Sore Foot Dilemma (hole notta sole) long

["Thomas, Barb" <thomas@amgen.com>]

I have a 27 year old retired endurance mare (Whisper for all you old East
coast folks who may remember her) with a very serious foot problem.  Here's
the scenario.  This horse has had lamintis in the past with an approximate 8
degree rotation.  She was walk/trot sound and comfortable the week before
the Norco ride in September.  The weekend of the ride while I was away, my
farrier's assistant trimmed her without his supervision.  (Ex-farrier that
is) I came home to a dead lame horse because this guy had trimmed her soles
flat onto the ground.  The resident farm vet said that the soles were
supporting her weight and the hoof  walls weren't on the ground.  Under her
care, we started a course of bute and soft footing but within a week, there
was extensive bruising of the soles.  We went to shoes and pads but she
continued to worsen.  At this time she referred the horse out to the local
vet hospital where she spent a week receiving DMSO/fluid IVs, bute, and
isoxuprine to help control the inflammation.  The shoes were removed and she
was wrapped in cotton pillows.  When she came home, we continued the
bute/isoxuprine regimen and eventually removed the pillows.  She took a turn
for the worse after some improvement.  At that time, the veterinarians felt
that some seromas were forming and when we felt that they had organized,
they drilled her sole to release the pressure and drain the abscesses.
Unfortunately, there was very little drainage, so her feet were packed in
icthamol and put back into the pillows.  Back on the bute/iso again, with
some improvement.  It's now 9 weeks from the bad trim and the trouble is if
she misses even one dose of her meds, she's dead lame again.  Most puzzling
of all is that while she can hardly walk without meds, she's negative to
pain in both feet with the hoof testers.  Last night, we put her in Norfelds
magnetic wraps and this morning she was much improved but I don't want to
get my hopes up with one night and her still on the meds.  Can anyone who's
had this kind of problem tell me what you did and how long the trouble
persisted?  I'm really concerned about her quality of life at this point and
I'm looking for any alternatives available.  If anyone has any ideas, please
send them my way!!  BTW, latest radiographs show wonderful bone structure
besides the rotation.

Also, if anyone in the L.A./Ventura county area has a Norfelds blanket I
could borrow/rent for my other mare, please call me at 805-447-7174 or
1-800-9AMGEN9 x77174 after this weekend.  She fought with the cross ties and
lost, pulling muscles in her hindquarters.  This must be my time in the
"box"!!  Hey, prayers would help, too!

Barb (still sane somehow), Wind Dancer (lame), Whisper (lamer), and Katie
(if it's OK mom, I'll lick your face and make it all better!)
thomas@amgen.com