Possible lami or something else?

[littlelessbloom]

So my pony has started exhibiting some concerning issues.

She's started basically snatching her nearside hind. This isn't every time I try and pick it up. Yesterday she was fine, but the day before after the farrier had been, I kept picking it up and I don't know if it was because she was irritated or because of pain. There's no heat in the hoof and no heat/swelling in the leg. She's also resting that leg a lot (can't tell whether this is normal for her or I've just noticed it more because of the snatching). She's barefoot, but seems to be a lot more footy on stony ground. She's also got grumpier with her saddle, but seems to be fine if I leave her off grass for a while before putting her saddle on (they might be two separate issues).

Farrier came yesterday and didn't mention anything and she's sound.

 

[cauda equina]

How are her digital pulses?
If she were mine I'd treat her as a lami case and get the vet out

 

[littlelessbloom]

Digital pulses were fine, but I will check again today when I go up.

What's the treatment for lami? She's never had lami before (that I'm aware of) and I've never had a horse who's had it.

 

[cauda equina]

Initially, off grass and onto a deep bed and soak her hay - opinions vary as to how long for, some people say 12 hrs but at least half an hr and then rinse off the soaking water before feeding

 

[cauda equina]

Just to add - no pulses is a very good sign but the increased footiness would worry me

 

[meleeka]

My mare only ever got laminitis in the hinds, so I’d check pulses again and treat as possible laminitis to be sure. it could of course be something entirely unrelated, but you don’t want to leave it to chance and she’s really sore.

 

[littlelessbloom]

Just to add - no pulses is a very good sign but the increased footiness would worry me

The footiness is concerned me. She's always been footy on stony ground, like I said, but I definitely feel her tripping and a bit more "ow" than before.

 

[littlelessbloom]

My mare only ever got laminitis in the hinds, so I’d check pulses again and treat as possible laminitis to be sure. it could of course be something entirely unrelated, but you don’t want to leave it to chance and she’s really sore.

I will definitely check the pulses again when I go up tonight. Is it possible to get it in just one hind? Offside hind seems perfectly fine and she's not showing the same sort of symptoms.

 

[meleeka]

I will definitely check the pulses again when I go up tonight. Is it possible to get it in just one hind? Offside hind seems perfectly fine and she's not showing the same sort of symptoms.

one foot is usually worse than the other, so it might just not be bad enough to notice.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

At the very least get her off grass if you can. My sister's welsh pony was 'off' on his near hind Tues evening. Wed morning he was non weight bearing and the whole leg was shaking. We moved him onto a very small area and poulticed the foot. He has improved steadily and is not obviously lame today. He did the same thing last year about the same time but that was a front foot. That time the vet couldn't categorically say what was wrong. We thought abscess but he couldn't find one. He just made a steady recovery on very restricted grazing an soaked hay. We are treating him as a laminitis case.
We suspect it was bruising on the hard and rutted ground. Your pony may be the same or it may be laminitis. Nothing to lose by treating as for laminitis.

 

[littlelessbloom]

Bit of an update - I went up on Friday evening and it was like a Laminitis Clinic. There are a few of us who are on lami watch as we have natives/ponies and one woman whose pony has EMS and is susceptible. No digital pulses, hard crest or stretched white line on my girl. The snatching also hasn't happened all weekend and she's fine to pick up all four feet. Rang the vet to talk to them and they said it's likely that the amount of rain we've had in the last few weeks has softened her soles so when she's on stones, she feels it a lot more. They said to use a dressing to protect the hooves and keep her off the stony ground as much as possible. The minute I notice any deterioration or signs of the other symptoms, off the grass, call them etc.