REALLY difficult horsey problem (long)

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moodiestmare

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I have a companion pony I look after that has been pretty much dumped on me by the owner. The owner does nothing for her but it's complicated. She has been with us 3 years.

The pony in question is a gorgeous 11h welshxnew forest. In January she was very off colour and the vet came out and she went in to them for a few days. They told me she was laminitus prone.

When the vet told us my husband made her her own little paddock and strimmed all the grass out and replaced all her forage with grass. About a month ago she was put on laminaze (sp). She aslo has speedibeet, bran and laminitic chaff.

Unfortunately about a week ago she took a turn for the worse. Last Friday the vet came out and put her on bute and said she had chronic laminitis. He said he would get someone out to xray her.

Over the last few days she has had some sores come up (she has been stabled since last friday by the way.) I thought she had been a bit over zealous with her grooming because she was on bute and couldn't feel it.

Anyway, my husband and I decided that if the xrays came back and she was treatable we would take her on as ours and pay her vet fees so she would get properly looked after. This was not a light decision because she really is much to small to be of use to us. (My daughter is 3 so hopefully in the future may be able to use her.) The added expense of her treatment is certainly something we could do without but I couldn't bear her being put to sleep if it was treatable which was what the owner had decided.
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So, the xrays came in and the angle of rotation was 9% in one hoof and 11% in the other front. (I must admit this means nothing to me.) The vet was quite pleased though. HOWEVER, it turns out that the sores she has developed over the last few days are sweetitch.

Now I am just really in a mess about this. It was bad enough when I thought she just had laminitis but the poor souls got sweetich aswell.
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I'm sorry for such long post and I'm not even sure why I'm posting but am I doing the right thing? What else could I possibly do? I couldn't pass her to someone else and I couldn't bear to see her pts because of this. Any words of wisdom.?
 
Hi poor you you realy are in a pickle. Laminitas and sweetitch one or the other would put most people off. But both are managable. My pony is laminitic when she had her first attack the vet told me to put her down as she had rotation in all four feet but i knew lucy didn't want to give up. she does have a lot of other problems she has copd and spavins in both hocks. But with my careful management she leads a full life showing, hunting, sj, dsg, xc and doing endurance rides up to 80 kilometers. The vets are amazed she does it all that at 19 with all her problems. I would say its worth persevering with her but then i'm a big softy. Good luck with whatever you deside to do.
 
I'm going to be really harsh here. I'd suggest you have a chat with the laminitis trust as I believe that at 12 degrees of rotation, the damage is irreparable. Please do get a second opinion as my personal experience suggests that your pony's feet may be in a very bad way. I'm not a vet so don't take my word - but I would get more professional advice if I were you. Really sorry to be so blunt.
 
I think your doing the 'right' thing though i know there are plenty of people out there ((incuding the owner, if you can call them that!) that wouldn't. You have to be admired, good on you and best of luck.
 
Laminitis is an absolute b'stard. TBH, if you can't work the pony, you are already restricting grazing and you are feeding only lami safe feeds there isn't a lot more you can do to control it, except possibly trying pergolide which is expensive. So even if the pony recovers from this attack, how can you stop her from just getting it again?

I look after laminitics and "high maintenance" is an under-statement. If the pony isn't doing a job, I'd let the owner PTS.
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Oh my goodness, what a conundrum! The laminitus - i have had ponies that have had it really BADLY - so poorly in the case of one that he did not struggle to his feet for a week - but lots of bute - and he recovered and was ridable again - and with terribly careful management (i.e. never let it see a blade of grass again) was an OK sound 1st pony. The vet would have written it off - and I would never in a million years paid for X rays for it!
But to have sweetich as well...... For the ponies sake and your own, I would really consider sending the pony to my local Hunt - I am sorry, it could be seen as harsh, but lots of heart ache - you have no use for the pony, the pony has been dumped on you - and life is not going to be a bed of roses for the animal - be brave, do it - and move on.
 
I think you have to consider the pony's quality of life. its bad enough that lami ponies are on restricted grazing, often separated from the herd and with uncomfortable feet but if she has to be in a lot or on a small patch of grazing with out the ability to escape midges she may start to be miserable and I would rather my horses have a short and happy life than have them miserable - my little welshie is lami prone but copes very well with being stabled when necessary and being away from the others (I think she actually likes the peace and quiet at 14) but my big lad would absolutely hate it - box rest for him would be a living hell. It all depends on the pony....

Perhaps see how she gets on through this summer and winter when the threat of lami and sweetitch subsides and then reconsider next spring. Poor little pony - just imagine what would hhave happened had you not taken her under your wing!?
 
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..................we would take her on as ours and pay her vet fees so she would get properly looked after.

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Without stating the obvious, shouldn't this be happening anyway?

If you don't want to continue looking after the pony - call the owner, give them notice. Put it in writing, send by recorded delivery also - and tell them to make arrangements to collect her.
 
I think this little pony is lucky you care so much and I would give her every opportunity. But, as others have said if her quality of life will be such that she will be miserable and in pain without hope of recovery I would let her go. Sometimes part of loving them is excepting we let them go when the time is right. Hugs xx
 
Oh I am so sorry for you and this little horse.
You can of course nurse this animal and, with a lot of hard work and money, she will recover for a while.
Then, at some point in the future, it will happen again. Only worse. You'll have all the nursing and cost to do over again - given the financial climate is this something you're prepared to do? After all, this animal (much as you love her) isn't yours.

You say that you don't know what the 'rotation' means; honey you need to look that up. Basically, it means that the sharp bone inside the hoof has moved by 'x'degrees. It has rotated inside the hoof. I can't imagine how painful that must be - and she has two which have rotated. Imagine if the end bone in your toe pointed downwards that many degrees. That is what it feels like to this animal.

I agree that, if you want to keep and treat her, that you get written notice from the owner that she is yours. Otherwise, this horse needs to be let go as the potential trauma in treating a very poorly animal which isn't yours can just turn into a nightmare of grief and stress.

I wish there was something more I could say - it may be the kindest thing to let this mare go. Of course, its your call but I'd certainly get legal ownership of her before proceeding.
XhugsX
 
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