shantih has laminitis!!!feel so angry with myself and guilty :(

amandaco2

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shantih just got lamintis for the first time.
shes 17yrs old and ive been mega careful with her.

shes was on a paddock with grass a few cm long had a muzzle on every now and again.shes the slimmest shes ever been!

i am just so annoyed at myself i feel like ive let her down.

she started to get footy last week but i thought it was a combination of the hard ground and her feet needing a trim.
they got trimmed on tuesday and she was really lame on wednesday and shes sat back onto her heels so i knew it was deffo lami then
frown.gif
.

shes obviously on box rest now on a shavings bed about 4inches thick with her feet wrapped up in pads and on a diet of straw and soaked hay in 2 small holed haynets.

but im stuck what dto do wtih her this summer!

the yards summer paddocks have been fertilised the last few years(other than this year but it will still be too rich for shantih now!)
and the grass on the winter paddock was so poor i just cant see how on earth shes got lami!but that gave her the attack.

i know shes older and may have insulin resistance or sub clinical cushings but still...

her weight is good, shes not fed any hard feed, shes not been running on hard surfaces.....

maybe the grass on the winter paddock was abit stressed and high in fructans even though its a few cm long......

the only op[tion i can see is if they make a dirt paddock ie no grass and she goes on that with hay all summer....

my poor ned.
i feel terrible leavcing her on the grass when she had lami now....if only i had followed my insticts and rbought her in as soon as she got footy(shes been barefoot for 4 years and never been footsore on hard/stoney ground) lami was a worry in the back of my head the whole time.darn im just mega annoyed.


and to make things worse ive got no car as THAT has broken down too and is being fixed(hopefully) so im cycling down twice a day and 20miles a day on that seaqt is really not comfy on the bum!

had a really good cry last night feeling guilty.

poor bey is in too at the mo as pig is attatched to her still and goes mental when she goes out of sight, although i suppose i will have to give pig some apc or soemthing(bey seems fine on out for walks and will be fine with a pal in the field im sure)

darn cant believe this.bet i end up getting run over on the way to the neds now!

Am
X
 
Dont beat youself up over it amanda, does she have a muzzle on all the time when shes out? perhaps that would be a good idea from now!?
 
I'd definitely get her tested for Cushings, particularly at her age. If test comes back positive you can put her on Pergolide (which is much cheaper these days if you don't buy through the vet). That will make it much easier to prevent future attacks.
 
its so annoying.
the pony is 48 and she had it at 22 and never again as we were so careful.
ive treated shantih as if she is laminitic all her life as shes got a tendancy to pile on the pounds.she has no other signs of cushings at all.i think i will still get her tested though!
thanks
smile.gif

she will definately have a muzzle on at all times from now on.she was having it on just in the day before to keep her weight down.
 
aww, I really sympahise. I have 4 ponies and 2 cobs and laminitis is CONSTANTLY on my mind. Last year I had the same thing. Daughters pony got footy and it just didn't register until she was clearly uncomfortable..thankfully a couple of months holed up in a stable and dirt paddock saw her come round with no lasting damage but I am now on tenderhooks with them all..
Hope you horse makes a full recovery..Mine now lives on virtually nothing in the summer with soaked hay to supplement.. so far so good...(touches wood
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I'm so sorry to hear that poor Shantih has laminitis, but don't beat yourself up, it sounds like you did everything right!

I'm in the same situation - my horse, Archie, is recovering from his first ever laminitis, despite me doing everything in my power to prevent it. He was on a no-sugar-and-starch diet, very limited grazing (on a small, well grazed patch), was having soaked hay, and on a range of supplements designed to prevent laminitis!

I have had my suspicions that Archie has Equine Metabolic Syndrome (which makes horses susceptible to laminitis) since about last September, but the vet was reluctant to do the correct tests back then (he thought I was wasting my time and money!) so the diagnosis was never confirmed. I've seen a different vet for the current laminitis, and she seems to strongly agree that he may have EMS, so Archie has had all the correct blood tests done now - just waiting for the results!

We've also had x-rays of all 4 feet, and there is no rotation or any other damage, so I think we caught it in time. Phew!

Have you considered EMS - there's loads of information on the net about it - when I read about it, it was a complete 'lightbulb' moment for me....Archie had all the symptoms. It might be worth reading up on it - current thinking seems to be that EMS is the cause of loads of low grade lameness and laminitis.

Anyway, cyber hugs to you and poor Shantih!

Tracey x
 
not ever heard of EMS will have to look it up.
thanks for that.
looks like i will be stressed and shanith will be on a grassless paddock all summer and autumn this year!cant risk her going ongrass at this yard if just a grazed down paddock gave her her first attack!
i wish i followed my instincts when she got footy.....
 
I know its a while ago but don't forget foaling and feeding a foal can still have knock on effects, so your management has probably been perfect but it was an effect from that.

Some times no matter how hard you try, the bl**dy lami still gets you, so you have nothing to beat yourself up over.

I thought we were doing well with Asti as we're using the paddocks earlier before they grow much and she's still piled weight on, even with being exercised more on no feed at all. She went out looking her slimmest too!

Hugs though, to you and S, hopefully you got it quick enough and she'll pull round quickly.
 
yep dont beat yourself up over it...my little pony got it at 25 and I was very embarrased but I think their metabolism changes as they get older and they become more sensitive about it. People also forget that Lami can be caused through stress and the weather has certainly not helped. I went down to my bigger field and my horses seemed to have grown over night...I marched them straight over to the smaller field but honestly dont get down about it...It can happen through a number of reason.
 
i was paranoid about it post foaling!lol.bey was weaned at least 10 weeks ago though so i dont think its due to her suddenly not having a foal to feed.
i suppose the stresses of carrying a foal could have made her more susceptable...
oh poo!
now im not sure what to do as she goes ballistic if bey goes out.and i dont fancy box resting bey for very long next door.maybe if i get some acp or something to relax her and then take bey..?
 
My advice would be have a chat with your vet.

I would also suggest that once your horse has fully recovered that you worm your horse for encysted small red worm (as they can cause laminitis) and discuss with your vet about prescribing 1 x Pergolide 250 Microgram for Cushings. Feed a scoop of Alpha Alpha daily as it also good for horses prone to laminitis as it neutralises some of the acids that initiate Laminitis. Also give a scoop of Formulae feet each dayto help reduce any toxin build up.
 
I would also suggest that you ask your vet to teach you how to check the digital pulse of your horse. You can then check the digital pulse twice daily and if the digital pulse has become stronger then this is an indication of there being a problem.

As soon as your horse goes pottery you should bring it in and keep it on a thick bed and call your vet. Any delay can increase the chances of your horses pedal bones rotating.
 
i already know about pulses.she had pounding ones.
shes much better now she has frog supports and some acp as well as bute.
she will have xrays in 2 weeks to check the rotation and heart bars fitted.
blooming horse costs a fortune, good job i love her!
vet was very suprised shes got lami-feet in very good nick and deffo not overweight either.
blooming mare.
she wont be getting it again, she will be on super strict diet from now on(it was strict before!)
 
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