Middle of December and hit with laminitis!

Tell me about it. My mare went profoundly lame over the weekend. Vet has diagnosed acute laminitis and I am just waiting for the results of the Cushings test since she is 28. No other symptoms though. To see the poor old girl flat out on the floor most of the day has been heartbreaking and box rest is not exactly good for advanced arthritis. The next problem is that if it is Cushings, I am looking at another £30+ per month. Not much in the grand scheme of things but her epilepsy and arthritis cost me £500 a month already. Today she was obviously feeling brighter and standing better and even being a bit cheeky. Despite all her problems she has tremendous will to live and enjoys her days. And now to cap it all, I had to take the cat to the vet yesterday and she is going back tomorrow for tests - suspect diabetes. She is elderly too, but similarly is happy and enjoying things. Its true, lightning really does strike twice and my wallet is smoking :( Beans on toast for the rest of this month, thats for sure.
 
Our pony got laminitis last December. He is very prone to it and we think that attack was because we couldn't soak his hay and he was being fed more than usual because no-one knew when they would next be able to get up to the yard in the snow. We couldn't exercise him either. Nightmare. Sometimes, as someone else has mentioned, a new batch of hay can kickstart it. Hope your pony is better soon.
YasandCrystal, your pony is gorgeous!
 
There are numerous things that can trigger off an attack of Laminitis.

However at this time of year it could well be emerging encysted small red worm that could cause it. They will not be detected on a worm count only by taking bloods.

It is therfore strongly advisable to worm your horse for encysted small redworms with a specific wormer at this time of year.
 
Janesomerset said:
Our pony got laminitis last December. He is very prone to it and we think that attack was because we couldn't soak his hay and he was being fed more than usual because no-one knew when they would next be able to get up to the yard in the snow. We couldn't exercise him either. Nightmare. Sometimes, as someone else has mentioned, a new batch of hay can kickstart it. Hope your pony is better soon.
YasandCrystal, your pony is gorgeous!
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Thank-you! We love him. All the kids have ridden him and we used to drive him too. He is now a great companion pony. I have owned him for 19 years! :)
 
missfitz50 said:
Hi there, sorry to hear about your horse :(

A friend's horse where I keep mine went down with laminitus last December. At first they thought it was hoof bind as it was the day after her cob mare had been shod so they were horrified when the vet told them it was laminitus!

Now she is on a strict diet, wears a muzzle all year round and no turn out if the grass is frosty. Her vet told her that it could take take just 20 minutes on frosty grass with sunshine for a lami prone horse to go down with it.

On the plus side, her once fat little gypsy cob looks amazing and hasn't suffered another attack since.
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The same happened to mine at the beginning of October this year. Sound as a pound and was then shod. It was in the really freakishly hot week that we had. It must have been brewing under the surface and then the concussion of shoeing brought on the most severe attack of lami she has ever had (had it twice before but relatively mildly).

I was close to having her PTS because she just wasn't improving. Fortunately, she pulled through but I am now having to be so careful with her.

She is now on a very restricted diet of Happy Hoof and Hay and is able to go out for half a day with a muzzle on. She has greatly improved - she trotted up the field for the first time since she went down with Lami on Sunday. But I am painfully aware that I am going to have to watch her like a hawk for any signs that she may give.

She is 20 so Cushings is also an issue. I am simply enjoying her being here at the moment.
 
As most know my mare has been in her stable since mid july with laminitis. vet ahs said there are loads new cases of laminitis this year .

cut down hard feed while still loads grass around my poor girlly hasn't had any treats in 5 months except an odd sugar free polo:(
 
Ladydragon said:
Without hijacking the thread - it's curious that you say that... Our yard's high... Turnout is pretty much the side of a mountain...

My daughter has a 17yr old pony on loan for my grand daughter so we don't have a lot of history other than "when her neck gets really cresty, she goes lame" from her owner... (Lovely lady with a toddler and new baby so no time at the moment to juggle the pony too)...

Since she's been with us she has dropped weight (I'd not seen cellulite on a pony bum before) and although her crest isn't fatty anymore it still hangs a bit due to muscle damage I think... They have to work in the field to move around up and down the hill I guess plus we brought them all in at day during the summer and out at night when it was particularly lush... But (touch wood) she didn't have a touch of lameness...

We look after her well but I've no reason at all to doubt her owner did either - she's had the pony since she was 11yrs old (the owner) so loves her to bits... I wonder if location is a contributing issue... We were dreading laminitis with her so overweight and a crest unlike anything I'd seen before...
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Unless the fields have been fertilised, I believe the quality of the grass is different on high ground. My Cushings TBx gelding suffered from low grade laminitis for years until I moved him to this current yard on high ground. He is now able to graze out with the others. His health and foot problems started when I moved him to a yard down in the valley next to a river from a yard on high ground - worked for my boy too:)
 
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