I haven't ever had a horse with laminitis, but my 25 year
old has flat feet and very bad ringbone. My advice is to taper off the
bute as soon as you can (but only in consultation with the vet). Suni has
oral ulcers we think might be caused by long term bute 1 gm BID.
Anyway, I am using Old Mac boots with pretty good
success. I haven't tried them on the horses I ride, but it seems to help
Sun to get around. They give some cushion and are easy to put on and
off. They seem like old galoshes, but Suni doesn't seem to
mind.
Was hoping to get some
insight on a problem I am having with my mare. She is 11, have had her
since January, she is QH mix (not sure what). Started conditioning her
all last year and competed in one LD last year, she did great, drank, pee'd,
pulsed down very well.
This summer has been very
hot in So Cal and between the heat and kids out of school, not much
conditioning happened over the summer. Have had mostly short rides
1-2x/wk, but due to vacation and relatives in town, have not been on her
for 2 weeks before this happened.
* Noticed last week
that she was walking rather sensitively (not very obvious at this point),
checked her hooves, OK. Didnt call the vet wanted to see if she improved
the next day, well "walking on egg shells" is the best way to describe
her walking.
*Called the vet,
came out- hoof test-negative, felt she had ?laminitis. Started her on
Bute 1gm BID (2xday), and isuxsuprine 15 tablets BID. In a few days,
much much better.
*Checked
in with vet 8 days later...looks good, tapered her off the
bute, continue the isuxsuprine. 24 hours off the bute, and .....egg
shells again.
*Called vet, came out,
pulled front shoes, hoof test with some sensitivity (right side frog area,
left side hoof wall?). Xrays (told I could choose from laminitis
views to full views to include navicular bone)...well, I am an
nurse...better to get them all while you can.
*Xrays show: mild
rotation of coffin bone, trauma to the coffin bone (pedal osteitis), and some
minor changes to the navicular bone.
*tomorrow
the farrier is coming to put on corrective shoes with pads, etc
etc. Instructed to increase bute to 2gms 2x/day, and
isuxsuprine to 20 tabs 2x/day.
Her diet consists
of: 1/2 scoop of beet pulp (soaked in water for at least 30
min)
handful of O&M,
handful of rolled corn, and sprinkle of Select II, OH and
importantly her hay is Barley (not alph-alpha).
I am assuming, very
sadly, that maybe her short lived endurance days are over. ??Are
they?? Anyone have experience with this, comments, suggestions, what
should I feed her now? (mixed answers from both vets)
