SEH
Well-Known Member
We found my 7 year old Shetland in its shelter yesterday and it was very reluctant to move. We very slowly (With a lot of effort) got it into a different shelter where we could pen it in. It is very overweight, and I am very worried that it has laminitis. It seems fine in itself, but is clearly struggling to even take a step, despite it seemingly have no pain or heat in any of its legs. It isn't leaning or moving its feet, it just stands perfectly still. It hasn't had laminitis before. Its still eating and drinking. Apart from laying down a lot (It always has) it showed no signs of anything wrong previous to yesterday. We will get a vet out, but obviously its going to be a struggle today, and we are currently looking for her passport.
It's mother died young of a mysterious illness which was originally thought to be grass sickness, but turned out to be most likely genetic when another related horse died, and whilst she was reluctant to move, the mother wasn't this bad and wouldn't eat/go to the toilet.
Its currently in a very small pen with soaked hay but we don't have a proper stable or anything to put it in, only shelters.
Does anyone have any advice on what we should do? What other symptoms of laminitis should I be looking out for? If it is laminitis, what will the vet do? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated, obviously very stressed and we don't know enough about horses.
It's mother died young of a mysterious illness which was originally thought to be grass sickness, but turned out to be most likely genetic when another related horse died, and whilst she was reluctant to move, the mother wasn't this bad and wouldn't eat/go to the toilet.
Its currently in a very small pen with soaked hay but we don't have a proper stable or anything to put it in, only shelters.
Does anyone have any advice on what we should do? What other symptoms of laminitis should I be looking out for? If it is laminitis, what will the vet do? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated, obviously very stressed and we don't know enough about horses.