Those of you with laminitics

[MyLuckyStar]

My mare is currently suffering from laminitis.

She's on box rest with two small feeds a day of fast fibre, garlic, general purpose vitamin & mineral supplement and her bute.

The vet came out last Tuesday and prescribed her with bute – one twice per day. She came back yesterday to x ray her feet and check her over. She has very very minimal rotation (so minimal you could hardly see it) in her front left hoof. She has been reduced to one bute a day as she thinks its clever to bronc around her stable when we hack out (or anyone does really).
She’s also been tested for Cushings and insulin resistance.

I was just wondering what happens next with regards to shoeing, turnout etc and the best ways to manage her. She hates been sectioned off from the other but our fields are huge. I could possibly section her off with one or two others but I’m not sure which fields we will be having in the Summer yet (sometimes our farmer rotates them). She’s usually muzzled in the Spring/Summer/Autumn anyway.
The vet has said that she doesn’t need heart bar shoes, although she has hardly any heel on her front feet so will need some help with her shoeing.

 

[Mudfukkle]

I was just wondering what happens next with regards to shoeing, turnout etc and the best ways to manage her.

Sorry to hear your mare has got Lammi, it's such a horrible thing as for best way's forward with management etc. I'm afraid every case is different and every horse is different, therefore it's very difficult to give precise advice. You should really take your vets and farriers advice over this, as the trim will depend on the amount of rotation.

It's very difficult when they don't like to be separated, reducing her paddock sounds very sensible + the muzzle. Could one of the others go in with her? There must be someone who maybe could do with a bit of a diet? Or are they all skinnies? I hope she gets better soon xxx

 

[rema]

If you mare is a bit of a live wire in the stable it might be worth getting some Sedalin for her..Just to take the edge off and it is also a vasodilator so will open up those blood vessels and improve circulation to the feet..

Alot of people are using the track system for restricting grazing.I am hoping to try this for my Lami this spring summer..

If your horse has come down with Lami this time of year there could be a good chance of having a Metabolic problem..

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My mare is currently suffering from laminitis.

She's on box rest with two small feeds a day of fast fibre, garlic, general purpose vitamin & mineral supplement and her bute.

The vet came out last Tuesday and prescribed her with bute – one twice per day. She came back yesterday to x ray her feet and check her over. She has very very minimal rotation (so minimal you could hardly see it) in her front left hoof. She has been reduced to one bute a day as she thinks its clever to bronc around her stable when we hack out (or anyone does really).
She’s also been tested for Cushings and insulin resistance.

I was just wondering what happens next with regards to shoeing, turnout etc and the best ways to manage her. She hates been sectioned off from the other but our fields are huge. I could possibly section her off with one or two others but I’m not sure which fields we will be having in the Summer yet (sometimes our farmer rotates them). She’s usually muzzled in the Spring/Summer/Autumn anyway.
The vet has said that she doesn’t need heart bar shoes, although she has hardly any heel on her front feet so will need some help with her shoeing.

there is some useful links and info on this web page
http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/l.html





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[MyLuckyStar]

Thanks all.

The only one that could go with her is a mare that she hates (both are mine) so not really suitable unfortunately.

Our horses are kept in livery herd groups at our yard so she'll always be out with ours. If I was sure my youngster wouldn't escape I'd put her in with my mare but she's an escape artist!!

Also, she's not hyped up about in - she's very very settled in teh stable and not bothered in teh slightest about box rest. She just gets a bit tetchy when the others are going out off the yard at weekends

This was her yesterday

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

pretty mare.


I lost my mare just before Christmas to bone infection from the laminitis.

On the link in my signature is a box rest page with ideas to use *L* things are lami safe.

 

[Lotty]

My mare had laminitis 3 years ago. I did catch it very early, she had it in her left fore first then 3 months later in her right fore as she was weight bearing on her right. She was box rested for a total of 8 months and in that time had 4 sets of Imprints fitted, followed by a set of heart bars. Throughout her box rest she was on Bute & Sedaline twice a day orally as she would not eat this in her feed, she was fed Happy Hoof and Fast Fibre with mag ox.

I am now riding her as normal and she gets turned out every day for 5 hours muzzled, then she's stabled on weighed & soaked hay. Her management is very strict but she's deffinately worth it. Your pony looks so sweet, good luck.

 

[Star_Piper]

Obviously listen to your vet and farrier for their opinions on how you manage her going forward. But here are some ideas for things to do (sorry if I've duplicated any already suggested):

- turn out at night, in during the day (grass is richer during the day).
- If they can only go out during the day, try and avoid having her out during the peak of the day (around 11am-2pm I think) as this is when most sugar is present in the grass.
- As suggested try and arrange for either a restricted area or track system. You might find that someone else who's pony isn't overweight is happy for theirs to be in this area with yours, when yours is out.
- Speak to the farmer, and see if he's got any poorer grazing on the farm, that you could use for turnout
- Be extra cautious when rain is followed by sun and warm weather, as that'll encourage a growth spurt in the grass which can increase risk.
- Keep a close eye on the waistline with a weigh tape, more so you notice any rapid expansion that would indicate richer grass
- Use a good supplement to support hoof growth. Not sure if it's the same one now, but when we first had laminitis the one recommended by the Laminitis organisation was Formula 4 Feet.

I ended up moving to a yard with really poor grazing, which greatly simplified looking after my laminitic. The only scares I've had is when he's had hot feet from sunbathing But before that I was very strict with my routine, measuring hay, soaking hay,how long he was out for, and weigh-taping him almost every day to check for rapid expansion.

I found this website very useful: http://www.laminitisclinic.org/

 

[Tarbs]

My boy got laminitis last June and suffered rotation. I do all of the above, feed Formula 4 Feet too. When turned out its on the poorest grazing at the yard where he will stay all summer. I only turn out for a couple of hours at a time, will muzzle when the Spring grass comes through and will get another livery to graze it for me so theres never too much there. I never turn out on frost and not for at least two hours after its gone, weigh and soak hay etc. He is shod every four weeks with heart bars and is no longer on any medication. He goes off like a rocket when he does go out and is sound but Ive been advised by the vet and farrier not to ride him for another few months at least.

I used to always feed garlic but read a report that said studies say it could contribute to laminitis (sorry, can't remember why) so I stopped giving him any.

I do put a Laminsheild lick in his stable too.