Hi Dr Getty,
A few weeks ago my hose coliced from beet pellets, that I had not soaked long enough. I also have been transitioning him to bare foot.
My big problem with the transition was I had no barefoot trimmer, I had his shoes taken off,(he only had front shoes on) because I had him shod to help out his ringbone, that stopped helping after a year with shoes.I read many post from various people on how barefoot has caused horses with ringbone to become sound. So with no barefoot trimmer I had a farrier trim him, he just was not getting any better, then he coliced, and he was just going down hill fast. Then someone who trims her own horses,and has for years, read a post I had posted about my horse and trying to transition him to barefoot. She happened to be two hours away and was kind enough to come over and trim him. When she got here she was so concerned, because his feet were terribly unbalanced, too high on the outside. They were all that way and she suspected he had been shod and trimmed that way all along.
Well she found on foot with laminitis,his good front foot, she felt it was because of being too high on the outside plus he probelly was baring more weight on that foot because of the ringbone.
She said the others did not have it.
Unfortunatly she is moving too Texas for the next four months(I live in Calif)but she did recommend a good farrier that will also do a balanced trim.So the trimming problem will be under control, now for the laminitis. I bought him the Quiessence, and I have been giving it to him for about a week. So if he did get the laminitis from poor trim, with the Quiessence will he be able to eat normally, meaning a natural diet.He lives on a ten acres, with about a 6 acres wooded. So they get a good variety of plants. As long as I watch his weight, and make sure he doesn't get over weight well he be able to live on the 10 acres. It not a lush irragated pasture but just a natural one. I have no where else to keep him, so I am trusting he will be able to live a normal life. He has been there for 6 months.
Oh, he is getting better I am not having to feed either horse anything because of all the various feed on the acres. I also give him beet pulp with his suppelments on it,(well soaked!)
So any suggestions will help

Carol

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? from a friend

Hi Carol,

My, my -- you've had a rough time with your fellow! Yes, beet pulp in the pelleted form, needs to be soaked real well, as you know.

Now, about the laminitis -- if it is in one foot, it may not be a grass laminitis, but rather what we call "road founder" meaning that it is due to a pressure on the foot from a hard road, hot trailer floor, or in your case, from an imbalance in the way his hooves were trimmed.

So, I would not be concerned about letting him graze on this pasture. In fact, this is the ideal situation for him.

Now, for the ringbone... Ringbone is a form of osteoarthritis in the pastern or coffin joints. This, too, could have been caused by the imbalance, but it is likely a combination of poor trimming plus degeneration of the joint over time. He would very likely benefit from a joint supplement such as Actiflex 4000. I recommend this one because it contains several antiinflammatory agents as well as the traditional glucosamine, chondroitin, and msm that you find in joint supplements. It also has hyalutonic acid in large amounts.

About the Quiessence -- see how he does over the next couple of weeks and you may be able to wean him off of that. If he is of normal weight and the laminitis is not due to grass consumption, he will likely be fine without it.

Keep me posted!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thank you so much Dr Getty for your taking the time to read my long winded post! Kody is getting better each day and I do have him on corta flx, I will see how he does on that, but will keep the other in mind.

Thanks
Carol

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? from a friend

Hi Carol,

It was my pleasure to help out. I'm so pleased that he's doing better. And, it's good to hear that he's on a joint supplement.

Keep up the very fine work!!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

If I may enter the discussion about the horse with possible laminitis, it sounds to me as if you need a veterinary exam, some xrays, and a true diagnosis for this horse. If he really has laminitis, he probably needs help with anti-inflammatories and some support for the sole of his foot, maybe with a heavily padded bandage or a heart bar shoe. Treatment depends on the extent of the damage and whether the coffin bone is rotating or sinking, and the longer it goes untreated the worse the condition may become. You'll likely need a farrier experienced in treating foundered horses.

Where are you from? Poolville TX

How did you locate this forum? my equine DDS

Hi Pam
I do have a farrier that is very experianced with founder. The horse is getting better everyday, from day one he started to improve, especially the last few days I have seen a great improvement. He only has it one foot, and the trimmer was also very experianced in founder, she refered me to the farrier
I will using.He is on B-L, corti flx and I give him MSM, and I a little devils claw,and Quiessence.
I am transitioning him to barefoot which is better for the recovering foot anyway. He no longer stands with his back feet forward like he was before, he only did stand that way for a about 3 days. I think as long as I see improvement why involve a vet just now? Besides it was another highly recommended farrier that had been shoeing him for a year and he as completly unbalanced all the way around.
So thanks you so much for your concern, but he is improving, moving around in the pasture at a trot and canter on his own, so I think that is very good sign he is recovering.
Carol

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? from a friend

Hi Carol and Pam,

First, I am so delighted that he is doing better. This is an excellent sign. And, having your farrier pay close attention to him, along with your nutritional supplementation, is your best course of action. From what you describe, he doesn't appear to have suffered much damage.

But, I'd like to make a comment about laminitis, in general, to everyone. (And, this is where Pam's comment comes into play.) Laminitis is a medical emergency. This is very important for everyone to understand. At the first sign of this disorder, it is very important to contact your vet. This is because, by the time you see symptoms, a lot of damage may have already taken place. The degree of rotation that the coffin bone experiences can make a horse lame. And, unfortunately, in some cases, the rotation can be so severe, that the coffin bone can penetrate the sole. The horse usually has to be put down in such cases.

So, there are degrees of damage. In this case that Carol describes, it was very likely due to excessive force put on the foot. This type of laminitis is the easiest to treat, once the weight can be removed from one foot. Laminitis that occurs due to toxins in the bloodstream (from excessive grain, sugars, and even infections), generally results in far more damage.

So, bottom line -- don't guess. Your veterinarian and farrier are very important resources during this critical situation. In addition, an equine nutritionist, such as myself, should be consulted to assist with healing and prevention of future attacks.


All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Hello
Thanks for your concern and your, as always, wonderful advice!
He does not limp on his foot with the laminitis at all, he limps on his ringbone foot, at a trot. Another good thing is since he has his feet all balanced he is walking normal, I don't really know how to discribe the way he used to walk, when he had the shoes on he was reaching out in front, that is when I decided he needs the shoes off that something is really wrong. I guess all I can say is he just walks more balanced and normal. LOL
Of course I will call a vet in if he gets worse, but
improvement daily is a good sign I don't need one as of yet.Thanks so much for your concern, Pam and Dr.Getty!

Carol

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? from a friend