how can a vet tell if pony has had lami in past?

SO1

SO1

New Forests Rule!
Nov 26, 2004
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Went to view a pony at the weekend was not suitable but noticed it was in a starvation field and had ridges on its hooves although owner said it has never had laminitis.

Whist chatting with a friend on the way home we wondered how a vet could tell without x-rays if you were having a vetting if a horse had had lami in the distant past eg more than a year ago if there was no rotation

secondly does all treatment a horse has had to go in its passport so if it had been on bute and acp would this be recorded?
 
SO1 said:
Went to view a pony at the weekend was not suitable but noticed it was in a starvation field and had ridges on its hooves although owner said it has never had laminitis.

Whist chatting with a friend on the way home we wondered how a vet could tell without x-rays if you were having a vetting if a horse had had lami in the distant past eg more than a year ago if there was no rotation

secondly does all treatment a horse has had to go in its passport so if it had been on bute and acp would this be recorded?
Click to expand...

I can answer your last question. No. My horse has never had bute or anything else recorded on its passport.
 
I may be wrong but I thought part of the reasoning behind passports was so that horses that had recieved certain medications did not end up in the human food chain :(

In an ideal world it would be really good for potential buyers if all treatments had to legally be recorded as it would help prevent people covering up illness that horses had had in the past.
 
I have never been asked for a passport by anyone, even vet when ponies PTS.

Government way of making us part with needless money as I have yet to see a correct passport unless from origional breed society!!

Back to your post my farrier can usually point out old attacks of laminitus while trimming (open areas in horn) but I don't know if a vet would see this in a vetting. Ridges are not a total indicator as they may be so called 'grass rings' and as such a history of the horses nutrition.
 
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Its not always possible to tell, especially if it wasn't a very bad bout of lami.

Fatty had a mild bout last year and with a change of grazing, some magox, and some good trimming it would have taken a very clever person to spot it even 6 months later.

Not all ridges are suspicious, its a growth rings that are further appart at the heel or a growth ring with flare or a change of angle below it that are bad.

The only time I've been asked for my horses passports is for vaccinations and they've all had medications that are not to be used in horses for human consumption.
 
in angels passport, only vaccinations are recorded, nothing else in there :)

you could always ask for a vet report or details of insurance claims (if they are willing to show you those that is!!).

you also wont know if the horse had lami in a home before the home you'd be buying it from.

ive heard about ridges in hooves as well, but probably not all that reliable.

mind you, ANY horse can get lami at ANY time (as i have found out ...), whether they had it in the past or not ...

it's a jungle out there!!!

Julia
x
 
Nothing medication-wise is recorded in my passport. But when I changed over to my present vet (who is strictly an equine vet) he ensured that I signed the appropriate part, stating that the horse was not intended for human consumption, before treating my horse.
 
The rings might be laminitc signs or they might be growth rings (such as from a sudden change in diet). The width and angle of them will tell the farrier more.

The problem with trying to guess her health history from the hoof is that the horn grows downward and is totally replaced in about 12 months. In other words, what happened years ago isn't going to show up on the outside of the hoof. X-rays can show rotation, but mild laminitis without rotation may not look abnormal on the x-ray.

The starvation paddock may be more of a precaution than anything. Here many easy-keeper ponies are put on a drylot when lush spring grass grows.

What did this owner say? Did he own the horse for many years? Does he keep good records? Will he let you see copies of his vet's notes (and maybe if he vet saw it, it would be there)?
 
So it seems there are lots of things a vet cant tell you in a vetting. I am really paranoid about laminitics as there seems to loads around at the moment:eek:

I thought a five stage vetting would prevent me from ending up with a horse with lots of ailments but its seems alot is going to be left to chance even with a 5 stage vetting!
 
yes :eek:

angel was meant to have a 5 stage vetting. as you know that got terminated because she had no shoes and and was footsy. still, the major bits of the vetting where fine and she *still* developed those awful breathing problems. i dont think theres any guarantee for anything :eek:

Julia
x
 
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