Suspected lami flare up

[RHM]

Hi guys,

My lovely mare got laminitis a year ago following a severe respiratory infection. She has repeatedly tested negative for both EMS and cushings. She came back into work well until recently she went lame again.

I took her in for a work up last week and they suspect it is a flare up of her lami again. Bloods ran again, all normal and she is on a bare paddock with soaked hay.

She is reacting to hoof testers behind and is struggling to canter, going disunited. One rein worse than the other. She is also sore across her lumbar region and is standing quite camped under. We x-rayed all feet, all ok apart from her left fore with has a degree of rotation. (This was her bad hoof the first time so not surprised)

She is barefoot currently and has pretty good feet. But, in talks with the farrier about shoeing to see if that helps. (He is of the opinion it could make her worse just as easily as it could make her better) keen to hear experiences of this too!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to why she is having this flare up? And is there anything else we should be looking for?

I’m convinced there is something else going on but vet not keen on continuing work up until the feet aren’t sore. Has anyone else’s horse presented like this? Anything I should be looking for?

Thanks!!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I wouldn't want to nail shoes on to sore feet!

 

[RHM]

I wouldn't want to nail shoes on to sore feet!

No absolutely not, we are thinking in the future once everything has settled down again.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was convinced my Louis had cushings but the first 2 tests were negative and the 3rd was borderline, the only real side effect he had was not shedding his winter coat as normal, because of this my vet said to start him on half a prascend a day.

I would in your situation either have the strim cushings test or ask your vet to put your horse on a low dose of prascend.

My farrier likes to fit the imprint shoes on a lot of laminitis cases he really rates them so maybe have a look into those.

Just wanted to ask how old is your horse?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Sorry forgot to ask it might be worth padding your horses feet for now if shoes are not an option, some vets just use padding some will use with a frig support but they can really make a difference if the horse is really uncomfortable.

 

[RHM]

Sorry forgot to ask it might be worth padding your horses feet for now if shoes are not an option, some vets just use padding some will use with a frig support but they can really make a difference if the horse is really uncomfortable.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will ask for that test, she has had the other test 3 times and all negative but I would not be remotely surprised if she had it!

She is back in cloud boots with pads for the time being as they did a great job the first time round. But I will ask the farrier about those as long term I think she will need some support.

She has just turned 15, is a very good doer but is currently ribby and vets are very happy with her weight.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

See ribby with laminitis would point to cushings I think I would see if you can have a prascend trial.

 

[RHM]

See ribby with laminitis would point to cushings I think I would see if you can have a prascend trial.

Thanks I will ask them!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will ask for that test, she has had the other test 3 times and all negative but I would not be remotely surprised if she had it!

She is back in cloud boots with pads for the time being as they did a great job the first time round. But I will ask the farrier about those as long term I think she will need some support.

She has just turned 15, is a very good doer but is currently ribby and vets are very happy with her weight.

We had a mare test well within normal range 3 times on ACTH test although each time the figure was slightly higher. We felt that her symptoms were consistent with Cushings though, so we had the TRH-Stim test and her reading was 800, normal upper limit is 100. We put her onto Prascend immediately.

 

[meleeka]

If she’s happy in boots I’d stick with them for the time being. Mine had boots on for months when turned out, how happily barefoot again.

 

[RHM]

We had a mare test well within normal range 3 times on ACTH test although each time the figure was slightly higher. We felt that her symptoms were consistent with Cushings though, so we had the TRH-Stim test and her reading was 800, normal upper limit is 100. We put her onto Prascend immediately.

That’s really interesting how high that reading was compared to the normal ACTH! I will definitely be requesting that further test as it would explain this flare up a year later!

 

[RHM]

If she’s happy in boots I’d stick with them for the time being. Mine had boots on for months when turned out, how happily barefoot again.

She is doing well in the boots, this past year her sole depth has really improved but even before this flare up she still wasn’t sound on stoney ground without them. I don’t know if I am just expecting too much because my other horse has always been completely rock crunching barefoot!

How long was yours booted for before going back barefoot? I’m happy to keep her in boots indefinitely for hacking but she can’t wear them competing if she is ever sound enough for that again!

 

[meleeka]

She is doing well in the boots, this past year her sole depth has really improved but even before this flare up she still wasn’t sound on stoney ground without them. I don’t know if I am just expecting too much because my other horse has always been completely rock crunching barefoot!

How long was yours booted for before going back barefoot? I’m happy to keep her in boots indefinitely for hacking but she can’t wear them competing if she is ever sound enough for that again!

Mine was in boots for turnout for about 3 months I think. She was fine on flat ground pretty quickly but my field is quite stoney. Her soles just seem to wear away when it’s wet and muddy, so they helped with that too. I have also used Keratex since then a couple of times a week, which seems to have made a huge difference. She is retired anyway so no hacking or competing to worry about.