Laminitis

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_Hayley_

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My horse is 15.3hh 9yr old irish cob and he had hot hoofs today and was a bit worrid that he might be coming down with laminitis. he walks trots and canters fine feet are very tough (but has thrush) i have put him on happy hoof to be on the safe side he also has stamm 30. if he dosent have laminitis can he stay on happy hoof and stamm 30 will it affect him.?
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Happy hoof is just a complete food with extra biotin and low in the things that cause laminitis such as sugars and starches from what i understand so no it won't cause your horse any harm. both my horses are on it and neither have laminitis.

However, if you seriously think that it is laminitis then i would call a vet out. danger signs can also include a cresty neck so feel the top of his neck, if it feels solid and quite stiff then it be laminitis.

also make sure he isn't on too much grazing, espically lush green grass which is high in sugars. try to keep his weight down and feed little and often.

hope everything is ok.
 
Thank You for your advice. becasue stamm30 is a balancer would it matter feeding it with happy hoof.? and would happy hoof give a horse any condition.?
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Many thanks
 
if you are feeding a balancer you do not need a complete feed like happy hoof, unless you are feeding significantly less than the recomended amount. happy hoof is not usually used to promote condition- most people use if for good doers.
i think stamm30 is oil based, but best to be on the safe side and check with the company if its safe for lamanitics.
if the horse needs condition but you are worried about laminitis, feed a high oil chaff like alfa a oil.
if the horse is a good doer and porky, go for a low cal chaff like hifi/lite.

signs of laminitis include raised digital pulse, shifting weight, unable to turn on a tight circle on concrete and looking footy.
to prevent laminitis diet and weight control is very important. feeding a product in itself is unlikely to prevent laminitis. keeping the horse trim and on a low sugar diet will help.and keeping their feet in good balance.
 
Hey there. If you suspect lamitis the first thing to do is get your horse off the grass. Do NOT starve the horse but offer either soaked hay or poorer quality hay if you can get hold of some. do not give haylage as has too many sugars in it. If this is all you have soak for at least 24 hours.

you can even mix it in with straw so they have to forage for it.

signs of lami include reluctance to pick up feet and bear weight on any/all of other feet and also the 'founder' stance i.e. the horse 'leans back' onto its heels to reduce the pressure over the pedal/coffin bone. the back will look flat or even arched as the horse tries to shift its weight onto its back legs.

Do not overwork your horse as this can cause further damage to the delicate laminae in between the pedal/coffin bone and the hoof wall.

Laminitis is inflamation and destruction of the laminae in the hoof wall which supports the bones within, hence the pain and issues that arise. Heat and digital pulse CAN be signs of lami but not present in all cases. A cresty neck is NOT a sign of lami, rather a sign of an overweight horse, and overweight horses tend to be more susceptable to lami than those that aren't

PREVENTION is better than cure in this case and grazing masks during the day and restricted grazing or strip grazing at night are the best way to prevent lami in the first place.

Frosted grass is also dangerous as frozen grass holds in the fructans and sugars that are normally produced and lost during photosynthesis.

there....hope that helped!!

NB you can buy non mollased sugar beet or speedi beet which has no sugar and suitable for lami prone horses. there are plenty of feeds without sugar or low in sugar
 
The best way to check for the onset of Laminitis is to check the digital pulse on each of the four legs of your horse. (Get your vet to show you how to do this).

However the best way of avoiding Laminitis is to keep the weight of your horse down.
 
the best way to check for lammi is to check the digtal pulses. if he is getting the correct amount of happy hoof dont bother with the balancer. Take him of the grass for 24hrs and see if any change. When you put him back out minimise the amount of grasss and the time he has aswell to be on the sdafe side. But if he only has just hot feet that could be the infection in the thrush causing this!
 
Does your horse need feed? I would take horse off the grass and feed soaked hay. Forget about supplements for the moment.

A raised digital pulse can be a sign of laminitis, but does NOT show that a horse or pony is laminitic, it is only one of many indications.

Finally, I would call the vet if you suspect laminitis, the vet will advise you on the best management method, and also give pain relief if the horse is laminitic.

I hope that it is sorted out soon, and that your horse doesn't have this. Once a laminitic, always a laminitic!!
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did u get his pulse?? take horse off grass sraight away, some soaked hay to munch on, get the vet out tomoro
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i hate laminitus!!! whoever invented it should be shot. nearly killed my pony last year after she came down with it aswell as colic
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Thank you all sooo very much for your advice Featherpower thank you for all the information that i need to know
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babybells i never thought of the infection from the thrush makeing his feet to heat up.!! i will give him a good check over tommorrow with the vet
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Thank You All
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XxXx
 
you are welcome! It is the one thing that strikes fear into my heart but they can recover, even if the very worst happens! good luck and PM if you need any more info xx
 
Just so you know - get the vet to show you where his pulses are - heat in the feet is not an indication of laminitis as the heat fluctuates naturally during the day depending on whether he is shod, just been worked, been on hard ground etc etc

Also have a look at the The Laminitis Clinic website - if necessary gives you really good up to date advice on feeding and treatment of laminitis - good management is the only way.
 
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