Totally fed up and need to rant!!

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pottamus

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I have posted on here loads lately about my lad who is on box rest for laminitis...he has had tummy troubles, stopped eating many times, lost loads of weight, started box walking to the point where the vet said to fence a small area off outside his stable to let him out a bit to relax..it has been one struggle after another....
And now...I find with the rain we have had that he has trashed his outside area to a wet muddy soup having spent what looks like the whole day pacing round and round and up and down...even though he has hay to eat etc! AAARRGGGGHHHH! So now what the hell do I do...stable him again and hope for the best...that he does not stsrt box walking again or going on hunger strike...let him out in the soup and sod the muddy mess he will make???
He has the rest of this week to go, then the farrier re-fits his heart bar shoes and then the vet will come out for a check up a week later....so a long time given he has already been in sick bay for the best part of 2 months!
I can't put anything down hardcore wise in the trashed bit as I rent the field and am not allowed either.
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Have you tried him on pink powder to settle his tum. Worked wonders on my old lad. As for your mud soup, can you move the fencing to give him a fresh patch?
 
It sounds to me like he's as stressed outside as he is in so he may as well be in. Is he on his own? Can you borrow a companion?
 
My laminitic was prescribd a small dose of ACP to open up the blood vessels to his hooves.

Now whether this acted as a calmer for him also, I don't know, but he did cope remarkably well with his box rest.

Maybe have another chat with your vet before he is due to visit.
 
Well he cannot have a fresh patch as that would involve grass and that is still a no no at the moment until I am told otherwise...he is on his own yes, but lives on his own anyway and has done happily for years so he is not bothered in that way...he wants to be back out on the grass that sadly surrounds his stable and trashed patch...nothing I can do as he has a field stable and always has had.
I am confident we are over the hump with him as he is only on half a bute twice a day now and totally sound walking wise, he has had no digital pulse at all for a month even on reduced bute...he will have to go back in the stable then I guess...god this is so hard for him, poor lad.
 
can you take him for short walks yet? maybe leave him in but take him for 15 mins walk am and pm. might cheer him up and help him cope with staying in during the wet weather?
 
poor lad! I would maybe keep him in over night and out on mud patch during day just so his legs/feet get chance to dry and perhaps take him for walk in the morning when he first comes out of stable.

I would second some ACP as well - your vet should understand, it should take the edge off his fretting. There is not a lot else you can do if he isnt interested in hay. You are doing your best by him so dont get disheartened. Try not to watch him fussing because it makes it worse for you.
 
No I guess it does not matter if it is a muddy mess...I am more concerned about him slipping around in it or pulling one of his heart bar shoes off in it if it get too muddy.
 
Hi Hun, I totally agree with TwoBays, I'm just emerging from 5months of laminitic hell, the worse time of my horse owning life. Please stay strong, you will get through it, I kept going knowing if I didn't I might lose her, and I was not going to do that. We had colic issues, solved in my case, by tickle feeding her 1lb soaked hay nets at 2 and half hour intervals. She then got cast, then had a Strep zoo. infection ("Transit fever") Subsolar seromas, rotated pedal bones....BUT shes outside in a nursery paddock now, sound and not on any meds. There is light at the end of the tunnel, these guys on here give great advice. All the best Dx
 
Could you possibly consider buying a few pieces of field rubber matting (if you search on the internet it comes up). It would help against the slipping and is not permanent so can be moved about.

Good luck and hope things continue to improve
 
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