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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 10:54:31 AM
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| Bex-she is just adorable, thanks for the link |
pagey |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 11:18:11 AM
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I will try and keep it as short as possible but here goes;
After I had weened Kazzy from her she was what I would call a bit poor because he couldnt be weened till he was 7 1/2months old, anyway
I started feeding her up again, she was on Sugar beet, molichop, and I think a kind of mix, anyway she went lame and like you do leave it a day to see if it would right it self but she got lamer, vet came and found an abcess, she was on box rest for a week and poulticed, tubbed twice a day and foolishly I kept on feeding her a high sugar
diet!!! when the abcess had cleared within a day or two she went really lame and I thought then she had lami but said to myself *No,
she's an Arab Horse they dont get lami* WRONG!!!!!!!!!! Now it could
have been lami through toxins entering the bloodstream or lami through weightbearing/overfeeding.
She got one bad bout after that, and then was clear for 5 years, I
stood up then and looked into it all, (this btw was 11 years ago) I
restricted her grazing spring/autumn time, never ever let her out
on frozen ground to either run or eat the grass, in all this time she
had heartbar shoes fitted and she was virtually sound, I moved away
from lancashire and moved down to Cheshire and couldnt find a farrier
so to my regret I was fooled into going down the bare foot way, within 6 months of going barefoot (I was promised by this EP that I
would have a sound horse after his work had been done) she was chronic and very very lame to the point the vet said to have her PTS.
A new farrier had moved to my area and he came to see her and said he
could help her and boy he did for 4 years she was fitted with heartbars again and re shod every 4 weeks until last winter when she
pulled her tendon in the field and came down with it again (Weight bearing) she was very lame again until he did a Dorsal wall resection on her, heres a picture
She was back to her normal self again a bit sore on hard ground but
she coped well with it and didnt have any bute until just before
Xmas when she had a very nasty fall in the yard, she wwent with such
a thump and was in deep shock and trauma, well yes you guessed, even
though she was on bute and the vet put her back on ACP it came back
with such a vengance her poor pedal bone ended up like this
we gave her 2 weeks to see if she could come round she was the bravest toughest little horse I have ever known and she just coudnt
cope with the pain, her last week she was on 4 bute a day and still
couldnt manage to get out of her stable, the vet came and my wonderful farrier but they said her soles had softened and it was a
matter of time before the pedal bone came through, I was devastated
beyond beleif, my farrier even had a little cry when he said goodbye
to her, he was upset that nothing more could be done so I made the
decision to put her out of her misery.
Thats why I am paranoid about Laminitis, it is one of the most awful
things to happen to your horse, the day she died we managed to get
her to the field with her son it was a lovely sunny day and her coat
shone like copper and her eyes glistened, that was the hardest part
seeing her looking so healthy but unable to walk.
If writing this as opened just one persons eyes to the trauma of
laminitis then I have spent a worthwile 10 minutes writing it and
tens minutes of people reading it.
Take care and look after your lovely horses.
Janet
ps. luckily she left me with her son Kazbah who I treasure with all my heart. he is now 12 years old. |
     
Sunny Cheshire |
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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 11:22:57 AM
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| Thankyou Janet, very hard for you-but it has certainly opened my eyes. Thankyou |
pagey |
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Moosie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
717 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 4:14:10 PM
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| And here is another horrendous saga. My gelding came down with laminitis last May - not grass related, no obvious cause,in no way overweight, even the vet couldnt understand it. Despite all possible treatments the pedal bone penetrated the sole on one foot, his coronary band separated from his foot and discharged pus etc for weeks. After endless heartache for me and severe pain for him, plus thousands of pounds in vets and specialist farriers fees there was improvement and he has grown a totally new foot. But it hasnt ended yet as he has had a massive abscess and now has pus discharging from the sole. The x rays show good realignment of the pedal bone but no reason for the pus so he is going back to the vets next week to have his foot opened up in a desperate effort to find the source of the discharge. He has been on box rest for 11 months. If he was unable to cope with this mentally I would have had him put down but he doesnt want to die and his box is now half an open barn so I feel justified in keeping on. But for anyone who might even consider treating lamin itis lightly please take these (and other) experiences on board. Others may be lucky enough to have the chance of preventing such suffering - I didnt. Nat H who also posts on here lost her horse just before Xmas - once again no obvious cause.It is truly an evil killer. |
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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 4:18:26 PM
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thankyou moosie,
would it be fair to say, that it is really pot luck? Can strike any horse, at any time, for no apparent reason?
Turning into lami paranoia freak now, i honestly thought only overweight horses could get it. |
pagey |
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Moosie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
717 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 4:31:24 PM
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| I believe this to be the case - yes I am sure the reason is there somewhere but sometimes you cant find it - my opinion only. He may still have to be put down the vets and farrier are all saying it is bizarre and I dont know how much longer we can both go on. Its now not the laminitis but the damage that it has caused. |
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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 4:40:33 PM
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I'm sure it's not pot luck---there is always a reason, but sometimes it is hard to find, and some vets wear blinkers. In the vast majority of "unexplainable" laminitis, or any unusual presenting of it---e.g. in one foot only, please suspect Cushings disease---even if your horse shows no other symptoms at all and is not in an age group considered to be at risk. My horror story is because my beautiful Zan was not diagnosed with Cushings early enough---had he been and had he started pergolide sooner he might still be here today. I am not feeling up to writing the whole story here, but the day that horse was pts he looked like a million dollars---he just had one completely wrecked foot. A braver, kinder horse never existed.
Incidentally there is research that now shows that overweight horses, even if they don't get laminitis at the time, are more prone to developing Cushings in later life, and hence laminitis. |
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Kazzy
Platinum Member
England
3335 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 4:48:58 PM
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I hope yours comes through it Moosie and also yourself aswell.
The last 1 1/2 years I spent nursing Bazz through it, she was has
strong as an Ox and my farrier said she had a very high pain threshhold so he could do things with her.
Up until her fall at Xmas time she was enjoying life and was still going out in the field and playing I have video of her playing
*Racehorses* as I used to call it with her son taken just before Xmas, I still cant bring myself to watch it again, I just cant see
her moving about, pictures are fine, but seeing her running about
tail aloft, snorting and blowing will reck me in time I will watch it again and transfer it onto DVD.
It was only after her fall and the last week of her life that really
she looked to be giving up, people said you know the right time, and
I always said *how can you* well I did, she told me in her own way
really. She just looked so sad and fed up, I think she knew herself
really, the day the vet came for the first time in 18 years she
stood licking my face, she always gave me kisses, but she really
licked my face, my hubby said she was saying good bye
I could have tried something else with her the vet said it was a support thing, but it would have meant her staying in another 6 months and still in a lot of pain and he said the outcome at the end
might not be to bright either, she had suffered 11 years with it on and off and I really dont think she would have approved of it anyway.
Really hope yours pulls through Moosie and anyone else who is suffering with the awful illness.
Janet
ps, forgot to add she also was suffering Cushings which I was told
was brought on through the Laminitis, even though she was on pergolide she still got it so cushings related Lami was out of the
question it was the fall and stress that brought the last horrendous
bout. |
Sunny Cheshire |
Edited by - Kazzy on 20 Apr 2007 4:51:55 PM |
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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 4:56:38 PM
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| that is so sad, you did the kindest thing for her Janet. You released her from any pain. |
pagey |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 5:11:52 PM
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| I remember when she fell Janet, and I felt for you both, knowing what it could lead to with her history. You definitely did everything you could and the best thing at the end. Moosie---I hope yours recovers. |
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Moosie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
717 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 5:55:04 PM
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| thanks guys and before anyone even begins to say that its cruel to keep a horse stabled 24/7 for 11 months let me say that before this happened to my fit performance horse I too would have been of that opinion but in every case it has to depend on the horse itself, the time, love and attention that you are able to give and the facilities that you are able to make for them whatever it takes. Said it all now just got to see what next week brings. |
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rosyw
Platinum Member
England
3756 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 6:23:18 PM
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| Reading through this I was reminded of my eldest daughters pony, not overweight, who went down with laminitis, he was sharing a two acre field with three others so there shouldn't have been too much grass, BUT, the weather was similar to this year, a long dry period, then when it did finally rain the grass just shot through, my vet said that as it had been dry for so long all the nutrients in the soil were suddenly released, so the grass, though not too long, was so rich there were lots of cases of laminitis in just a couple of days. Might be worth thinking about this year? The pony had one more bought of laminitis a few years later in mid November! my hay was apparently too rich, so after that he was fed on Hi-Fi with no further problems. |
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tamila
Platinum Member
England
2532 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 6:53:27 PM
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My gelding had laminitis some years ago. He has never been overweight in his whole life. It turned out to be very bad farriery. His toes were far too long. As it had come about over a long period of time it was not very noticeable until he started going short. He has never had it since and now wears natural balance shoes when he has them. It was very scary at the time as laminitis always is.
Thinking of you. |
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Edited by - tamila on 20 Apr 2007 6:55:06 PM |
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jaj
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4324 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 7:48:27 PM
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My mare is quite lean at the moment but I'm really happy with her being that way coming into spring/summer. Am very worried though because it is due to rain Mon/Tues of next week and the ground is parched. The grass is just going to go mad all at once isn't it? There is hardly any in their field at the moment and I just hope it stays that way. It has brought tears to my eyes reading about everyone's beloved horses suffering so much from this dreadful disease  .
Jen
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Kuraishiya (Maleik el Kheil/Kazra el Saghira) and Sahara Bey (Kuraishiya/WSA Charismma) |
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rhoni
Gold Member
United Kingdom
910 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2007 : 9:14:51 PM
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Dear Nikki,
I've just skimmed through this but another thing to consider is that your yearling can develop joint problems if too heavy.
Laminitis can be caused by various things - my mare had it briefly because of bad white line disease - the loss of support/elasticity within the hoof caused the laminae to tear.
I also have a theory that I'll bore people with now - it's this notion that dieting ruins the metabolism. I'm lucky to have old unfertilised permanent pasture for my horses (including minis and Shetties - one of them is an utterly obese and waddling Shettie who has never been dieted but never had any foot problems at all). I've never really restricted any of them, fat Arabs included. The only horse or pony I've had that's succumbed to a dietary laminitis is one of the Shetties who I lent to a mate to keep a box-rested horse company. She was kept free-range in a yard with a leaf of hay morning and evening. She came back to me in the best trim she's ever been in and came down with laminitis soon afterwards. Food for thought, if you'll pardon the pun.. |
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tamila
Platinum Member
England
2532 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 08:27:39 AM
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Rhoni,
Some years ago I worked for Triple Crown Feeds and we did research into laminitis with a group of vets. One of the things they discovered was that starving a pony in particular and then putting them on grass caused laminitis as there was a sudden rush of iron which the body can not manage. They then starved some pony mares but gave them an iron supplement and put them on grass. They did not get laminitis. This may have been what happened to your pony.
It might be worth some of you phoning Roger Hatch on 01243551766 as he is what I consider an expert in the field of these problems in horses. |
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Edited by - tamila on 21 Apr 2007 08:29:37 AM |
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arabic
Platinum Member
England
4562 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 4:38:05 PM
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Rhoni that certainly makes some sense. I am sick of restricting Freddie to a postage stamp for fear of obesity and laminitis. My grazing like yours is unfertilised and permanent and I have decided this year to bite the bullet and split the paddock into 2 and rotate it. Giving each a chance to recover a bit. I am going to try and be led by him rather than my fears. Initially on the rested side he did blow up a bit but now seems to have levelled out. When he starts to look for more grazing, or drop a bit of weight, then I shall swop sides again. If the grazing gets a bit more of a flush, then I may strip it but I certainly feel that I have been over restrictive.
Sandie |
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madmare
Platinum Member
England
2129 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 6:49:27 PM
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| Crystal is a *very* good doer! she'll blow up like a flipping puffer fish given half a chance on bad grazing! On good grazing, she can get to the size of a small aerial blimp! Luckily, this year..she and her laminitic pal are having the two back fileds behind YO's house..so she can keep her beadies on them! I also have trouble shifting the weight....despite concentrated hard work..and hacking to and from shwos..it still refuses to move! |
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spirit
Gold Member
England
567 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 7:11:51 PM
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The sad thing is that some people dont learn!
I have seen so many cases of laminitis just because the owners lack of care and being irrasponsable. On 2 occasions, the owners knew the risks and they had a shetland and the other had a sec B, they were just left on a rich field to eat themselves to death, then when the horses couldnt walk back from the field due to so much pain and they were diagnosed with serious cases of lami, they were really upset and acted shocked and expected sympathy from everyone. It disgusts me.  Then when the horse/pony has recovered a little, they chuck them back in the field until they end up in the same position.
There are so many people who take great care preventing their horses from getting lami and it can still occur. One horse on our yard aquired it due to allergies to different grasses and feed, and has suffered greatly, but it wasnt the owners fault. It a terrible problem and it worrys me all the time, as your horse could be the next unlucky one however hard you try to prevent it. So sad. |
     
Cleworth Hall Farm
df.ballerina@googlemail.com
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Jingo
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3632 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 8:53:13 PM
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| Rafa reading you post really brought tears. I have heard that if we keep horses on a VERY short paddock - the grass that comes thru is "new and full of everything" so they are better on long rough paddocks!!! The iron theory is worth trying - we have a couple here, who are prone to lami - we have kept them on a restricted paddock all winter and now in spring - with their faithful friend (Terence the ram), they are fed mainly high fibre twice a day - hopefully Terence gets the short new shoots before they do. Fingers crossed we can hopefully keep them lami free this year without confining them to stables. |
Jude
www.auchmillanarabians.org.uk
      
photos:Anthony Reynolds,Sweet,Deano,Real Time Imaging |
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tamila
Platinum Member
England
2532 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 09:55:50 AM
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| I have used Lakota Salts (now produced by Baileys) for my horses for many years and apart from the one incident when it was not because of grass they have never had a problem on grass. If they are on it most of the time they are very unlikely to get laminitis. You only need to give them one spoon per day so it is not very expensive. Sometimes I give them a probiotic for a couple days before putting them on grass and a couple after. |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 10:10:43 AM
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While many cases of laminitis are not caused by poor managment many are. My friend's friend bought a Welsh section C and turned him out on good grazing all day and also fed him big feeds morning and evening. Despite my friend telling her he was far too fat she insisted he was fine. He came down with very bad laminitis and was in agony, for several weeks it was a debate of whether to have him pts or not. Then she returned from work one day to find him dead in his stable. He had either had a heart attack or his heart had just given up with all the pain and stress. He was only four years old. Although I never saw him I was really upset to think about him dying like that all on his own.
PLEASE, DO NOT LET YOUR HORSES GET TOO FAT. While many fat horses don't get laminitis you don't know if yours will be one of the unlucky ones until it is too late.
Barbara |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
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jaj
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4324 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 1:26:45 PM
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Me too! There are lots of fat horses at my yard and I'm sure people think mine is the hard done by one because she is so much leaner than the rest of them.
Jen
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Kuraishiya (Maleik el Kheil/Kazra el Saghira) and Sahara Bey (Kuraishiya/WSA Charismma) |
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