Paranoid about Laminitis

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RedVendetta

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I have been reading about so many lami cases lately which has led to me asking this question - What are the obvious symptoms of laminitis?
The reason I ask is because if my horse or any of his stable mates come down with it, I want to be able to recognise any obvious symptoms.
I am just a paranoid owner at the moment, and I am so sorry for all those lami cases I have been hearing about. Hope all your horses feel better soon.
 
The typical signs would be "footy-ness" - usually in front, but can be behind or in all 4, accompanied by heat in the affected feet, and racing digital pulses in affected feet. If you look closely, you can see them step heel-first instead of toe-first.

Once laminitis becomes acute, they develop the typical stance by leaning back and trying to relieve pressure on the toe. This is extremely obvious, even if you've never seen it before!

I'm sure others will be able to offer more advice. If you can catch it at the "footy" stage, the horse stands a much better (and quicker) chance of recovery.

I'm paranoid too, and my mare hasn't had lami in the 12 years I've had her! Best to be safe
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Thanks for the post Rana.
Sorry ot be naive but I keep hearing about 'footyness' and 'pottering' and don't really know what it means. My horse is as lazy as anything anyway so Im not sure how to tell the difference?
 
Look for things like a shortening of the stride in front, unwillingness to walk out, slight lameness on turns things like that. Thats all 'footy' or 'pottery' means- just looks a bit uncomfy. If your chap is a bit lazy, the first and third points are probably most usefull! Hope you never have to see it. My boy got laminitis in his back feet quite badly and so never had the classic stance. When his front have been affected (luckily not got that bad this time), he stillnever adopted the 'stance' just shifted very frequently from foot to foot.
Hope these help
x
 
Sometimes it can look almost as if they are holding their leg rigid - they aren't, but the way the hoof goes down makes it look like that. To be honest any horse or pony on a sensible routine shouldn't suffer, medical conditions aside.
 
My first knowledge of my horse's Laminitis (in hindsight I had other signs, but we know about hindsight
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) was that my horse nearly fell over when I turned him .... so I now ensure that he is walked on tarmac or concrete every day and that I see him turn quite tightly, but slowly, on this sort of surface ..... well done though as you are being a very caring owner worrying about this horrid condition .... and yes I am paranoid
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Rana from your post ..
[ QUOTE ]
you can see them step heel-first instead of toe-first.


[/ QUOTE ] sorry to question this but I thought that a horse should put heel down first then toe, just like we do
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Any reluctance to walk forward when leading out is a bad sign. Instead of tugging me towards the field, the 11.2 walks more hesitantly and reluctantly, and instead of taking nice even strides forward, he shuffles, or 'potters'.

Try to catch it before that stage though by checking the digital pulses which you can feel around the lower part of the fetlocks. You need to get someone to show you how and where though, it's not that easy to describe!
 
A stiffness in the walk, reluctance to hurry on hard surface and REAL trouble turning in tight circles on hard surface - not confidently striding out, ouchy.

The digital pulse, located under the fetlock, at the back of the pastern or on the back of the bulb of the fetlock itself, is described as 'bounding' and throbs strongly beneath your finger with little pressure used in detecting it.

The pony will look off - from slightly uncomfortable to obviously distressed, sweating, breathing hard, bolted to the floor in a stance one might liken to it being pushed over backwards from the front whilst its feet remain planted - hinds underneath and fore out in front. Or in really bad cases flat out on the floor, unable to tolerate the pain of standing.

It's a nasty business which is largely avoidable and desperately painful. Even more tragic when it is a side-effect of an unpreventable disease in animals whose owners give them the very best of care and actively guarding against laminitis.

Emergency action is vital and includes calling the vet immediately and while he is en-route, removing the affected animal from any grass and installing it on a deep shavings bed and if directed by the vet getting anti-inflammatories down it asap.
 
Hi Samps, my shetland has been diagnosed with mild lami, vet recommeded lamigard and v-biotic... a week after being diagnosed she is sound, BUT it was a very mild case and farrier thought she would be sound after a week anyway, havent used it long term to know if it works, but i am getting some magnesium oxide too.
PM me if you want any further details x
 
Oh ok thanks, mine doesnt have laminitis but i really struggle to keep the weight off one of them and i'm not sure whether i could use it as a preventative thing?
 
The trick is to catch it before it goes bad, and the first thing that you got to look out for is the crusty and hard neck,thats the first sign before they get lame and "pottery",then its the strong digital pulse in the fetlock,the minute the signs above starts to appear the pony/horse needs to get off the grass/strict diet and increased excercise
There is a very very interesting article in one of Horse magazines this week about the icrease of laminitis and that it can affect any pony/horse.
 
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