Laminitis with no improvement

[deepsoftheavy]

I can only remember with total horror that dreadful weekend when, despite every treatment (frog supports, bute, acp, diet, deep bed, no movement) my horse got worse and worse and the vet treating him wasnt on duty. I asked for iv painkillers and sedation to try and get him through until the Monday - and tbf he was improved by then but the damage was done (sinking and more rotation). He did have a short period of relative happiness out in the field some months later but I knew then that if I had known on day 1 what was to come (it was my first experience of this dreadful disease) I would have pts staight away. I know some cases do recover but, years later, the memory haunts me and fills me with pain. Im sorry if this isnt helpful but your awful situation has bought back that terrible time with a horse I bred and loved totally and watched go through real suffering because the vet and farrier wanted to see if they could save him.

 

[PSD]

I can only remember with total horror that dreadful weekend when, despite every treatment (frog supports, bute, acp, diet, deep bed, no movement) my horse got worse and worse and the vet treating him wasnt on duty. I asked for iv painkillers and sedation to try and get him through until the Monday - and tbf he was improved by then but the damage was done (sinking and more rotation). He did have a short period of relative happiness out in the field some months later but I knew then that if I had known on day 1 what was to come (it was my first experience of this dreadful disease) I would have pts staight away. I know some cases do recover but, years later, the memory haunts me and fills me with pain. Im sorry if this isnt helpful but your awful situation has bought back that terrible time with a horse I bred and loved totally and watched go through real suffering because the vet and farrier wanted to see if they could save him.

I’m so sorry my post brought back some sad memories for you. I feel like I know in my heart what I need to do it’s just accepting the fact I need to do it that’s so hard especially when my vet and farrier are hopeful they can help

 

[deepsoftheavy]

I’m so sorry my post brought back some sad memories for you. I feel like I know in my heart what I need to do it’s just accepting the fact I need to do it that’s so hard especially when my vet and farrier are hopeful they can help

sometimes I think professionals are in danger of looking at a living animal as a sort of experiment. Of course they want a good outcome but at what cost for how many?

 

[Blazingsaddles]

I’ve had a lami (ems) pony that had far worse rotation than yours and pulled through. This is how I managed it. 1. Deep bed of shavings up to the door topped up daily with fresh shavings. 2. A salt lick to encourage drinking. 3. Calculated (maintenance 2.5% if not overweight)daily soaked hay (Hot water is more efficient at removing sugars) & let dry (if fussy)divide into three feeds for 24hr period. 4. Remove shoes and use frog supports. Stable bandages if legs are are swelling. Keep her warm. Get those heart bars off and get a rehab farrier.

 

[PSD]

sometimes I think professionals are in danger of looking at a living animal as a sort of experiment. Of course they want a good outcome but at what cost for how many?

especially when there’s an insurance claim going through. The more they try the more money they get.

 

[ponyparty]

There is some excellent advice available from this website http://www.thelaminitissite.org/ and the related Facebook group (you do have to pay, £10 per year, but I have found their advice invaluable). So sorry you and your horse are going through this. 3 months of no change/getting worse... in your situation I think I’d pts. But getting another vet out and giving her one last chance is also totally understandable; I hope you get some better answers from this one. And the first ones - should not even be getting paid, I’d be livid with them! Not sure how that works with it being an insurance claim though.

ETA web link

 

[Equi]

How is your mare today P?

 

[PSD]

How is your mare today P?

she’s no different really. No better, no worse. She’s eating her hay now though so I guess that is an improvement, I have a different vet calling me in the morning to discuss about coming to see her. I just hope my vet cooperates and sends everything over to them promptly

 

[Ceriann]

i have no experience of laminitis but some great support and advice on here and I would absolutely get another vet out before you make any decisions. End of day your horse so if you want a second opinion your current vet should provide what you need. Hope you get some better clarity.

 

[MrsNorris]

Will she eat Marksway hi fibre haylage? It’s less than 5% sugar and is the only forage that works with my laminitic, their Timothy haylage is the same sugar level I think, but mine doesn’t like it as much. Maybe worth a try as she won’t eat soaked hay.

 

[PSD]

Okay so an update for you all - I had a completely new vet out to her today and I’m pleased with them however sceptical still ?

So basically she has bounding pulses in all 4 and she’s really bad particularly on her back end. The pain relief she was on wasn’t the best, metacam does nothing much for bone/skeletal pain so he’s put her on a high dose of bute 4 a day, upped her paracetamol to 40 a day and sedalin 1.5ml twice daily to get the blood flowing to her feet. Soaked hay only 3.5 kilos (I think that’s how it’s measured) per net per day, that’ll be fun getting her to eat that ? oh and metformin 3 times daily. He said the bed thing isn’t great, as a base yes but I need to put a huge bed down on top as it won’t be comfortable for her, he’s doing an fasting insulin test tomorrow so she needs starving from 8pm then she’ll have the syrup in the morning. They’re x raying all 4 feet tomorrow then they will go from there. He mention surgery but I’m not sure I want to go down that route really, I feel it’s quite drastic and I’m not sure she’d even be fit enough for it. But that’s another conversation for another day, we’ve agreed to see what happens tomorrow with the insulin test and x rays and go from there. He said he will decide whether the shoes will be pulled off and pads put in when he’s actually seen what’s going on inside her feet. He injected her with some painkillers that apparently are really good, My head is battered with everything though. But I’ve been told this practice is one of the best vets in the north west, I just hope I haven’t made another mistake with whom I’ve chosen to help her. So far so good (I think?)

 

[PSD]

Sorry my spelling and grammar are terrible haha!

 

[[139672]]

Sorry my spelling and grammar are terrible haha!

Good luck with your mare. I can’t offer advice as I thankfully never had to deal with laminitis but I am keeping my fingers crossed for you xx. My horse had an eye problem for 18 months and then had to have it removed and so I understand the terrible stress and worry you are going through. Best wishes Cat x

 

[Chianti]

Okay so an update for you all - I had a completely new vet out to her today and I’m pleased with them however sceptical still ?

So basically she has bounding pulses in all 4 and she’s really bad particularly on her back end. The pain relief she was on wasn’t the best, metacam does nothing much for bone/skeletal pain so he’s put her on a high dose of bute 4 a day, upped her paracetamol to 40 a day and sedalin 1.5ml twice daily to get the blood flowing to her feet. Soaked hay only 3.5 kilos (I think that’s how it’s measured) per net per day, that’ll be fun getting her to eat that ? oh and metformin 3 times daily. He said the bed thing isn’t great, as a base yes but I need to put a huge bed down on top as it won’t be comfortable for her, he’s doing an fasting insulin test tomorrow so she needs starving from 8pm then she’ll have the syrup in the morning. They’re x raying all 4 feet tomorrow then they will go from there. He mention surgery but I’m not sure I want to go down that route really, I feel it’s quite drastic and I’m not sure she’d even be fit enough for it. But that’s another conversation for another day, we’ve agreed to see what happens tomorrow with the insulin test and x rays and go from there. He said he will decide whether the shoes will be pulled off and pads put in when he’s actually seen what’s going on inside her feet. He injected her with some painkillers that apparently are really good, My head is battered with everything though. But I’ve been told this practice is one of the best vets in the north west, I just hope I haven’t made another mistake with whom I’ve chosen to help her. So far so good (I think?)

That sounds very reassuring. If her pain lessons then her appetite might pick up. Good luck with her.

 

[PSD]

That sounds very reassuring. If her pain lessons then her appetite might pick up. Good luck with her.

much better reaction than from my previous vet! I’m off to take her food off her now so I’m hoping she’s perked you

 

[ester]

seems thorough and more importantly you have a plan which will get you more information. I'm very pleased you've had someone look at her so quickly.

 

[Mule]

That sounds much more reassuring.

 

[be positive]

seems thorough and more importantly you have a plan which will get you more information. I'm very pleased you've had someone look at her so quickly.

A much better approach from this vet.

 

[PSD]

seems thorough and more importantly you have a plan which will get you more information. I'm very pleased you've had someone look at her so quickly.

thank you so am I! I was shocked at how quickly they responded. Within minutes I had a call off my previous vet to ask for permission to send the history and then my insurance called to ask if I was swapping vets. Only downside is I’ve had to pay another excess as I’m in a new policy year and any new invoices won’t be covered on this new premium. But having said that, it wasn’t put through as laminitis by my previous vet it was down as right fore lameness so it’s classed as a new claim and she will have the full 6k cover. Every cloud I guess!

 

[Pinkvboots]

That sounds much better I am so relieved for you I hope you manage to get her comfortable, please let us know how the x rays go.

 

[HobleytheTB]

Just having a decent plan I find takes a lot of the stress off. I really hope you get a positive result. The new vet sounds a lot more proactive and helpful, which is a massive help.

 

[PSD]

Thank you all so much for your support and advice. I’ll post tomorrow with an update - praying for a good outcome but what will be will be

 

[be positive]

Thank you all so much for your support and advice. I’ll post tomorrow with an update - praying for a good outcome but what will be will be

Whatever the outcome, which hopefully will be good, you can at least know that you have done your best and the new vet is on the ball with a treatment plan, the other one is best put behind you and informed you are no longer using the practice, let them know as it may make them think next time they are in a similar situation, it will not help you but may help another owner.

 

[Equi]

New vet sounds much more proactive. I hope everything starts to go up from now and if it doesn’t you can hold your head high because you have done everything you could have for your mare.

 

[PSD]

New vet sounds much more proactive. I hope everything starts to go up from now and if it doesn’t you can hold your head high because you have done everything you could have for your mare.

thank you. I’ll do as much as I can for her but I’m also prepared to be realistic too, let’s see what tomorrow brings. Will keep you posted

 

[splashgirl45]

new vet sounds much better and hopefully she will improve with the stronger pain relief. at least if you PTS you will know you have done your best for her..good luck

 

[holeymoley]

This vet sounds a thousand times better. Sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. Good luck!

 

[PSD]

Update

X rays have been taken and I’m just waiting for the vet to mark them up and evaluate them. They’ve said her back feet aren’t as bad as they imagined however her front feet a bad and they have rotated quite a lot. They sedated her to do her x rays just because of how sore she is, she hasn’t had pain relief this morning due to the fasting insulin test. Once she came round from her sedation she was straight down (I’ve given her a huge comfy bed) and she was completely flat out. I’m hoping this was because she finally felt she could get down comfortably - makes me feel awful now not giving her the big fluffy bed I should have been giving her. She won’t eat, but this could be the sedation. So I’m just waiting to hear back off the vet and also back to check on her later, the girls on the yard are keeping an eye on her too. I’m just hoping that she’s down bed side she has a big bed and not because she’s giving up.

 

[ponyparty]

I'd want your previous vet stringing up for this! Can't imagine how you must be feeling. You were acting on advice from the professionals - it's on them, not you. Please try not to feel guilty.

Hope the vet comes back to you soon with some hopeful news.

 

[PSD]

I'd want your previous vet stringing up for this! Can't imagine how you must be feeling. You were acting on advice from the professionals - it's on them, not you. Please try not to feel guilty.

Hope the vet comes back to you soon with some hopeful news.

It’s hard not to though isn’t it I’ve had a chat with a couple of friends about her today and they’ve said if I do choose to pts then I can rest easy knowing I’ve done absolutely everything I can. They said they don’t know how I’m emotionally coping, the vet is here every single week but the actually praised me for how much I’ve done for her