traumatic laminitis

[mrussell]

my fella was shod today and now has a raging pulse in both back feet.

Any thoughts on what I can do help relieve the discomfort? Its not nail bind. The farrier thinks hes just a bit sore but will call back tomorrow if hes no better.

My fella has had years of foot problems and has only been sound with this farrier so both he and I am so disappointed.

Im jutst wondering if its the spring grass along with being shod... I just dont know what to do as he is so sore.

 

[Nailed]

Hum, digital pulse is saying Laminitus or at least some sort of pressure.

Why are you sure its not a nail bind? (genuine questions)
Did you farrier remove the shoe?
nail bind sounds unlikly as it is in both hinds.

If it was my horse i would put this horse is a box, one sachet of bute tonight with plenty of water and some hay/straw to nibble on. Tomorrow i would leave the horse in, walk it out in hand a few times and possibly bute again.
Give it time, he may just be sore.
Lou x

 

[LauraBaxendale]

It could be laminitus, but it is strange for it to be just in the back feet. Has the horse been exercised today? Or turned out? How long after the farrier came did you notice an increase in his pulses?

Depending on how bad he is I would be tempted to leave him in overnight and see how he is in the morning.

 

[mrussell]

He was out all day as normal. He was shod at 2pm. He seemed a bit off when I popped him back in his box. By 5m he was very reluctant to walk out on to the yard...and I could feel a racing pulse.

Hubby has just been up and he seems much happier and had a walk round the yard by himself while he was being skipped out.

Fingers crossed a days box rest will help him. I was in too minds whether to force him to walk to help ease the pulse or whether to rest him to save his laminae. I think rest is the best answer.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[LauraBaxendale]

Glad to hear he is feeling a better. It could just be discomfort from the process of being shod. I think you are right to avoid walking him - to be honest don't think there is much indication any more for walking a lame horse. Certainly, if it is something like laminitus it would definately make it worse!

Hopefully in the morning it will have all settled down and he will be back to normal!

 

[Tia]

Just a little comment - DP can be caused by a number of different things, laminitis is only one of those things, so don't worry too much at this stage. Trauma to any part of the leg or hoof can trigger a raging DP.

One thing to bear in mind is that laminitis rarely occurs only in the rear feet; and when it does occur in the rears this is normally accompanied by the front feet being affected too.

My guess is that it may not actually be laminitis, but just concussion to the rear hooves but obviously you need to find out as the treatment is different. Concussion would mean rest on soft ground whereas laminitis would mean the same in the acute stage but thereafter get the horse moving to keep the blood flow to the legs and feet circulating properly.

Best of luck though.

 

[Thistle]

Modern thinking on laminitis is rest, rest and more rest NOT getting the horse moving to get the blood circulating.

 

[mrussell]

Thanks everyone. He was looking better this morning but trying to land both hind feet heel first ( like watching a spaceman in nappies!). I hammered round all the nails and both hoofwalls but got no reaction. The pulse is still there but not quite as raging. Ive kept him in on 1 bute today. My farrier rang at 8am, all worried, he says he did notice some slight pinkness in both hind feet laminae when he shod him but got no reaction from him to being shod so thought nothing of it (My fella often has issues with soreness- he only needs stand on a pebble to bruise and go lame for a week). He thinks the hammering might have set off some soreness and if hes no better tonight hes going to come all the way back to whip the shoes off for a couple of days to relieve any pressure.

I love my farrier.....

Horses eh?

 

[katelarge]

It is possible to have laminitis in only two feet - mine was laminitic only in front last year, and it came very quickly after a shoeing too. Keep a close eye but if you're at all worried get the vet up - laminitis can progress very quickly. Hope everything is OK.

 

[Tia]

Not so. My pony almost died from laminitis in 2004 and exercise was paramount in her recovering.

 

[ihatework]

Sorry I'm with Thistle on this one.
In the short term, during the initial attack then complete rest on a soft surface.

Anyone interested in laminitus should have a look at this site, up to date research

http://www.laminitis.org/

 

[Tia]

I don't think I disputed that did I? I said that when in the acute stage the horse should be kept on a soft footing.

.

There are many stages to laminitis - once in the chronic stages, blood circulation is very very important.

 

[Spot1]

I think I be firmly in the rest and recuperation camp. If we play safe and assume that there is a touch of laminitis (which can occur just in the hind feet) then the treatment of stabling on a good shavings bed with hay and water should in any case do no harm.
There are some other possibilities, the consideration of nail bind is a valid course of inquiry and should in no way be taken as criticism of your farrier. You refer to your horse as having a history of bad feet, if this were to include, for example, thin weak horn with a tendency of imbalance , then it would mean your farrier having to work to a tight margin to achieve long term soundness. In the period just after shoeing the feet may be particularly sensitive to a number of inflammatory triggers. Often you will find things will just return to normal in a few days .
Apart from sensitivity to the nails (nail bind) I would also consider sole pressure as a possibility. If your farrier does take of the shoes "to have a look" a good insurance against any problematic shoe pressure could be to seat out the shoes and re-nail with a size smaller nail, I'm assuming here that it is only a simple case of sensitivity to the shoeing. I would be interested to hear how you get on.

 

[mrussell]

When I got up the yard after work, mmy boy was flat out in his stable and not verry happy to get up. I called the farrier who came and took his shoes off. He had exaggarated high hind limb movement and appeared to not know where the floor was. The farrier could find no sore points with his testers and was dumbfounded. Both hinds were hot with a high DP.

I called the vet out who nerve blocked both hind feet to check for neurological issues (in that he would show no improvement with numb tootsies if it was caudal back pain) and I think all 4 of us were relieved to see him walking sound.

The prognosis is good - Ive had to deep litter his whole stable and he is to stay in for 5 days on double dose bute. The vet feels that the farrier has either taken too much off at the toe (hence Milo trying to land heel first) or has altered the balance putting pressure on the internal structures.

As Spottie so spookily said, and almost word for word what my vet said, the farrier is shoeing to such a tight margin with my horse due to his long standing hoofwall and sole pain issues and, as the vet said "it was bound to happen at some point".

Fingers crossed please everyone that he is showing the improvement the vet wants by Saturday....

 

[Thunder]

Glad it looks to be sorted - My mare had it in her back feet after being chased by dogs over rough ground.

She had months of box rest on a deep bed and is now as sound as a pound and twice as stupid - even though both pedfal bones rotated.

 

[Wooleysmum]

Just get the vet out and get his opinion. Better safe than sorry. When laminitis is suspected, just get the vet................ I know!