So - vet's 75-80% sure it's . . .

PolarSkye

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. . . laminitis! So much for not being footy ;). He's 100% sure it's a foot problem - and he's bilaterally lame (so not his right shoulder then). If it IS lami, and the vet is pretty sure it is, then it's only Grade/Stage 1 - so very early. Box rest, soaked hay, bute and sedalin twice a day and absolutely NO grass until next Wednesday and then we'll revisit. If there is no improvement, then vet will x-ray and we'll go from there.

If the x-ray doesn't show lami, then we're looking at things like navicular changes, problems with his bursar, DDFT, etc., but we've got a series of things to go through first.

So NOT what I thought he was going to say. So now to keep my boy busy and stress free for the next week. He has a stable toy that I will be filling with (non-sugary) treats, I plan to double-net his hay and make up/soak lots of smaller haynets, he'll have to spend some time tied on the yard while I muck him out, so at least he'll get a change of scenery. Any other ideas? He HATES being in.

I, on the other hand, am so fricking relieved.

P
 

ZondaR

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Having no idea of facilites available or what the vet may have to say about it, could he be turned out into a sand arena for a while every day, he could also have a companion in it. Is he allowed have hayledge? 2 nets in the stable, one of the soaked hay and the other of hayledge gives the impression of foraging. Hope he gets better soon.
 

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So sorry to hear that, but like you say, it could be worse. I'm not sure of his symptoms but I know my boy goes footy and displays 'stiffness' from the shoulder when the grass is affecting him...

A LOT of horses (My boy included - all 17.1hh of him) are being affected by the grass this
year so it really doesn't suprise me. Good luck with the box rest.You could try adding some magnesium to his feed which will help him process any dietary sugars and picking a few hedgerows for him to nibble on - Hawthorn and cleavers are particularly good - as are nettles... they will add interest to an otherwise boring diet ;)

Also a snack ball with some high fibre cubes in it can keep them entertained for quite some time. In the mean time I'd try and get a friendly equine to munch down a section of field for you as much as possible so that when he can go out, you have somewhere safe to do it :)
 

PolarSkye

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Having no idea of facilites available or what the vet may have to say about it, could he be turned out into a sand arena for a while every day, he could also have a companion in it. Is he allowed have hayledge? 2 nets in the stable, one of the soaked hay and the other of hayledge gives the impression of foraging. Hope he gets better soon.

Hi - unfortunately we aren't allowed to turn out in our arena - and we don't have a starvation/sick paddock either - so box rest it is. His nextdoor neighbour but one is in during the day (and out at night) so he'll have company - and he can see multiple fields from his stable (including his own but that just winds him up because he wants to be out with his herd).

I can ask the vet about haylage, but I would have thought it was a no-no for laminitics? I will certainly try hanging up haynets in multiple places . . . someone suggested drilling holes in large veggies and hanging them up using baler twine - might try that too.

He is just going to be so unimpressed with me in the morning when he doesn't get to go out . . . :(. Still, if it means he comes sound . . .

P
 

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Hi - unfortunately we aren't allowed to turn out in our arena - and we don't have a starvation/sick paddock either - so box rest it is. His nextdoor neighbour but one is in during the day (and out at night) so he'll have company - and he can see multiple fields from his stable (including his own but that just winds him up because he wants to be out with his herd).

I can ask the vet about haylage, but I would have thought it was a no-no for laminitics? I will certainly try hanging up haynets in multiple places . . . someone suggested drilling holes in large veggies and hanging them up using baler twine - might try that too.

He is just going to be so unimpressed with me in the morning when he doesn't get to go out . . . :(. Still, if it means he comes sound . . .

P

Whilst my mare had a laminitic attack, I fed her only soaked late cut hay. But I maintained her thereafter on haylage that was high in fibre and low protein. My own haylage supplier does large bales of this, but now that she is the only one being restricted, I feed her Marksway high fibre and she is fine on it. But never, ever will I allow her to eat normal haylage.
 

be positive

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Not what you were expecting but possibly better than some of the possibilities.

Soak his hay for 12-16 hours then rinse well to remove as much sugar as possible, I pick nettles for my pony, he hoovers them up, plus dandelions, cleavers, thistles, hawthorn, milkthistle, you can either put them on the floor or in a net they will help keep him and you busy.

Hope he improves quickly:)
 

PolarSkye

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So sorry to hear that, but like you say, it could be worse. I'm not sure of his symptoms but I know my boy goes footy and displays 'stiffness' from the shoulder when the grass is affecting him...

A LOT of horses (My boy included - all 17.1hh of him) are being affected by the grass this
year so it really doesn't suprise me. Good luck with the box rest.You could try adding some magnesium to his feed which will help him process any dietary sugars and picking a few hedgerows for him to nibble on - Hawthorn and cleavers are particularly good - as are nettles... they will add interest to an otherwise boring diet ;)

Also a snack ball with some high fibre cubes in it can keep them entertained for quite some time. In the mean time I'd try and get a friendly equine to munch down a section of field for you as much as possible so that when he can go out, you have somewhere safe to do it :)

Yes, vet said there was alot of it around . . . mild winter meant alot of horses came into spring rather too well - and Kal had the winter off so that was doubly true for him.

He isn't getting any hard feed at all at the moment - when he wasn't working b/c he wasn't sound, I cut it right out . . . but I guess I could harvest some hedgerow stuff for him to nibble on - there's a huge patch of nettles right outside his stable that could do with being "disappeared." His snack ball will defo be making an appearance - he loves, loves, loves that thing (even though he drives everyone on the yard crazy with the racket it makes).

Thank you :).

P
 

PolarSkye

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I expect you have her on super deep bedding?

Him . . . he's a boy (despite having a ridiculously girly neigh and a rather girly name ;)) . . . but yes, he's knee-deep in straw :).

One huge blessing about my current yard is that we pay a flat monthly fee for straw . . . so keeping him in and making sure he's comfy won't put my bedding bill up - hurrah!.

P
 

PolarSkye

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Not what you were expecting but possibly better than some of the possibilities.

Soak his hay for 12-16 hours then rinse well to remove as much sugar as possible, I pick nettles for my pony, he hoovers them up, plus dandelions, cleavers, thistles, hawthorn, milkthistle, you can either put them on the floor or in a net they will help keep him and you busy.

Hope he improves quickly:)

Not at all what I was expecting - and infinitely better than some of the nightmare scenarios I was cooking up in my tiny brain last night :).

Yes, vet said to soak hay for a good 16 hours - didn't say anything about rinsing so will do that too. We have a surfeit of nettles, dandelions, thistles and hawthorn at the yard so will do that - thank you.

P
 

Slinkyunicorn

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My mare had acute laminitis 4 or 5 years ago now:( but with proper management she has never had another attack since:)

Phone the The Laminitis Clinic Helpline - I think it is £1 a minute but is worth every penny. They deal with laminitis day in and day out and have THE most up to date information on how to treat etc If I had listened to my vets - one of the most 'respected' equine practices - she would not have made the recovery she has.

Make sure the bed is deep and absolutley do not move from the stable - even to muck out. It takes time and proper management to get the best results but it can be done - please speak to the Laminitis Clinic they are the experts in its treatment and will work with tyour farrier etc if needed. The helpline is only open for a few hours a day but please call it the will give you advice on diet and the amounts to feed etc etc etc

If you want to ask me anything please do- PM or on here:)

The bigger your horse the more it hurts them and the longer and slower you rehab them the better their recvoery. My cob was stabled from April until September!:eek::rolleyes:
 

PolarSkye

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My mare had acute laminitis 4 or 5 years ago now:( but with proper management she has never had another attack since:)

Phone the The Laminitis Clinic Helpline - I think it is £1 a minute but is worth every penny. They deal with laminitis day in and day out and have THE most up to date information on how to treat etc If I had listened to my vets - one of the most 'respected' equine practices - she would not have made the recovery she has.

Make sure the bed is deep and absolutley do not move from the stable - even to muck out. It takes time and proper management to get the best results but it can be done - please speak to the Laminitis Clinic they are the experts in its treatment and will work with tyour farrier etc if needed. The helpline is only open for a few hours a day but please call it the will give you advice on diet and the amounts to feed etc etc etc

Thanks for this Slinks . . . and thanks for reminding me that I need to let my farrier know - just as a heads up for now. Kal is due to be shod in a couple of weeks and depending on how the next week goes if he needs x-raying, I want my farrier to take his shoes off.

I will speak to the Laminitis Clinic. You have a great point about diet/management in the longer term.

It's only very mild lami . . . so, not out of his stable at all, not even when I muck out? Really? If so, fine . . . but . . . really?

Thanks again Slinky - and very glad your mare is fully recovered.

P
 

PolarSkye

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If you want to ask me anything please do- PM or on here:)

The bigger your horse the more it hurts them and the longer and slower you rehab them the better their recvoery. My cob was stabled from April until September!:eek::rolleyes:

Thank you :).

Oh poor, poor baby (your cob) . . . and, yes, I plan to take as long as it takes . . . he's been trying to tell me for some now that he's sore - does tell me how honest he really is.

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Slinkyunicorn

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Yep muck out round him - honestly no movement at all. But definitely snacks of nettles, cleavers etc

It is worth the long haul - really important not to lunge to early in the recovery as well so you don't damage the hoof capsule:)

She has made a full recovery - and it was well worth the effort I put in - you will need xrays for your farrier so they can see any rotation to trim and shoe accordingly. Again they need to bring a mobile xray out to do in the stable:)
 

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I used to pick armfuls of cleavers, dandelions also as they are diaretic, willow branches, it just used to break up his day with these and stop him getting bored.
 

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What slinks said is spot on! They shouldnt walk around or have the movement, as its painful and secondly you dont want further damage to the foot. My gelding only had mild lami and was in 3 months with minimal movement and he had to sound without bute/danilion before he was allowed out again.
Lami is incredibly painful for the horse so i always think you are better to be safe than sorry with it,
Hope he feels better soon!
 

PolarSkye

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Yep muck out round him - honestly no movement at all. But definitely snacks of nettles, cleavers etc

It is worth the long haul - really important not to lunge to early in the recovery as well so you don't damage the hoof capsule:)

She has made a full recovery - and it was well worth the effort I put in - you will need xrays for your farrier so they can see any rotation to trim and shoe accordingly. Again they need to bring a mobile xray out to do in the stable:)

OK - mucking out round him it is . . . along with nettle, hawthorn, dandelion snacks. Good point about the lunging as well. Vet has a mobile x-ray - will chat to him about that.

You've been very helpful Slinks :) x

P
 

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As Slinks says they are not supposed to move much at all to give the laminae chance to recover. Make sure he has a very thick bed so that his foot is supported. Oliver had lami a couple of months ago. I am a lami virgin so had no idea what to do. My amazing vet answered all my questions very patiently. He was blood tested and found to be border line insulin intolerant so was put onto Metformin. He has made a complete recovery...so far...and is a happy horsey again.
 

PolarSkye

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can you put him on shavings instead of straw?

I can - but (and this is a genuine question) - why is it better? His straw bed is very deep and soft with a good base. Also, he's much cleaner/dryer on straw so less chance of thrush - particularly in his rather concave right fore. Lastly, cost . . . obviously, I'll do whatever's best for him, but keeping a shavings bed deep and clean enough will cost me considerably more than the £30/month I pay for unlimited amounts of straw.

P
 

ester

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I'm a straw fan too ;) but if mine had lami he would be on shavings, it can fill the foot and provide support that way whereas straw can't really do that.
 

PolarSkye

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As Slinks says they are not supposed to move much at all to give the laminae chance to recover. Make sure he has a very thick bed so that his foot is supported. Oliver had lami a couple of months ago. I am a lami virgin so had no idea what to do. My amazing vet answered all my questions very patiently. He was blood tested and found to be border line insulin intolerant so was put onto Metformin. He has made a complete recovery...so far...and is a happy horsey again.

Point taken on the no moving/walking - we'll be getting very cozy together in that stable he and I ;). Thank goodness for the stall chain which will at least enable me to muck out with the wheelbarrow outside the stable/door open. His bed is ridiculously deep anyway - I don't have rubber mats and can't abide the thought of his delicate little self ever touching bare concrete so the base of his bed is always a good 18 inches deep - sometimes deeper with huge banks.

Vet is coming back out next Wednesday so hopefully we'll see some improvement and can plan a way forward.

P
 

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Shavings will not stay on top of straw. Shavings give far more support to the foot, which can make the difference between the pedal bone sinking or not. I would really urge you to change his whole bed to shavings, megazorb or wood pellets.
 

PolarSkye

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Also, what about hard feed? I had taken him off his hard feed b/c he wasn't working (b/c he was lame) and he was looking rather, ahem, well . . . but the general consensus is that you shouldn't "starve" horses with lami . . . so could I safely put him back on a small amount of the Alfa A Molasses Free or just leave him on soaked hay?

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Wagtail

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Also, what about hard feed? I had taken him off his hard feed b/c he wasn't working (b/c he was lame) and he was looking rather, ahem, well . . . but the general consensus is that you shouldn't "starve" horses with lami . . . so could I safely put him back on a small amount of the Alfa A Molasses Free or just leave him on soaked hay?

P

You may need the feed in order to give bute or danilon. I continued to feed my mare pure feeds easy.
 

PolarSkye

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Shavings will not stay on top of straw. Shavings give far more support to the foot, which can make the difference between the pedal bone sinking or not. I would really urge you to change his whole bed to shavings, megazorb or wood pellets.

OK . . . off to look at shavings prices.

P
 

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Or frog supports and leave him on the straw? Might that work, I think you can get frog supports you can fit yourself, or maybe your farrier could do it?
 
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