Still got laminitis :( What do I do? Cushings test?

[MagicMelon]

Took shetland home from her new home about 2 weeks ago now, as she kept getting laminitis there as their grazing was too good for her.

I thought as soon as she came home she would begin making a good recovery because she's lived here about 12 years and never had lami in that time! So I know our grazing is ok for her. She came off bute in her first week home but began looking pottery again so vet advised put her back on bute for another week. Have done that and she looked to be far happier - cantering round her (mud) paddock. But I gave her some carrots in her feed one night and even on bute, she looked pottery again very next day. So she gets no carrots etc. at all! Im taking her off bute now to see what happens. But what happens if she goes downhill again once it wears off?

She comes in every night, is allowed out during the day into a tiny (pure mud) paddock so she's not getting any grass at all. She has 2 feeds a day of Safe & Sound with vitamin supplement and Topspec Anti-Lam (which Ive just introduced). Always has a full (small holed) haynet full of last years, old hay.

I spoke to the vet about her the other day and asked if I should get a cushings test done since she keeps getting lami and isnt recovering as well as we'd expect. She basically said they'd happily do one, but do we really want to know as its bad news if it came back positive. In a way, I dont want to know! But I think we'll have to have the test if she doesnt improve soon. She's had mild lami once or twice in the past (at other loan homes) but always come right pretty pronto. It is still quite mild laminitis now so thats why I expected her to be fine quite quickly.

Any ideas? She's happy enough and like I say, when the butes doing its job she thunders about! She hasnt gone off her food or look depressed etc.

 

[samp]

At our vets they used to advise taking xrays if kept recurring to see how much the pedal bone had rotated and they where to go from there. If they keep getting it and it is further deteriorating/rotating then the prognosis is not always good. I would only test for cushings if she also was excessively hairy. May need to have a pad put in place to support the frog?

 

[JackieJATaylor]

I would definately test for Cushing's if that is what it takes to get your vet to prescribe. You can buy pergolide very cheaply now on prescription, and could give the pony years of lamintiis free life (with careful management) for only 43p a day (maybe less for such a diddy person).

I would test for Cushing's in ANY case of laminitis in a horse over about 12yrs. There are many, many more cases about, being diagnosed at younger ages, and they sometimes don't get visible changes for many years. Just repeated laminitis.

The earliest signs are often laminitis, easy weight gain or muscle loss, a tendancy to sweat more than normal in autumn, or slightly altered fat distribution - loaded shoulders, spongy bits around the tailhead or a cresty neck.

There is a lot can be done for these horses in terms of management and treatment and it makes me very angry to hear vets advising against diagnosis.

Jackie

 

[TGM]

If you are willing to put the pony on Pergolide if she tests positive then go ahead and have the test. But as someone else has stated you might want to have x-rays taken to determine what internal damage has been done to her feet - although the acute laminitis may have subsided now she is off grass, the chronic changes can still cause lameness.

 

[Marquire]

Has she got shoes on?

The shetland at my yard had really bad laminitis two summers ago despite being on no grass, old hay/straw mix and fresh air. The farrier advised putting on heart bar shoes (they are so tiny

) to help balance the foot and since then, on the same management system, he hasn't had any more attacks.

Sorry I can't advise on the Cushings.

 

[MagicMelon]

She hasnt got any shoes on (never has), our farrier is coming out on Tuesday so will have a good look at her then. I will do whatever he advises so if it is heartbars then so be it. Ive done all this before with another pony who got very severe lami when he was a 5yo (we believe through concussion because we never allowed him to get overweight etc.!) so he had a LOT of specialist shoeing, vet care etc. for quite some time. But she isnt nearly as bad as he was back then.

It does seem mild, but definately is still there. Im going to lead her out later today to see exactly how she is (cant really tell in a muddy yard).

Cushings-wise, she IS sweating on her chest and sides. BUT she does have a thick coat (but again, this is not abnormal for her at this time of year as my other native has his full winter coat already too!) and it has been rather mild lately so the sweating may just be down to her thick coat and mild weather (genuinelly a bit hot).

The last person had x-rays done by her vet and there wasnt much rotation, if any.

I just hate having her on bute! Like I said, she's coming off it now so Im hoping she wont get worse.

 

[brighteyes]

Try this website - refreshingly different and dedicated to laminitis.

http://www.johnthevet.com/index.html

He also wants feedback about Cushing's and associated laminitis but via the yahoo forum on Cushing's and EMS.

Sorry, I have found that there is much, much more to this autumn laminitis than grass overload. Examine your pony carefully for signs of Cushing's. His coat may be thicker than you think!

Good luck.