Laminitis - could kick myself!

Cremola Foam

Cremola Foam

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2005
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Scotland
I think my poor Wee B has a mild bout of laminitis. He was stumbling a bit when he came in last night (I didn't think much of it) then this morning he came out of his stable lame. He walked it off on the yard but was quite stumbly and footie on the way to the field. Checked his pulses at the field and I could feel them. Not banging but strong enough to feel (and stronger behind but that's always the way with B and lami)

He is currently in his stable on a deep bed of shavings and I've given him a bute. I'll see how he is when i'm up after work.

I've texted my farrier as I think he needs his hinds trimmed and also to let him know I think he has laminitis so hopefully he will be able to pop up and look at him soon.

Could kick myself tho as I didn't pick up on signs last night and I didn't really take the weather into consideration! It's been really mild and wet here since the weekend, perfect grass growing weather! He's not had lami in years tho and I think I stupidly got complacent!
 
Don't blame yourself. If he does have lami it sounds like you caught it early. It's easy to miss when it's mild and especially when he hasn't had it in years. You've (hopefully) got the farrier out asap, he's on a thick bed and he's had his bute - nothing much more you could be doing.

Keeping my fingers crossed that he's feeling better soon and it's just a one off down to the grass. Our field is the sme - a mixture of warm rain and sunshine and it's shot up. I dread going down there to find them lame.
 
As chev said you've done all you can, hopefully with your care he'll soon recover. There is a lot of lami about just now, certainly in our area and even horses who have never suffered before have come down with it. At least you've caught it early and are doing all you can to help him recover.
 
All you can do is be pleased that you have caught it early. You will give your horse the best of care and fingers crossed he recovers quickly.
 
The main thing is you're onto it now & doing everything right. Fingers crossed for him, and don't be hard on yourself x
 
We have Charlie in currently on week 6 of box rest for Lammi, next remedial trim is on 23rd , his X rays last week where looking good according to Vet and farrier , he had changes in all 4 and obvious rotation in one front, we didn't get him in off the field in time, no use blaming yourself but sounds as if you have caught him early - we manage for lammi all the time and we had been clear for both Acorn and Charlie for years - Charlie had a mild bout of LGL 5 years ago now , we had him on management , Acorn had 2 previous serious bouts and we nearly lost him, again hes managed in the same way, if we had thought one was more prone that the other we would have thought Acorn but hes fine, they both went out at the same time on similar restricted grazing, the weather turned , we initially thought he had redone his injury, got vet out immediately as gut was saying something was different - it was and he went in that night, as did acorn as a precaution.

We are where we are and just have to get on with it, Charlie is sound now but Vet won't let him turn out until he is completely happy with the results of the remedial work, although he is now allowed out for 2 x 5 minute walks a day, its through insurance - which is a good job as we are now over the £2K in costs to date.

fingers crossed for you
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the replies.

He is much better now and back out (well, right now he's tucked up in bed. But he's back in the field during the day!) I made them a small paddock at the front of my field so he's on less grass (it'll do peds no harm at all to be on less grazing as well!) I'm check both of them twice daily for pulses and have cut down peds hay as a precaution. (He is slightly on the podgy side. Can feel ribs but he has fat deposits round his tail head and shoulders.)

I am very lucky that he has never had laminitis really badly, amazing considering he has cushings! But it has made me stand back and re evaluate him. I think his cushings is progressing now to include neurological symptoms. For the past year at least he occasionally shows this odd facial expression where on so of his mouth and that nostril tightens. I mentioned it to the vet ages ago, when I first noticed it and they were a bit perplexed. He has now also developed a little twitch over the past 6 months. It looks like he is falling asleep then twitches. Almost like if you doze on the bus (if your like me anyway!) physio mentioned it last time she was here and mentioned it might be a nerve thing. He is also itchy all over, has been for years and I've never been able to do anything about it but now he's fairly insistent on being scratched as soon as he sees me (it's his neck, shoulders, wither, back and bum.... Oh, and chest, but we've turned that one into a game! I scratch his chest and he gives me a kiss! Lol!) But he doesn't rub himself on the stable walls or anything. It's like contact makes him itchy which makes me think nerves. He also sometimes looses his balance and staggers. He's also going blind, but that's probably age related.

He is still happy in himself, bright and shouts and comes cantering to the gate when it's time to come in, and he has moments when he seems to be able to cope with touched (rather than just wanting scratched or brushed) and loves nothing more than to have his cheeks stroked (it's something that has always made him fall asleep!) so I don't think I'll be needing to make a decision any time soon, but I think I need to have an action plan in mind for when that time comes. Depressing to think about, but easier to do when you know they are still happy and full of beans!

@Lemme I hope Charlie is feeling better soon, it all sounds positive though. It's such a hard thing to manage, just when you think you've got it cracked something else goes and throws a spanner in the works! I'm going to the highland show next weekend and am going to go to all the feed and supplement stands and see if there is anything else I can be doing for him to help support him.

@grandmarider B is retired and has been for about two years now. He's 36 now.
 
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Maybe get an acth test done & see if his prascend dose needs increasing? That may control some of the new symptoms & make life better for both of you. I'm glad to hear he's doing well x
 
@carthorse he isn't on pracend. It didn't work for him so he is managed through his feeding and care routine. He get vitex4equids, but not really sure that does anything. But he's happy and that's the main thing!

Took him for a wee wander this morning. He seemed pleased to be out. Desperately need to get his hinds trimmed though as I couldn't get his hoof boots on! Farrier has not been in touch so will text again as my phone was playing up the other day. He's out a week on Monday doing a friends horses so hopefully will be able to squeeze B in!
 
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