Poor pony has laminitis but so annoyed by the vet.

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Ive had a real bad day yesterday. On Friday morning i had an emergency vet call out as the old companion pony was in a classic laminitic stance. Having been in for 10 days and on a diet i was concerned so i caled the vet within 40 minutes the new vet at the practice came out.

Told me that he has a slight digital pulse but not enough for him to have laminitis and that it was thrush (i said it is laminitis and he said No), he gave him some bute and said to turn him out to get him walking about.

Anyway saturday i turned him out and he was a little better, however not so good today. I had a different vet out to Donna today so i asked him to look at him. He has definatley got laminitis and i have to see what he is like on Thursday, if no better then they want to blood test him and discuss the best way forward. He is 25 and also arthritic.

I'm so annoyed its unreal at the mo.

I phoned his owner who said that she had given him to me and hadn’t expected him back and that I shouldn’t spend lots on him as to be honest it’s not worth it and to let her know how he is on Thursday.

This morning the put up a fight when trying to get the bute into his mouth but he is not much better.
 
Not sure what you're annoyed about, really....

As for the Bute, get Danillon instead. It's far more palatable and most horses will lick it straight off the palm of your hand.

Did you want him to go back to his original owners, or were you just updating them?
 
Im annoyed because I called the vet out as an emergency on Friday last week with a pony who obviously had laminitis, to be told no he doesn’t have it and to turn him out.

I was just phoning to update the old owner, and to discuss the way forward with her to see if she wanted him back and to see if she was happy for me to have him put down if needed. As when I had taken him on I had made it clear that I was not going to be spending a huge amount on him and that if he developed anything I would have him put down.
 
Ok, I understand your annoyance re. the vet - but in your own mind you knew it was laminitis - so why not treat it accordingly? You could also have asked the practice to send out another vet, in whose diagnosis you would have trusted more. And you didn't have to turn him out.

I agree that we rely on our vets for diagnosis - but sometimes they do get it wrong, especially if inexperienced. As an experienced owner you knew (or felt) the diagnosis to be wrong and challenged it - and didn't have to follow their recommendation of turn out.
 
burness_21 said:
Im annoyed because I called the vet out as an emergency on Friday last week with a pony who obviously had laminitis, to be told no he doesn’t have it and to turn him out.

I was just phoning to update the old owner, and to discuss the way forward with her to see if she wanted him back and to see if she was happy for me to have him put down if needed. As when I had taken him on I had made it clear that I was not going to be spending a huge amount on him and that if he developed anything I would have him put down.
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Nice, not going to treat ? Just PTS, sound like it could be mild and could be managed with muzzle etc after initial treatment
 
Not being funny but I have never ever had reason to doubt the vet before.

And I may have had horses for years but I have never had one with Laminitis before. I turned him out on Vets advice as he said that it was Not Laminitis. He told me that the pony needed to be out and moving around so that’s What I did. I would have thought that a vet would know the signs of Laminitis and be able to give the owner/ keeper of the horse advice after all this was a specialist Equine vet practice.
 
I tried a muzzle on him in the spring and he was in so much distress at the thought of not being able to eat he didn’t even attempt to try to eat, This caused not being unable to catch having a hissy fit when I walk towards him with a head collar and it was causing other problems, I’m not putting him through that again.

Also the vet yesterday thinks that the Laminitis is most probably a symptom of something else as he had been in for 10 days and on a diet before he came down with it.

Im not made of money and have to look realistically at what is best for him. An eldery arthritic pony how now has laminitis, cant do a grazing muzzle, and is on bute in the winter anyway for the arthritis. He has to have bute for the farrier visits to trim his feet as cant pick up his hind leg.
 
NOISYGIRL said:
Nice, not going to treat ? Just PTS, sound like it could be mild and could be managed with muzzle etc after initial treatment
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Any horse that adopts a laminitic stance does not have a mild case! A mild case is being footy, short striding or struggling over stones.
The horse is 25, arthritic and its primary purpose is as a companion - sometimes you just have to be realistic, finances play a major part in keeping horses and it sounds as though OP is considering every option and running it past the owner too. It may well recover well and be easily managed but its better to be aware of all your options than blindly throw money at the vets.

Op - Unfortunately vets are human and make mistakes, trust your gut, the vet see's your horse for 20 mins once in a blue moon and you see it every day, you know it better than them. Fingers crossed he recovers. :)
 
Pony is worse this afternoon breathing heavy and sweating. I Phoned my main vets practice, And the main vet is coming out today to have a look at him and will discuss what to do.
 
Prob a new qualified Vet. TBH you now have a proper diagnosis - just make a mental note not to have that vet visit again - refuse their attendance when you have to call up next time.

I hope your pony will pull through. Laminitis is such a debilitating disease and leaves you feeling so helpless - be guided by the pony - if he is in pain and not eating then you know whats the kindest thing for him.

He could pull through this with time and careful monitoring between you, vet and farrier - you horse = your choice. xx
 
Well he was worse at Lunchtime so i phone the vet practice to say that he had deteriated and i wanted someone to come out. They phoned back and said the earliest appointment i could have was the 26th September. I said with all due respect the pony most probably wont be with us by then and i wanted someone today. The receptionist said i didnt realise it was that urgent ill phone the main vet, 2 hours later i got a call to say from her to say that he could squeeze me in tomorrow morning but that was the best they could do.


So i phoned the other vets, he was with me in 5 minutes, Took Rufus's temp listened to his heart rate checked his feet etc, has ghiven me some acp's to keep him relaxed and put on frog supports, he is having bute and said to call him tomorrow with an update and we would discuss his future on thursday.
 
Well done, other vet sounds more sensible.
I had my much loved old pony PTS because of lami last year, she had been on box rest for months and was in so much pain, she would never have been able to go out with her friends again so I decided to have her PTS. There are worse things to do.
Good luck with him.
 
Any update?
Agree with the blood tests, my mare at 23 went really lame with laminitus, despite being in work and fit not overweight, they took blood after no improvement on box rest for a week and it was Cushings that had caused the laminitus (her insulin was through the roof as well). She's now doing fine on 1mg Pergolide a day and has been back in work since spring.
My poor mare was in her box for about 4 months, 2 months box rest because of the really bad laminitus they were worried about her moving more that necessary and rotating the pedal bone, about 2 days after she could go out for in hand grazing to work up to going back out we got about 3 foot of snow that stayed for about 2 months!!!!
 
He is still very reluctant to move this morning, is still sweating overnight he has only had 1 poo last night, Ive given him some more bute this morning and an acp tablet to try to relax him a little. I bumped into my farrier in the supermarket last night and he said that to be honest he would put him to sleep. I will call the vet today to give him an update and I will see how he is at luchtime.
 
maggiesmum said:
Any horse that adopts a laminitic stance does not have a mild case! A mild case is being footy, short striding or struggling over stones.
The horse is 25, arthritic and its primary purpose is as a companion - sometimes you just have to be realistic, finances play a major part in keeping horses and it sounds as though OP is considering every option and running it past the owner too. It may well recover well and be easily managed but its better to be aware of all your options than blindly throw money at the vets.

Op - Unfortunately vets are human and make mistakes, trust your gut, the vet see's your horse for 20 mins once in a blue moon and you see it every day, you know it better than them. Fingers crossed he recovers. :)
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I know what it is thanks, mine is 32 and has arthritis, and is muzzled when ever turned out, I didn't notice the bit about in the stance, still a bit drastic without knowing for sure. Mine did have it mildly and I don't want him to get it again. No reason for him getting it, he is ridden every day not over weight, touch wood hasn't had it since with how I manage it.
 
He is on 1x Pergolide a day anyway for his arthritis, he has been retired 2 years ago as was unable to work at all. And has simply been used as a companion for my nutty mare. Even if we get him over the laminitis he will always be lame and progressively getting worse. As stated unfortunately he won’t stand a grazing muzzle and vet has said that without going down the x ray route etc there is not way of knowing how bad it is. The vet said that if no improvement by Thursday then to be honest it would be kinder to put him to sleep and thinks I would be wasting money which I don’t have at the moment.
 
burness_21 said:
He is still very reluctant to move this morning, is still sweating overnight he has only had 1 poo last night, Ive given him some more bute this morning and an acp tablet to try to relax him a little. I bumped into my farrier in the supermarket last night and he said that to be honest he would put him to sleep. I will call the vet today to give him an update and I will see how he is at luchtime.
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Well at least you have tried your best and if in that much pain it is the right thing to do
 
Pergolide is not used to treat arthritis it is for cushings disease, sounds like your pony is a cushings pony & laminitis is sadly one of the associated problems, to be honest if he is laying down & sweating I would call the vet & have him put to sleep today, you say you cannot afford xrays & these will only be the starting point of a long drawn out attempt to get him better. Sorry if I sound hard, but I wouldn't be waiting any longer.
 
burness_21 said:
He is on 1x Pergolide a day anyway for his arthritis, he has been retired 2 years ago as was unable to work at all. And has simply been used as a companion for my nutty mare. Even if we get him over the laminitis he will always be lame and progressively getting worse. As stated unfortunately he won’t stand a grazing muzzle and vet has said that without going down the x ray route etc there is not way of knowing how bad it is. The vet said that if no improvement by Thursday then to be honest it would be kinder to put him to sleep and thinks I would be wasting money which I don’t have at the moment.
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Pergolide for arthritis? I thought that was used to treat Cushings, which can go hand in hand with lami. Did the owners send him with the Pergolide? I wonder whether he's had lami before, hence their reaction when you called them.

Anyway, hope he's feeling a bit better now, I really feel for you and I understand your frustration with the vet. Their reaction on the phone (can't come until 26th Sept) is out of order - can only assume they didn't understand the emergency.
 
When I asked the vet last year for some bute for him to help him with his arthritis im sure that’s what they gave me, you have made me doubt myself now I will check the box as I may have gotten it wrong.
When I phoned the owner she is a lady in her 80’s who runs a riding stables and is very old school when it comes to horses with health issues.

Anyway the vet is coming between 5 and 6 to put him down.
 
Very sensible decision IMHO, at his age he doesn't need all that pain he's in so I think you're doing the right and responsible thing for him. Don't forget to let your others see and sniff him though, it'll bring closure for them too. RIP little man.
 
burness_21 said:
Pony is worse this afternoon breathing heavy and sweating. I Phoned my main vets practice, And the main vet is coming out today to have a look at him and will discuss what to do.
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Sounds as though your original instincts were right. Follow them now as ir doesn't just sound like a case needing treatment for the laminitis as it sounds difficult to manage afterwards.Sometimes it is best to let them go.
 
Im sorry i got the name of what he was taking wrong it was Equipalazone, Vet came out just after 5 to put him down. Thank you to J Howard on here for coming out for moral support and holding him for me, I didn't want to be there when he went down.

Donna got quite stressed so we gave her some acp's and when the vet had gone i led her over to see him, as she was ok we decided to turn her out with him and leave some hay near him as i had arranged a new little companion for her and left her out with him for her to have some time with him whilst we went to get the new pony.

Donna is now in with the new pony next door.

RIP Rufus
Rufus.jpg
 
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