Sore feet?

[9tails]

Oh FGS... laminitis is basically a horse that has type 2 diabetes! It needs to eat less.. and work more. Like most people on this planet. It really is NOT fatal!!!! Get in this century.

OP please do not worry yourself into a hole with the keyboard warriors. Soak some hay, get him off the sweets (aka grass), do research which I’m sure you’re capable of and let me tell you, it will be fine.

The pony can't be worked while suffering an attack of laminitis. If the pony is indeed suffering from laminitis. This is a new owner whose experience seems limited so advising that the pony needs to be worked may be acted upon immediately.

 

[Red-1]

Lami always needs the vet IMO. I would want X rays to see what you are dealing with.

 

[paddy555]

Oh FGS... laminitis is basically a horse that has type 2 diabetes! It needs to eat less.. and work more. Like most people on this planet. It really is NOT fatal!!!! Get in this century.

.

oh shit I wish I had known!!

I had to have mine PTS with laminitis. He was in such pain he could not be allowed to continue on welfare grounds and the vet was unable to do anything else for him. I did consider working him but as it took him several minutes to move even a couple of feet I just couldn't see how that would have worked.

Are you telling me I had him PTS unnecessarily? It was in this century BTW.

 

[scats]

Oh FGS... laminitis is basically a horse that has type 2 diabetes! It needs to eat less.. and work more. Like most people on this planet. It really is NOT fatal!!!! Get in this century.

OP please do not worry yourself into a hole with the keyboard warriors. Soak some hay, get him off the sweets (aka grass), do research which I’m sure you’re capable of and let me tell you, it will be fine.

EMS is effectively the equivalent of Type 2 diabetes, laminitis is not. EMS can be cured by working more and eating less, yes, which in turn will reduce the risk of laminitis.
I do think it’s important to remember that laminitis can be caused by anything that causes a toxic response in the horses blood stream.

 

[tallyho!]

oh shit I wish I had known!!

I had to have mine PTS with laminitis. He was in such pain he could not be allowed to continue on welfare grounds and the vet was unable to do anything else for him. I did consider working him but as it took him several minutes to move even a couple of feet I just couldn't see how that would have worked.

Are you telling me I had him PTS unnecessarily? It was in this century BTW.

I’m sorry for your loss 😢. I’m sorry I posted my post. Im ashamed I posted such flippant thoughtless drivel.

 

[paddy555]

I’m sorry for your loss 😢. I’m sorry I posted my post. Im ashamed I posted such flippant thoughtless drivel.

now you make me feel bad.

 

[tallyho!]

Not as bad as I feel paddy! Honestly sometimes I despair at myself.

I do get a bit cross when it comes to lami and vets I'm afraid. I personally don't think they are much help - but that's me! Not many people share my views and I'd do well to remember that and shut my errr... keyboard gob!!

 

[Tiddlypom]

tallyho!, you were very helpful when I asked you about going barefoot and which podiatrist qualification to look for. The podiatrist I ended up using after following your recommendations has done wonders for my horses’ feet .

 

[Smogul]

EMS is effectively the equivalent of Type 2 diabetes, laminitis is not. EMS can be cured by working more and eating less, yes, which in turn will reduce the risk of laminitis.
I do think it’s important to remember that laminitis can be caused by anything that causes a toxic response in the horses blood stream.

Yes, my Shetland also had to be put down. Management was correct, she had been very fit and the right weight but on top of horrendous sweet itch and a pelvic problem, our experienced vet felt stress was a major factor in triggering the laminitis.

 

[Leo Walker]

I lost my boy as well. 6yr old no EMS, no underlying metabolic conditions that could be found. He was in the most work of his life, good weight, fed and managed as a lami risk. He still got it. He still died from it.

Vets don't annoy me as much as owners not taking it seriously. Only 30% of horses recover once the pedal bone starts sinking. That means 70% die.

A bout of low grade lammi like this is a chance to stop it in its tracks. But that involves xrays, sympathetic trimming to those xrays and management changes. Not diagnosis by a vet nurse and nettle flaming tea!

And just for the record, my dead horse had all sorts of herbs, one of which was nettle. Didn't do anything for him.

 

[ycbm]

Not as bad as I feel paddy! Honestly sometimes I despair at myself.

I do get a bit cross when it comes to lami and vets I'm afraid. I personally don't think they are much help - but that's me! Not many people share my views and I'd do well to remember that and shut my errr... keyboard gob!!

You were correct in the essence of what you said even if the way you said it wasn't brilliant TH. (Been there!) The vast majority of laminitis is caught very early by knowledgeable owners or advisors like farriers and yard owners, and in this case a vet nurse. They don't get X rayed, they just get taken off the grass for a while, and nobody hears about them. In forty years I've had three of my own and seen at least a dozen others with friends and neighbours and none of them had vet visits. One of those was a friend's pony who was extremely sore, the parents were away and the daughter asked for my help. I phoned the vet and he said Bute for four days, deep bed, off grass, call back if it doesn't improve. Did not even want to come out, still less X ray. I see two ponies in different areas which stand with both front feet propped forward and huge crests each summer, are fine in winter and repeat the cycle again every year. (their owners need a good talking to!).

It's only a small proportion of cases that are emergencies and still fewer which go on to a life threatening pedal bone rotation. It must be absolutely terrible if you've lost a horse to it, particularly as ignorant people will assume it was a management issue. Cushing's and stress related laminitis are desperately difficult to manage and I feel for anyone who struggles with that or has lost a horse to it.

I think the majority of experienced horse owners would do what the OP has been told to do with a fat pony which is sore on stones; get it off the grass and onto a diet.

DM if the pony is not already more comfortable, you do need to call a vet.


.

 

[splashgirl45]

ycbm i understand where you and th are coming from but this is a new owner with a 4 year old and while we alli have been around horses for many years the OP has not so i still feel that it would be prudent to have a vet , where is the pain relief coming from or is there none?

 

[ycbm]

DM did say the pony is on Nobute, which is a devil's claw/MSM preparation which has been scientifically proved to be effective and is banned from competition horses. She is also not a novice on her own, she is getting advice from a more experienced person who has taught her about digital pulses. It's not certain the pony actually needs pain relief. My loaner let my mini get laminitis this spring and she was never given pain relief as she improved rapidly once off the grass.

DM I would repeat my advice that if your pony is not already looking improved, you need a vet. It's never wrong to get a vet, especially if you are an inexperienced owner.