damn good shake.

Jo x
 
I fully agree, some people seem to think it is something that will just take a couple of days box rest. I have been on the end of Lammi with my pony and it is not pleasant.
 
ponies with lami are a veterinary emergancy and it annoys the hell out of me when people dont phone the vet.
Also bear in mind that its not always the fatties who get lammi. I have an old veteran pony who has been monsterously fat without a problem (seemed to put on weight when put on a starvation paddock and threw several bouts of colic when stabled as he stressed so much, managed to get every muzzle off no matter how secure it was) but now that he is aincent and extremely under weight weve had 2 cases of lami in a year with him. cushings is causeing it my vet believes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top