Steroid injections & laminitis - the risk?

noblesteed

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My good doer gets laminitis from steroid hock injections. He's had 4 sets of injections in 3 years, one on diagnosis, one a few months later, then a year later, and another a year later... He is due now and I am thinking about not having him injected this time. When injections are due I keep him in off grass on soaked hay for 4-5 days, he has his jabs and then another 2 weeks off grass. He gets mild lami in his hind feet. Not bad or full-blown but it's always there after his injections. Farrier finds it. He's sound after the 2 weeks and come back into work brilliantly.
Last summer he had lami from the grass 4 months after his injections, and it started in his hind feet - that tells me they are now very prone. It wasn't a bad episode but he was off work for 8 weeks or so til he was sound again. Not good for an arthritic animal to be out of work! He's been very well since but I am thinking after last year's tropical weather I don't think it's work giving him his injections as it's pretty much guaranteed to set off his lami cycle.
He's 18 and due a cushings test again, but in the meantime I think I am going to see if the vet will let me try danilon for bad days. He's ok on devils claw at present but he gets sore after a good ride out when it's cold.
 
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