Worried sick - EMS test and X rays tomorrow :(

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Beatrice5

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Pony has had 2 weeks box rest and soaked hay etc as per vets instructions and no sign of recovery in fact I would say he is worse as stiff and not drinking enough .

Being starved overnight tonight then huge glucose dose at 7 am and bloods being taken at 9am followed by X rays. I am worried sick. I haven't slept for days :(

Pointless post but feeling like a useless owner atm and cannot understand how we have ended up here. Even vet agrees pony not fat and was prior to this worked 3 times a week minimum and carefully managed. His only problem is a slight crest which I have never managed to get to the bottom of and he is only 6. I am preparing myself for the worst.
 
Hugs and I'll keep my fingers firmly crossed. x

Is the vet doing test for PPID (Cushings) as well? If diet is strict it may be worth asking the vet about trying a prascend trial.

Just in case you haven't seen it check out the emergency diet on this site under diet section. If not already, follow it to the letter. http://ecirhorse.org/

Also look here for info. http://www.thelaminitissite.org/
 
Make sure you ask for a copy of the full blood report. Ask them to test ACTH (the Cushing's test) as well as glucose and insulin. Once you have the results, ask others online what they would do with those results, as well as (of course) asking your vet. Some vets are remarkably poor at picking up on borderline cases of Cushings, whilst others are much more forward thinking, so having the full results yourself enables you to make informed decisions and help you find the best way forward.

Even if the Xrays show rotation (which should already be obvious from the outside of the foot in any case, so shouldn't come as a surprise), then there are ways forward. If your vet is all doom and gloom, then do make sure you ask a good barefoot trimmer in the area for advice before any major decisions. Again, you can weigh up what each professional says, and then decide which approach to go with.

Best to know the full picture, and I hope you find a good way forward.

Sarah
 
Don't despair as EMS can be managed by strict diet and exercise after you have the feet sorted by correct trimming.Check out the websites mentioned previously as they are brilliant.I've just been through this with my mare and things are looking up after 3 months on correct diet and loads of exercise.
 
Hi,Just wanted to let you know that mine had the same test a few weeks ago.He was not overweight,fit and worked 6 days a week,neck a bit cresty but went down with Lami overnight.He was hopping lame.Had the Cushings test and 6 hour starvation test which all came back clear.Then ran the Glucose test and has come back as Insulin Resistant-should be 80 and he was 200.As mine was treated for Ulcers before I couldn't give him Bute so had 3 days Metacam.He was sound and walking in hand 9 days later.Is yours getting some pain relief still to make him comfy?.My boy has been back in work 3 weeks now and going to do a small dressage this weekend.Have you also had the feet checked for any abcesses.Mine had never had an abcess and within 4 days had 3 sitting there.I have to say that the vet hoof tested him and had absolutely no reaction from hoof testers,that was 3 days apart and she tested them on both occasions-when farrier looked at him, he found the abcesses,these happen when the horse has or has had Lami so def worth looking out for as they are painful in themselves.My boy had a slight diet change-really well soaked hay instead of Haylage and Hi Fi Molasses Free as sugar the lowest in this.He is 10 years old,the vet doesn't want him on medication yet,she wants to see if we can control through change of diet and really fit.He is muzzled and back in the field for 3 hours a day.Am sure that given a bit of time and a few changes,yours will make a good recovery.
 
Meant to say that I wouldn't panic massively re not drinking a lot,mine drank a lot but since going on the soaked hay he has really cut down-yours will be getting water from the hay,most days overnight mine has drunk about an inch from his bucket.My other pony which also gets soaked hay doesn't drink much either.
 
Don't see it as an end of the road thing.. my Mums horse got diagnosed with EMS summer before last when he suffered a lami attack.. he was 10 and we'd had him since a foal so it was a shock. He is managed on strict grazing and diet etc his hay must be soaked etc but lots of hard work and determination he is happy and healthy now and back to full work. We had to get weight off of him (he had a crest) and the new routine was hard work to begin with but its all part and parcel of his life now and we are used to it. He was on metphormin but he came off of it as he have managed to control it now with careful management and feed changes too. We do watch for the little signs we ae now aware of which mean his diet needs to be adjusted etc like drinking more water.

It will be ok, its never ideal for them to get such conditions but its manageable.. Good luck
 
Thinking of you and second what has been said if X Ray shows rotation or even sinking, that is not necessarily the end of the road. x
 
Okay the X rays showed rotation not dropping out the soles of his feet but very thin soles. The vet has taken the x ray machine back and will give me a more detailed appraisal later. Bloods take up to 4 days but he tooks loads and will do Cushings test and the EMS glusoce test plus I have asked for hormones are people keep telling me his crest makes him a rig :( Vet said he highly doubts the rig theory but will run the bloods so I can safely tell people he has been tested and isn't.

He is now bandaged and in frog supports. He has been on bute for 2 weeks and is in on small amounts of soaked hay again has been for 2 weeks but as he wasn't making a recovery I knew we were in trouble .

Off to spend my life savings on shavings now and am going to order a lorry load of sand for his corral which will be fun as I will have to wheel barrow it from the field gate to his pen - who needs gym membership when you have horses lol

I will look at the links thank you amandap it is much appreciated. Thank you all for your support again it really helps. It will be a long road
 
Beatrice5 said:
It will be a long road
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It may well be but there is hope and you will learn a huge amount on the way that will help you and all your horses in the future.

A crest and abnormal fat deposits are common in horses with metabolic disorders particularly EMS so the emergency diet should help, the magnesium being very important. It is a short term diet and you will need to look at adding in other appropriate minerals in the future, but first things first.

A couple of tips, soak hay for 12 hours and rinse well with hose. Don't feed too little, having a constant supply is important as empty tummies can be stressful and don't help and can cause other problems. Use small holed nets to slow down if weight loss is needed. No treats (carrots, apples or polos etc.) at all. Impress on those who may feel sorry for him how vital this, or not sneaking him unsoaked hay, is.

xx

ps. Don't reuse soaking water, soak in fresh every time. Draining the water out before handling the hay also helps as it's less heavy and messy to handle.
 
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Oh OP how i do feel for you, trust me i know exactly what you are going through. My horse is going through Laminitis recovery now, we found he had raised ACTH and was diagnosed PPID (cushings) thats why despite the best management, his laminitis wouldnt shift and he had severe rotation and sinking of the pedal bone in one foot. see my thread here: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?627530-Founder-prognosis-vet-says-pts!

My vet said my only real option was to ave my boy PTS. shocking, as clearly that was not my only option! With Prascend for cushings, xrays, correct trim, realignment and support of the foot my horse is now off bute, looking sound and out in a small paddock near his pals in the day, and in at night. I never thought we'd get here but i promise you, there is always hope. feel free to PM me, i know what an awful time it is. Good luck and keep us posted x
 
Thank you so much for your support and help. I think he is worse this evening and I wonder if the large dose of glucose for the EMS test has triggered a reaction in his feet as despite now being in frog supports and bandaged and on an ever deeper bed he is much worse tonight and this afternoon was very uncomfortable :( He is pretty much on the barefoot diet already the only thing I wasn't doing was rinsing the hay but each net has fresh water.

Vet wants heartbar shoes and pads but I would prefer to stay barefoot and with boots and pads - anyone have an advice re which pads etc ?

Another issue is boredom. He is a very active pony usually and is not happy being stuck inside. I groom / scratch him every day and split his hay up into 4 lots and space his soup feeds 3 times a day and between hay rations but he is missing his mischief any ideas on occupying his mind ?
 
Beatrice5 said:
Vet wants heartbar shoes and pads but I would prefer to stay barefoot and with boots and pads - anyone have an advice re which pads etc ?
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You might need to play around a bit to see what works best for him. The beauty of boots and pads though is that nothing you do can't be undone very quickly. Camping mats worked well for a friend of mine, cut to size to fit in the boot. Decathlon might be worth a look for cheap ones. I think they come in different thicknesses too. Beyond that, it may even be worth playing around with where you pad, if he has very thin soles he may actually be better with slight padding over the frog and tip of the pedal bone area and thicker (additional) padding around the outer sole and hoof wall, as that would take a bit of pressure off the tip of the pedal bone. Or he may prefer it the other way around.

I've used Sole Mates pads but they're difficult to fit into boots without taping them on to the hoof and letting the horse squash them down first, though once you manage that they are very good and can be cut to size using a stanley knife, or even a bread knife, in a pinch. I'd probably avoid the Easy boot pads as they're quite solid in comparison and I'm not sure they'd provide the same degree of relief as more pliable materials, though once he's on the mend they may be worth a look.

There is/was a therapeutic boot which you could buy with various grades of supportive pad material designed to be used in the boot. I looked at them for my cushingoid mare as she had problems with sore feet a lot of the time. I didn't buy them in the end but may be worth a google search.
 
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