I would value your opinion on my 13.2 cobby mare.
she lives out 24/7, she is feed dengie hi-fi lite approx amount two good handfuls,and some alfalpha pellets just a handful twice a day. she is fed ryegrass hay adlib as the grazing is not of the lush green type but more a short self seed grass.
she became sore on both her front feet 2 days ago and is reluctant to walk, she will walk but it is obviously painful at the moment, I have now fenced most of the grass off, and she is still receiving the above mentioned food,she lives with another cob, who has suffered from laminitis before but he is ok at the moment, she is very fat and she has got a crest on her a stallion would be proud of. i am deperate to help her get over this episode so i can ride her again to help her lose her excess pounds, i dont want to starve her as she was a rescued pony who was left in a stable for days without food. at present i am feeding her herbs for laminitis and no bute as i dont really want to give her bute as i know this is not good for her,
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.

Where are you from? ipswich, engalnd

How did you locate this forum? search

Hello Fiona,

I know how difficult it is to see you precious mare in such pain. I am not certain, but I believe the Dengie feed is sweetened with molasses, correct? If so, you’ll want to stop feeding this. She should not have any sweet feed, carrots, apples, or any grain. Instead, continue feeding her alfalfa pellets and rye grass hay.

I would also recommend that you feed her a probiotic (live microbials) to help replenish the bacterial flora that have died in her digestive tract. Along with this, give her 3000 IU of vitamin E and 15000 mg of Vitamin C.

Once she is better, you can let her graze in the early morning hours, when the fructan levels in the grass are at their lowest. Take her off pasture in the afternoon.

I hope this is helpful. Please keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

thank you for your quick response, dengie hi-fi lite does not contain any molasses, it is made for the laminitic so they say.
you talk about vitamin e and c,this might sound a silly question but where can i get this from.
also on some of your answers you say aspirin is helpful rather than bute.
At the moment i am giving her devils claw which is an alternative to bute,but i am wondering if she should have something that works quicker to get her over this painful period.
Is a prebioherb the same as probiotic,as from global herbs.
look forward to your reply. thank you
fiona

Where are you from? ipswich, engalnd

How did you locate this forum? search

Hi Fiona,

Good – I’m pleased that the Dengie feed is not sweetened – continue to use it.

About the vitamins – I would check at your local feed store, or an on-line supplement store that sells horse supplements. I offer Pure C and E 5000 (both made by Vita-Flex) on my website, however, I cannot ship internationally since these products are shipped directly from the manufacturer. I’m sure there are companies in the UK that carry similar products.

I do prefer aspirin to bute, but even so, you cannot offer these anti-inflammatory agents for more than a few days because they can cause digestive problems. Devils claw and yucca are both herbal pain killers and may help somewhat but their effect is slow. MSM is also a natural anti-inflammatory that would be helpful, but it, too, is not immediate. For an acute phase, it is best to give 2 grams of aspirin every 6 to 8 hours for two days or so.

A probiotic generally contains live microbials and is best to use during an attack. Once things settle down, however, I prefer to get a horse on a maintenance program of Ration Plus, because it contains bacterial byproducts from many different bacterial species, not just a few (as you find in the live products). Ration Plus does not contain live microbials, so it is technically referred to as a “prebiotic” because it promotes the health and multiplication of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. I do have the ability to send you Ration Plus, if you like. Let me know, and I’ll figure the shipping cost for you.

I hope your mare is doing better today. Please keep me posted.

Dr. Getty

hi, dr getty, just to let you know my mare has improved really well over the last few days, i think the aspirin really helped.
i have now got both ponies on prebioherb made by global herbs, and a product called laminitis prone supplement which seems to be helping.
they are both now eating a small amount of grass a day, and seem to be coping with this.
Thanks again for your help and advice,
fiona

Where are you from? ipswich, engalnd

How did you locate this forum? search

Hi Fiona,

That is music to my ears! I am so pleased to hear that she has improved. Keep up the fine work.

All the best,

Dr. Getty