Please tell me everything you know about laminitis!

horsy

horsy

New Member
Sep 17, 2000
1,154
0
0
40
Manchester
www.jbphotographyonline.co.uk
Apologies, this is going to be long and rambling, I'm in shock I think, my boy has lami. The horses broke into the hay field yesterday, the YO decided to leave them in as he couldnt get all of them out (more than 40 horses) of there and the damage was already done. The grass was long and my horse is overweight so I brought him in that day did some lunging then left him in for a good few hours and put him back out, expecting to bring him in again today for a few hours to keep him from gorging himself.

To be honest, laminitis never crossed my mind, I was just worried about his weight. I've had him 7 years and hes been out onto long/fresh grass from nothing plenty of times, I have been a bit paranoid about lami previously but I think because he has never had it subconciously I thought he wasn't susceptible to it. Well I was WRONG and I want to warn everyone not to think they can't get it because its never happened before. It seems the weather has had something to do with it as I was led to believe long grass was safer than short grass :o

So after him hobbling across the field I thought maybe lami, maybe lame for some other reason. When I got him to the gate he almost fell on the floor when he hit the harder ground. I panicked and didn't know what to do and thank god at that moment my YO's drove past. They told me not to panic and walked him to the yard, and we called the vet.

Apart from hobbling, his stance wasn't typical of pictures I had seen, he didnt have much heat in any of his feet, we couldn't find a digital pulse although I admit I didn't really know what I was looking for. Everyone thought maybe he had a touch of it and we just caught him in time. When the vet arrived he said he had a raging digital pulse in both fronts, he did the hoof test and he was very sore on both fronts and a little at the back. He now has pads on both front feet, and hes on box rest for 3 weeks :o

Its heartbreaking to see him in so much pain, hes only ever been ill once before and that was 5 years ago. So what can you tell me about lami? I know vaguely of it and what it is but have never met or had a horse with it. Any practical suggestions on how to help him? 3 weeks box rest will be a nightmare, vet has said no excercise at all, (I thought the more the better for laminitics, shows how much I know) so what can I do to keep him occupied? He normally has a treat ball but the guy in the feed shop said no carrots apples etc because of the sugar, give him some wilted nettles for a detox, and some live yoghurt to balance his gut. Is there anything sugar free I can put in his ball? Or any other toys you can think of that are not food related?

I've bought one of them flexible feed buckets that I can leave in with him (he destroys buckets) and I'm sure he will be throwing that to his buddy next door, who is also on box rest so at least he has some company (there is a 4 foot wall seperating the stables so he can groom and play etc)

Sorry if none of this makes any sense, my brain is in bits I can't think straight... I'm in debt so he was living out 24/7 so I could save money and I've had to spend money I haven't got on bedding and hay not to mention vet fees :(:( but I will worry about that when hes better, thats all that matters :(

I'm going to get all my books out and find out everything I can... any advice or support much appreciated
 
What a shame your YO didn't let you know straight away your horse was in a hay field...:rolleyes:
I have 2 that have had laminitis and believe me if your boy can get away with only 3 weeks box rest he will have been very lucky. I have a 12.2hh pony that went down with laminitis in the space of about 2 hours..not on lush grass and not overweight. It was posssibly a toxic reaction to something, she had it in all four feet and her pedal bones rotated. She was in a stable for at least 6 months before she could even go out for a couple of hours a day. Having said that..that was six years ago and to see her gallop around the field with her little buddies now...it was worth the effort ..and the expense..(:eek: don't even go there..:eek:) On the other hand my first experience of laminitis was a 'mild' case..box rest for a three or four of weeks followed by the last 7yrs being vigilant..yes and paranoid that I might have let him have too much grass..
Fingers crossed that your boy makes a speedy recovery.
The laminitis trust is a good place to start looking for info and feed advice.
 
notpoodle is not an expert, im more of a victim than anything else :o

if hes bad, keep him in and maybe ask vet for ACP if hes climbing the walls. another thing i was told is to put bed / shavings right up to the door and not leave a bare bit at the front as the horse is likely to stand looking out of the door all the time and would be standing on hard ground which isnt so good for them.

if he wont eat bute, maybe a dash of applejuice with it?


hope he'll be oK!

Julia
x
 
Thanks razzledazzle and notpoodle for the advice. And thanks chickflick for the vibes!! Means alot :)

I will look up the laminitis trust. The vet has advised that if he starts to throw the pads or try and chew them off he should go onto a thick shavings bed that covers the whole stable. Currently he is on a shavings base and straw on top (Since winter shavings have gone up by £1!!!:eek: They were already extortionate) and I've covered almost all of the floor, as I noticed as soon as I put the shavings down he was standing on it and wouldn't come onto the hard bit to eat his hay :o (Needless to say I have moved his hay so he doesn't have to walk to get it)
 
I would definitely cover the entire stable, right up to the door with bedding. Shavings is best but if you only have straw then that'll be okay if the horse has frog supports on. What is really important in the early stages is to minimise movement to try and prevent any more damage being done (movement is beneficial AFTER the initial stage and the horse is sound and pulses are gone). Therefore, I'm sorry but I wouldn't recommend using a feed ball just yet. Assess your horse's overall diet. If you can, soak his hay to reduce the goodness in it. Remember not to starve him. If he needs to lose weight then this is the time to take advantage of. I'd feed him 1.5% of his bodyweight in hay and see how he gets on with that. Put it into small holed haynets so it lasts longer. What does he get for a bucket feed if anything?

Did your vet mention anything about x-rays?
 
Hi Martini, I will cover the rest of the stable tomorrow, there is a big gap under his door I will need to put some carpet on or something so it doesnt all come out. I never thought about that with the feed ball and the movement, of course that makes perfect sense, I just need other people to do the thinking for me at the moment :o

Xrays were not mentioned, I have been out today and bought small holed haynets for him, I don't have anything to soak a net in but I will look into it. He only gets a bucket feed of happy hoof and a carrot & apple when hes been ridden, but at the feed shop he told me not to give him anything other than happyhoof with his painkillers and to still give him his magnesium supplement in that.

I have made sure where he is stood eating his haynet in his stable, that all the floor is covered there.
 
No expert only learnt through loosing my darling chinook to lami :(

exercise can help LGL but if yours is chronic then its 'not' suitable.

If chronic would totally agree with your vet for no exercise at all! I would personally have the deepest bed you could as well as the pads. All for support which is crucial why the limbs are weight bearing. Best they actually lie down but try telling that to them :o

Currently the laminae bonds which hold the pedal bone at present are being destroyed. Why you do not want to risk any movement. What killed chinook was the misdiagnosis and him still moving (trotting up for vet diagnosis on concrete etc).

As Notpoodle says as for some ACP to help blood circulation also sedation to keep them calmer

If the pedal bone sinks it can cause irreversible damage - my boy sunk and rotated in both fores.

One thing i learnt is laminitis isn't fixable over night - as well as shifting the weight of the horse theres a million and one considerations to make going forward. (feeds, icy turnout - stressed grass in general). The hoof can take up to 6 mths to a year to grow out - depending on severity will depend on work load etc.

I wouldn't feed anything but soaked hay. No tip bits nothing! Wouldn't even feed happy hoof - ask you vet for bute paste if possible - way round not feeding and knowing hes getting the painkillers. Only supplement i can suggest is formula 4 feet which can be fed during this time. Have a read here

http://www.equilife.co.uk/

some of the case studies provide good information also.

You have caught it early and you are acting thats the main thing. Best wishes to you both for speedy recovery

x
 
horsy said:
I don't have anything to soak a net in but I will look into it.
Click to expand...

A dustbin does the job just fine. It is a complete faff and pain in the ass but it takes all the sugar out of it, which helps re: the laminitis but will also help with your horse losing weight.

I agree no apples or carrots- they are loaded with sugar. A handful of happy hoof with supplements is fine. But if that is all the horse is getting I'd look into a vit & min supplement as it's a pretty restricted diet.

Your main aim right now is to reduce the inflammation in the feet (a sign that inflammation has gone down is that the digital pulse will return to normal). So you are looking to get the diet right, restrict their movement and support their feet.

Is the vet coming back out to re-assess? If you have a feel around your horse's coronary band can you feel any dents?
 
Thanks Nookster for the advice and support. Now I've had a good nights sleep (Can't believe I slept...in the end... :rolleyes:) Things are a bit clearer.

Martini you've just reminded me we found an old dustbin in the garden last week, that should do the job I reckon. If I fill a haynet in the morning and soak it till I go back up in the afternoon will that be enough? And ditto overnight? I've been reading all I can about it and found there is a special mineral lick for laminitics? I will have a look in the tack shop, he loves his licks I'm sure I will have to buy a few :rolleyes:

Vet is coming back in 2 weeks, as long as he doesn't get worse or it will be earlier. I read about the dents in the coronary band last night and will have a feel this morning.

I can't believe how little I actually knew about this :o Unfortunately its just something I thought other peoples horses got :(

Thanks again everyone for your help, all the cases I've read about seem complete nightmare worst case scenarios, I'm trying to stay positive though and not scare myself to death :rolleyes:
 
horsy said:
I can't believe how little I actually knew about this :o Unfortunately its just something I thought other peoples horses got :(

Thanks again everyone for your help, all the cases I've read about seem complete nightmare worst case scenarios, I'm trying to stay positive though and not scare myself to death :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Your not the only one so don’t beat yourself up!!

I did the whole he’s 16 years old and never had it before etc. For me and Chinooks lami was the biggest eye opener I have ever had in my life around horses. Makes you realise just how precious they are and sadly how vulnerable that can be too. Since the day I lost Chinook I totally changed my way of thinking and treat every horse / pony as a laminitic even if they have never had it before now. Even more so changed my way of feeding and my thoughts on food. All these special treats that we manufacture – likits etc are all seen by me ‘now’ as poison. We don’t feed our children excess sugar due to obesity etc so take the same train thought to horses. This isn’t saying you did – or do just how I changed personally changed from my experiences.

Not sure if this thread will help any – all my questions and worries with Chinook

http://www.newrider.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=109347&highlight=torn+suspensory+ligament

Do stay positive – best thing for you and your horse! Do chat away whenever you need to also

xx
 
I use Formula 4 feet as my broad spec vit/supp – Chinook was fed it when he was critical to help with re growth. Also use it now for Voltan since owning him. They get it including in high fibre feeds during winter, and on its on as a treat in the summer without any calorific worries.

There are numerous other supps on the market – so totally personally preference to what to use.

Break down analysis for you can be found here:

http://www.equilife.co.uk/formula4feet.htm

http://www.equilife.co.uk/Ingredanalysis.htm
 
I have to feed my horse soaked hay as she suffers from Cushings and is very prone to lami and cannot tolerate grazing at the mo. I fill up the bins in the morning and soak them for when I go up to feed in the evening. Then I soak some in the evening which gets fed in the morning. Works just fine for her. I tend to give the hay a rinse before feeding since it's been sitting in sugary yucky-ness for hours.

I also feed formula4feet, though mine's only gets half the recommended dose since she gets quite a lot of feed and I worry about overdosing something.

I kept a blog of when my horse last got lami. If you think you might find it interesting to read it then drop me a PM and I'll give you the link :)
 
Lots of good advice on this thread already.

I'm another who has lived through this and we all know how you feel, it's just a horrible black cloud which follows you all the time.

The acute stage where you are at the mo is a steep learning curve. We did 6 weeks box rest, followed by living in a small taped off part of the field and fed a flake of hay every few hours.

Be warned, mine had a relapse at that point. Vet did bloods and her liver function was poor so she had vitamin injections over a few weeks.

Do not give anything which might threaten the system eg wormers.

My mare went on to be sound and useful again, though always managed for grass. She lived out though on rough stuff and fed hay all year.

Try not to worry! You are doing your best. I hope you are insured though as it gets expensive. Good luck.
 
Do not be fooled by feed products/licks branded to be for laminitics. 99% of them don't work!

Can i ask what meds your horse is on? standard treatment is bute, ACP and asprin. Shoes off, frog supports on and box rest. as martini says, soak or steam your hay. soaking for 4-6 hours gets rid of the goodness to make it safer for them. a big, full bed is a must. When my mare was moved onto a straw bed (her box got flooded) it almost crippled her. A bedding that compacts into the feet and supports them is far better. X-rays are a necessity not a luxury. Any vet or farrier who is prepared to give you a prognosis or shoe a laminitic without x-rays is a fool. It's often the mildest attacks that cause the most damage. The X-ray results should determine the course of treatment for recovery (e.g. if there's founder/rotation the foot will need realigned and possibly heart bars applied).

Formula4feet was formulated by the foremost expert in laminitis, robert eustace. we fed our laminitic on it. a probiotic is also advisible. Laminitis is basically a gut malfunction. Keep the gut functioning optimally and you can ward off an attack. there is also some very new research into the benificial properties of mint and laminitis. Mint is cheap as chips, a natural digestive aid also and most horses love it. I don't really advise toys, you want to keep them still to minimise damage (that's why ACP is so often used, increases blood flow to the feet AND stops them from hoolying around). double net the hay so it takes longer to eat.

Echo Gill, no wormers and certainly no vaccinations. Annual jabs can also trigger laminitis.
 
Just got home from work, haven't been back up to him this afternoon yet. This morning he seemed alot brighter, kicking his door and trying to barge out when I opened it:rolleyes:

Am now trying to source a wheelie bin to soak hay in as the bin I have has holes drilled in it :rolleyes: Will be going to the feed shop shortly I will ask for formula4feet. He is being treated with Danilone I think its called, twice a day for a few days then down to once a day. He is not due anny vaccs or wormer or anything. Xrays were not mentioned but I shall ask when the vet comes out next. He said to contact him if it gets any worse so if he starts to go loopy I will ask about the ACP too. He is not shod anyway and the vet hasn't really given a prognosis, just told me how to deal with it and he will be back in a couple of weeks.

I forgot to check his coronet band for dents, I will try and remember tonight, my head is still spinning :o Martini55 I would love to read that blog if you could PM it to me that would be great

Once again thanks everyone I will keep you updated

ETA I have tons of mint in the garden, can it be fed as is or do i need to dry it out first?
 
Not read everyones replies, but I'm sure there is some good advice and this has already been mentioned but phone the Laminitis clinic. Good luck and hope your horse is feeling a bit more comfortable soon.

I can highly recommend using a muzzle in future for weight loss as a precaution.
 
Like the previous poster, I haven't read all of the replies. Beware of "quack vets" who spout all sort so potions and lotions.

Our pony Fizz is laminatic. The last two year's she's been fine. This year, because he paddock partner went away for 4-5wks for training, and Fizz had too much new grass for her own good, and luckily we caught it fairly early on.

Into her stable, and bute twice a day, and a diet of seeds hay and chaff with some Laminaze (made by NAF).

Within three days the tell-tale pulse had virtually gone, and after six days she was back out, but because of the grass (due to the dry/wet weather which causes spurts of new sugary growth), she's muzzled every other day.

More than anything, once your pony is clear - get it working, get weight off of it, and keep it working. Exercise/work is one of the best ways to keep lamintis at bay, as the issue is the body converting food into "bad" sugars instead of "energy". And when I say work - I mean working up a good sweat, not half an hour playing lead-rein pony - half an hour of trot/canter of lunge would do the trick.

Rob.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom