Laminitis

[windand rain]

A few years ago one of my ponies escaped onto rested spring grass and within hours was sweating, panting and unable to put one foot in front of the other I called the vet who immediately fitted frog supports, acp and intravenous bute. He was confined to a small area in the field as we have no stables but the most he was allowed to move was a couple of steps each way so it was a tiny area. He was on a deep sand bed as he was out doors so bedding wasnt suitable in case it rained on it. He was fed every four hours day and night on high fibre food having unmollassed chaff and hay and straw mixed together. He had vitamin pills. He was on bute and acp for three days.
Within 24 hours he was sound on drugs
within 3 days he was sound on bute no frog supports
within a week he was sound off drugs but he stayed confined and on the deep sand for a further 30 days as recommended by the laminitis trust. He basically wasnt allowed to move for those 5 weeks to protect the laminae.
What I want to know is has this advice changed and if not how come people are walking out laminitic horses and ponies and is it not general knowledge that this is the correct way to treat laminitis
I am very confused now the laminits trust have been the specialist in laminitis treatment for a very long time have they changed their methods. As I said it is some time since I had a laminitic pony but he recovered fully in 5 weeks back to work and trotting along roads sound as a pound unshod pulling his trap

This was taken three weeks after he was allowed out of his pen and he was third at the county show he was attending

 

[muff747]

I do think it depends on the severity of the attack.
And there are some differing opinons on whether to let them move around or not. The Laminitis Trust is the leading light for many thousands of people but there are more than 10,000 members on the EC/IR yahoo group who turn to them for advice and theirs is slightly different in some cases, but they never advocate forcing them to move around.

 

[touchstone]

I also think that there are so many variables with laminitis that it can be difficult to make hard and fast rules.

Personally I always pen or stable on a soft supportive surface and only give bute if necessary to control pain, but I prefer to see how a horse goes without it if the laminitis is mild as bute can irritate the gut causing further laminitic problems; and pain relief can encourage too much movement causing further damage.

Once a horse is sound with no raised pulses with no medication after a few days, then I prefer gentle movement to encourage blood flow and healing and it helps with insulin resistance and metabolic issues which can contribute to laminitis.
You do have to monitor pulses very closely and I've found with mine that a raised pulse after turnout/ gentle walking is a sign that it's too much too soon.

 

[Lotty]

My 16.1hh mare had laminitis 3 years ago, due to very rich hay the yard had delivered and spring grass. At first I thought something was wrong as my mare was very quiet, I had her checked by a vet & farrier, then later by my farrier with no signs. My farrier told me to keep her in for a few days and call him out again, two days later I arrived at the yard to see her in the stable in that horrible stance.

Vet came out straight away put on frog supports & gave her bute & sedalin and she had to have this orally twice a day. Farrier came the next day after x-rays and fitted her with Imprint Shoes. To cut a long story short, she was on box rest (very deep shavings) for 8 months only coming out her stable to have x-rays every 3 weeks & the farrier. I fed her soaked hay and a scoop of Happy Hoof for her vitamins & minerals. She is fine now and touch wood has not had a relapse.

I did at the time ring the Laminitis Trust and they gave me good advice apart from the feed they told me to feed her - I thought what they advised was far too much.