Laminitis ?

AdorableAlice

AdorableAlice

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My horse has just endured 9 months barn rest, following breaking down last August (inferior hind check) and has started walking in hand. 17.2hh, 18 yr old ex show hunter. Unshod, feet in good order and been fed soaked hay and small bowl bran/pony nuts to carry multi vit and a calmer.

He did 5 days at 5 minutes walk in the yard without sedation and was not footsore last week.

This week we have progressed to 10 minutes down the lane (smooth tarmac). It is imperative this horse does not pratt about or get loose and I used 4 ACP on him plus 2 handlers. On day 1 he seemed slightly footy as he came out of barn but as soon as he was on smooth tarmac he was fine and the 10 minute walk went well.

The following day we decided not to use acp, the horse was not footy at all but was very strong and we realised we were only just in control and would need to use some form of sedation for the future walks.

Yesterday, 4 acp again but he was very footy for several minutes (all 4 feet) but once going he was fine.

This morning I used 3 acp, bear in mind this horse is well over 700kg, so it's not a huge dose by any means. He came out of the barn and looked like a classic laminatic, rocked back, distressed and unbalanced. His feet were not hot and no pulse was evident. After a few minutes he regained his balance and offered to start walking. The 10 minutes was done and he strode along well.

I have spoken to my vet today and bloods will be taken tomorrow and the horse will be looked at.

In the barn this evening his fronts were warm, no pulse and his stance is normal.

Have any of you ever experienced side effects from acp ? any thoughts greatly appreciated.
 
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9 months box rest?!
Is there any rotations? My mare had lami last year and was only totally box rested for 3 weeks then walks inhand and eventually progressed to 4-5 hours turnout a day, but she had no rotations.
 
Sorry Montyforever, my post perhaps suggests the horse has been on box rest for laminitis, he has not.


He broke down in August, inferior hind check, that is why he has been in. Since his rehab programme has started with hand walking he has displayed signs of laminitis and I am wondering if the use of acp may have side effects that include footiness.
 
montyforever said:
9 months box rest?!
Is there any rotations? My mare had lami last year and was only totally box rested for 3 weeks then walks inhand and eventually progressed to 4-5 hours turnout a day, but she had no rotations.
Click to expand...

I have just edited my original post to make it read better. Apologies, it's late and I am worried about him, it makes more sense now.
 
montyforever said:
9 months box rest?!
Is there any rotations? My mare had lami last year and was only totally box rested for 3 weeks then walks inhand and eventually progressed to 4-5 hours turnout a day, but she had no rotations.
Click to expand...


Depends on the severity.

sinking
rotation
abscesses
pedal bone infection
set backs
flare ups

all this can delay or increase the time on box rest

My mare is on her 9th month box rest recovering laminitis as most know:(
if he has been in that long , could be his soles are soft and any walking on hard ground can be tough. Have you tried hoof hardener
 
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Oh I get you :)
I dunno about it being a side effect of acp but they can get laminitis through stress/box rest/weight baring legs (which would make sense in your case)
 
Not with laminitis but I have seen a weird reaction to acp. A usually calm pony who had it same as yours for calm walks following box rest. She was her usual calm self when doses but an hour later was like a raving lunatic. Frothed up, slamming into her door with a ridiculous heart rate. Prior to walking out even on box rest a tiny tot could have groomed her so completely out of character. Vets did lots of tests but the eventual conclusion was it was possibly an allergic reaction or a weird previously undocumented side effect. This was about 10 yrs ago.
But as its often given to laminitics to thin blood I would have thought lami wasn't a likely side effect. Any chance all the box rest has weakened his feet?
Fingers crossed its nothing serious x
 
Could it just be stiffness when he first comes out of his stable having been on box rest so long? Could it be poor circulation in his feet due to lack of movement.
Not sure if symptoms could be from ACP. Hope you get to bottom of problem soon
 
Thank you all.

This morning heat gone from feet. No walk until farrier and vet arrive a little later. It could be he just cannot tolerate having no shoes on and as you say his feet must be softer than normal.

fingers crossed he will be ok, it's been heck of a journey to get this far with him and we could do without a set back.
 
Mines always only needed shoes for heavy work but the quality of her feet did deteriorate after an equally long period of box rest, but grew back fine after so I hope its something equally simples for your lad. Fingers crossed & let us know how it goes with vet & farrier later.
 
I'm inclined to think it might be a mixture of soft feet and stiffness from what you say but I'm no vet just from general observations of others that have box rested for a long time almost as if they've nearly forgotten how to move and possibly are worried about getting out to the big outside after so long confined. If it's soft feet can you bandage a cold Animalintex on each foot to make a pad, perhaps that would help him rather than shoeing him too soon?
Hope it goes well with vet and farrier, sorry I couldn't throw more light. x
 
Better news, general thoughts from vet and farrier is footsore. Horse does have a slightly increased pulse in nr fore, but both feet cool as is his hind leg on the site of the injury.

Bloods being run now. We had him out and although he was sore, it was nothing as dramatic as yesterday, no rocking back or refusal to move.

Laminitis is unlikely but not totally dismissed yet. He responds well to Equieox so will have 5 days of that, and he will stay in the barn with a view to put a pair of fronts on in the middle of next week and start the walking again without acp.

It was interesting to see the difference in his balance/movement without the acp, although he was sore he remained upright in his stance and willing to go forwards, he also did not have the confused/startled look about him.

He wears breaking tack to lead him out, which helps prevent an unwanted explosion, (something that simply cannot happen with the injury he has) and I do think the combination of the side reins holding him back, us asking him forward, the acp making him wobbly and foot pain all contributed to the very dramatic rocked back, distressed and confused horse we had yesterday morning. As the vet said, although acp is an old and widely used sedative it does not suit all horses.

Hopefully the bloods won't show cushings and we can get going with the rehab after he has a pair of fronts on. We will rethink the sedation and maybe try without it. If I win the lottery tomorrow he is going to a professional rehab yard !
 
Glad to hear its good news so far, hope the bloods come back ok. Just think how much pleasure you'll get watching the first time you turn him back out, that's the only thing that kept me sane.
 
Thank you Littlelegs, I have his rehab paddock and leanto shelter ready, the fencers came in last week and sectioned off a small patch. All being well he will be in there by June.

It is an emotional roller coaster but he is worth it, he has done his best for us throughout the 8 wonderful years we have had him. I am sitting at my desk now with his picture of him galloping at the NEC and another of him winning at the National Hunter Show. He won't win anything else but I won't be giving up on him. A picture of him hacking out on a Sunday or picking grass in his paddock will be just as special.
 
I know exactly how you feel. It put paid to any affiliated competition unless I was willing to risk early onset arthritis, & no hunting. She's still ok for low level stuff luckily & still sound & healthy. But I wouldn't swop her as she is now for anything. The day she got the all clear from the vet meant more to me than any competition ever did & like you I get pleasure from other stuff now. Your boy sounds very loved.
 
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