Jim bob
Well-Known Member
My horse was diagnosed with a condition called Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis by my vet in late May.
Since then we have tried a few things, bute and antibiotics and covering his legs while in the field to steroid cream. Around 3 weeks ago, after my vet did a blood test to check his liver which came back clear. My vet suggested oral steroids, he said he had to make me aware of the risk of laminitis. But give my boy is a 17hh poor doer tb, who was already on the skinny side , my vet was suggesting the risk was low so 'should be fine'.
To start of with my boy spent time in a sectioned bit of our big field, slowly I built up the amount of time he was with the bigger part of the field with the other horses. He still spent more then half the time in the sectioned of bit of the field. Around two weeks ago. I noticed his pulses were very strong, so I kept him in that night with soaked hay and rang the vet, even though it was a Sunday afternoon to see whether I should still give him the steroids, the vet said not to and to speak to the vet overseeing my horses care the following day. I spoke to the vet the following day who said they needed to see him the following day.
So the vet came down , watched him turn 2 tight circles , felt his pulses and his feet, trotted him up and went around with his hoof testers. He told me he thought my horse didn't have laminitis. But to half the dose of steroids he was on, turn him back out and worked lightly in a weeks time. I spoke to my vet this week to update him on how he was doing, he said to increase the steroids a little more and to start light hacking. However that night, my horse came in from the field pottering, his feet were quite warm and pulses were very fast but not strong. I kept him in and with soaked hay and didn't give him the steroids that night, spoke to my farrier that night and he said I can keep him in to play it safe, the vets were all in surgery.
The following day ( today) my farrier came down and said In terms of grass induced laminitis he can advise but with drug induce he didn't really know what to do . Which is fine atleast he was honest. I rang the vet today, updated him on how he was and said sorry for ringing him twice in two days! My vet told me to stop the steroids for the weekend, said he can go back out in the field. But if he is very sore, stable him and they will review him next week.
Anyone have any thoughts or experiences of this?
Since then we have tried a few things, bute and antibiotics and covering his legs while in the field to steroid cream. Around 3 weeks ago, after my vet did a blood test to check his liver which came back clear. My vet suggested oral steroids, he said he had to make me aware of the risk of laminitis. But give my boy is a 17hh poor doer tb, who was already on the skinny side , my vet was suggesting the risk was low so 'should be fine'.
To start of with my boy spent time in a sectioned bit of our big field, slowly I built up the amount of time he was with the bigger part of the field with the other horses. He still spent more then half the time in the sectioned of bit of the field. Around two weeks ago. I noticed his pulses were very strong, so I kept him in that night with soaked hay and rang the vet, even though it was a Sunday afternoon to see whether I should still give him the steroids, the vet said not to and to speak to the vet overseeing my horses care the following day. I spoke to the vet the following day who said they needed to see him the following day.
So the vet came down , watched him turn 2 tight circles , felt his pulses and his feet, trotted him up and went around with his hoof testers. He told me he thought my horse didn't have laminitis. But to half the dose of steroids he was on, turn him back out and worked lightly in a weeks time. I spoke to my vet this week to update him on how he was doing, he said to increase the steroids a little more and to start light hacking. However that night, my horse came in from the field pottering, his feet were quite warm and pulses were very fast but not strong. I kept him in and with soaked hay and didn't give him the steroids that night, spoke to my farrier that night and he said I can keep him in to play it safe, the vets were all in surgery.
The following day ( today) my farrier came down and said In terms of grass induced laminitis he can advise but with drug induce he didn't really know what to do . Which is fine atleast he was honest. I rang the vet today, updated him on how he was and said sorry for ringing him twice in two days! My vet told me to stop the steroids for the weekend, said he can go back out in the field. But if he is very sore, stable him and they will review him next week.
Anyone have any thoughts or experiences of this?
