Not sure- laminitic episode or not?

Dogstar

Dogstar

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When I got my laminitic mare in to ride last evening, I was instantly concerned. Her nostrils were flared which was odd, though it was a hot day. He face looked odd/pained. Also, when I led her in I thought she was walking stiffly. She hasn't had laminitis since her initial attack in May '08 when she was too fat and I have kept her slim since then. Currently, she is lean (you can easily see her ribs when she moves) but she does accumulate fat on her quarters and neck. I got her in and called the vet to see what to do and my vet came out quickly with the intention of giving her anti-inflammatories. However when he did the pincer test and trotted up, he couldn't really find anything. He just gave her a painkiller and not an AI as he said that would mask anything. He said 'IF she does have laminitis you have caught it very early' and just said to carry on as normal if she didn't go downhill at all. So I left her in on a deep bed last night and am wondering what to do now! She is a door kicker so I think it will do her more harm than good to keep her in much longer. So I am not sure what to think- obviously relieved as she seems normal today! Has anyone else had a similar experience? I guess it may have been something unrelated...thanks
 
Treat as for laminitis - in other words, lockdown. In spite of what your vet says I wouldn't carry on as normal until she is completely normal. Stance, digital pulse and movement. If, in a couple of days she is moving freely and turning properly on concrete as long as the painkillers have definitely worn off, I might be tempted to say it was unrelated, but laminitis has a way of coming on gradually. Once the chain of events has begun, only a fool would keep a horse moving and courting even more damage and destruction inside the hoof capsule. Rest, laminitis diet and caution is my advice.
 
Hi many thanks for the reply. I am naturally cautious and so do like your advice, but as I said I am just concerned about the serious door banging doing more hoof damage than anything :-(
I am just popping home from work to see her now, so I will give her some more soaked hay to keep her occupied and keep her in for now, if she really does start clobbering everything badly I have a tiny starvie paddock. Just feeling a bit confused. Thanks again.
 
PS How long would you say to lock down for, a month? Just looked at her now, she is quite subdued -though this could be because she is fed up being in. I just walked her a short way along the yard and thought she was still putting her feet down a bit 'slowly' so have just bought some more shavings and will keep her in. I can feel a pulse below her fetlock but the vet didnt comment on this? Thanks again.
 
You know her better than any vet and the pulse and ginger movement is a dead give-away. The thing is, if it isn't laminitis, you will do no physical damage by doing the whole shavings bed/soaked hay routine. If it is, you'll do untold damage by carrying on as per vet's instructions. I try to remember, the vets don't have to watch day upon day od painful shifting, sad faces at the horrid food and the anguish of having your best friend obviously so uncomfortable and dow.
All they do is come round with painkillers and a bill. It's how they survive as a practise (call me cynical?) but I never get the impression laminitis is 'urgent'. To me, it's up there with tetanus, colic' grass sickness and strangles (this last for the secondary worries as well as the primary disease).

To solve the banging and any damage to the hoof you feel doing this may cause, rig up a breast bar (with a carpet or rubber dootr infill flap) and leave the door open.

I'm pleased you are taking this seriously. A friend ignored all my warnings pre laminitis, and hers is now PTS.

Lockdown until bringing her out onto concrete shows no hesitant steps after a few days of no painkillers. Initially keep her in for a few days and see what you think. DO NOT allow access to unmuzzled grazing and return to previous 'diet' very carefully indeed.
 
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Thanks so much for the reply, I have only ever experienced the one episode of laminitis before and usually would follow the vet's advice to the letter, but I am just feeling uneasy about this so definitely agree with your approach. I am just praying it goes the right way now :-/
 
I always used to follow veterinary advice to the letter too. That is, until my pony displayed very similar symptoms to your mare. He too had had laminitis previously. The vet said to walk him out in hand as much as possible, to get his weight down and his circulation going. I was in two minds about this, much as you are now, but we did as he said, my poor boy got considerably worse, I got the vet back to do X-rays and he had foundered on his near fore. I'm sure if I'd rested him, this wouldn't have happened. My boy is much improved now and I tend to listen to my gut instinct and my farrier more than anyone else! Where we are, we have to go out for walks/hacks via a steep hill, so my boy is just pootling around in small, flat paddocks at the moment (stabled overnight). Good luck with your mare.
 
Dogstar said:
Thanks so much for the reply, I have only ever experienced the one episode of laminitis before and usually would follow the vet's advice to the letter, but I am just feeling uneasy about this so definitely agree with your approach. I am just praying it goes the right way now :-/
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How old is she? And while you are contemplating the procedure over the next week, why not do a search on here for laminitis and Cushing's? There is a mountain of good advice, lots of links to useful websites (Johnthevet and safergrass and YahooGroups to name but three) and make yourself a bit more informed. You cannot be too cautious with laminitis, but do your homework and you can improve her days and your nights of worry by implementing the tips you find.

Good luck, don't give in or get too depressed as that also affects the horse because they pick up on your body language and demeanour! Pile in the shavings and work out a way to keep her lightly fed and entertained while you assess the damage over the next few days.

And let us know how you get on.
 
We had this start in April - after being slightly lame for a few weeks (no other signs, vets x rayed for arthritis and found nothing) my p/l mare suffered 2 seizures of unknown cause and came down with full blown crippling laminitis. She's always muzzled when out, ridden every day, has only Happy Hoof in the way of feed and has her hay soaked - the vet said it was through no fault of our own (stress due to the seizures we suspect) but we were certain it WASN'T lami to start with...it turned out to be. It was like nothing we've ever seen before! She was stiff, lame in trot but didn't have the stance and wasn't lethargic or displaying any of the signs she usually does. The vet said he wasn't sure if there was anything we could do for her.
We are now riding her again :)
Door kickers on our yard are generally more interested in how much noise they can cause rather than actually kicking the door so the owners staple cushions to the inside of the door to muffle the noise - and they've stopped! The one very persistant gelding got the top door of his stable locked up for a few hours too - it stopped him.
Follow veterinary advice to every slight detail AND more - you do know your horse better than anyone and even what they say could be wrong (they had us riding Kel through the start of lami, buted up thinking it was just mild arthritis and after 2 days we stopped, put her back on box rest and rang the vet out again). Don't try and run before you can walk...when she is moving fine and freely, you could try turning her out for a short while in a grass muzzle (even though she is slim now, the rain and sun makes for very lush high sugar grass!) :)
I hope your mare makes a very quick full recovery and rest isn't too much of a pain...!!
K x

ETA - they do make special laminitic treats - invest in a treat ball and some sugar free lami treats to keep her occupied - the vet also told us it was good to keep her from getting stiff on box rest walking round after that in her stable.
 
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If you have a horse that kicks hell out of the stable i keep a bare patch of paddock well fenced for the purpose of laminitis unless it is of the really severe bout in which case you are stuffed and have to get them in. One of mine is checked almost daily for it and at the first sign she is in the bare paddock until i think it is safe to let her out again. This year appears to have been particularly bad for it lots of horse are in or in starvation paddocks.
 
KellysHeroes, it's really interesting what your vet said about a treat ball, as our pony used to be really stiff when he came out of his stable in the morning (it's a big stable, so he's not cramped for space). I bought him a decahedron and left it with him at night, with some Happy Hoof in. He loves it, has got the knack of keeping it out of the bedding so he doesn't lose the food, and his stiffness has virtually gone.
 
I can't add any more as people have given you good advice :)

My mare came down with lami in March, she was quiet, subdued and walking as if on egg shells. Both the vet & farrier came, tests were done but she didn't react to any so they said to keep her in for the next few days. Well 2 days later she was crippled, it was awful :(

On Friday night I have just received the all clear from the vet and can slowly bring her back into work. It's going to be a whole new different routine now.

Good luck
 
Thanks for all the very helpful replies. The latest is that I kept her in until Sunday, when I noticed some thick nasal mucus and panicked about her RAO (as she has had lung infections previously). She looked 100% sound, so I fenced a tiny area in the corner of her starvation paddock and kept her in there until lunchtime today, when I 'phoned the Laminitis Clinic. They said, as some on here have said, that I know my horse best- and if my gut instinct is that it was slight laminitis, then keep her shut in on shavings. They understood about the dust allergy worry and that that needed to be balanced, but they added that her mud area would NOT offer the correct support; only shavings would. They said that even though she looks sound, I should ideally keep her in for 4 weeks as a precaution. So, poor Ellie has been shoved back inside. I would rather have 4 weeks of frustration than a lame horse that's off for 6 months with no guarantee of recovery. The door banging is a worry- she doesn't just bang the door, but kicks the whole stable if the top door is shut! When I tried lining the door with matting she just pulled it off! My main concern is the RAO though so wish me luck! Thanks again for all the kind replies.
 
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