STEROID INJECTION INTO BOTH HOCKS, LED TO LAMINITIS, NOW DIAGNOSED WITH EMS - help & advice please

[JEZA]

Our homebred, 15.2hh warmblood cross cob, 15 year old gelding, was "not quite right" behind.
Hock xray showed very mild changes and the vet advised steroid injections into each hock.
The cob was overweight with a VERY cresty neck. Unfortunately the vet didnt think to do a blood test for EMS before injecting steroids into both hocks 4 weeks ago.
1 week later cob got SEVERE laminitis. We are now 4 weeks into box rest (he couldnt leave the stable if he wanted to, as he cant walk).
Xrays last week have shown no rotation, but a blood test yesterday has shown EMS. Vet is recommending thyroid hormone for 2 months.
The cob is not overweight in his body, but has a huge crest. he is in quite a bit of pain with his feet.
Does anyone have any experience of a horse recovering from this? any advice. Feeling very upset as hes a beautiful horse.

 

[misst]

No direct experience but feel very sorry for you. I think it is a known possible side effect of steroid injections to cause laminitis even if the horse doesn't have EMS. If the horse is that cresty he must have been quite overweight so that would not have helped his hocks much either. I would guess that you will need to treat the lami with diet and meds and watch and wait.
Is he on painkillers and does he have any frog supports etc on?
There's lots of help for EMS and lami including facebook groups etc it might be worth looking at these.