Questions on Founder/Laminitis

[yankee_minis]

As some might know from reading the mini donkey forum, my little Rosie has laminitis in both front feet.

:

Well this has brought up some questions.... I have been talking to people about founder in general. Apparently one study done with vets here (don't know when) provided a plethera of treatments-- and some were completely opposite of each other.

ice packs / heat packs

hot water soaks / cold water soaks

stall rest / activity

meds / no meds

steroids / no steroids

:

:

:

Rosie is getting aspirin and isoxsuprine with complete stall rest on thick bedding for 2 weeks.

Her feeding regimen isn't changed much-- she's getting 1 cup Trotter and 1/2 flake hay twice a day. (Donkeys aren't fed like horses) The vet said NOT to increase her hay and perhaps increase her grain by 1/2 cup (she could use a little weight). And I don't think that was because she's a donkey. This surprised me. My instinct would have been just the opposite...

So what are you guys hearing/using for treatments for founder in equines?

 

[Frankie]

Do you know what caused it?

Stress, too high protein, too much sugar, other health conditions? IR levels, thyroid levels.

There are a lot of things that can cause this. To make her the most comfortable, you need to find the root of the problem.

The reason you may be hearing different versions of what to do, is because the reason for this happening, will give you different, opposite things to do, help.

 

[yankee_minis]

We don't know why this is happening....except that she came to us last June with horrible horrible horrible feet. (see donkey forum for pics). It's not food related as Trotter is fine and she's not getting a lot. The vet took a thyroid test and we're awaiting the results.

It could be stress...as we have added a couple big horses to our little family... but they're not stalled near her nor are they in the same paddock. So I can't see how she is stressed too too much about that....

The weather has been freaky here-- mud mud mud in February!! January was also record warm weather. The paddocks have been wet and muddy for a couple weeks. Now it's 10 degrees again and everything is frozen solid.

:

We know nothing of her history so this might be a normal thing for her.... who knows? She came from Nebraska and was just livestock out there.

Why would the treatments be different if the result/pain was the same? I mean why would it matter how it happened if the debate was over whether to ice to reduce blood flow to the area or to heat to increase blood flow? That's what is confusing to me.

 

[Becky]

I had two miniature mares founder recently on, of all things, grass hay. I had some bermuda grass round bales delivered back in late November and within a few days of being on the bales, these two mares both came up sore in their front feet. They are fed a diet balancer, alfalfa pellets and the grass hay. No sugared feeds. The grass hay must have been high in starch/sugar.

The treatment that has worked best here is to pull them off the round bales for awhile. Keep them in an area that is cushiony. Trim their feet. I have kept mine on the same diet, except for swithching their grass hay. The one that was a little thin, got soaked and rinsed beet pulp added as well as a fat supplement. The main thing is to keep them away from sugar and starch. Also use an anti inflammatory medication for awhile.

I have now increased the time these two are back on the round bales with no adverse effects.

 

[Fred]

I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU DUE TO THE FREAKY WEATHER MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE SEEN MORE FOUNDERED OR LAMINITIC HORSES THE PAST TWO WEEKS THAN IS NORMAL! MINIS, DONKEYS, OR BIG HORSES IT DOESN'T MATTER. THE WEATHER DOES AFFECT THE ANIMALS. LINDA B

 

[Hosscrazy]

Unfortunately, I have a fair amount of experience with laminitis/founder from IR (insulin resistance) horses. I highly recommend you have your horses insulin/glucose ratio tested (blood test - Cornell University can handle the lab work). I also highly recommend you read information on the following sites:

http://www.hopeforsoundness.com

http://www.safergrass.org

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/equine-founder

Best wishes,

Liz R.

 

[Kathy2m]

I had 2 old school ponies founder some years ago (at different times), in the spring, we figured it was too much new grass, We were told to take them off grain, hay only, stall rest for a least a week they were on Bute and Isoxaprine(sp) one we had to put shoes on with pads. Good Luck, Kathy

 

[Marty]

If you haven't had x rays yet that has to be done to see to what degree the founder is at. If you have rotation, then you will be needing to do a series of things to address that.

I would

1. Keep her from walking around a lot. A stall with soft bedding would be important.

2. Reduce grain.

3. Keep her on an anti-inflamatory for pain. The pain is huge.

 

[Fred]

Not a vet but I am a farrier and the treatments seen and used by clients varies. When I worked for a particular farm as the manager in winter there were several foundered minis. Treatment varied with the individual. The worst one, the mare was in for 3 months. NO GRAIN [except for meds] and only lower quality hay. Each equine is different and each one may be treated different. The common drugs are bute and isoxoprene, isoxoprene is a vasal dialator [supposed to increase blood supply to the affected area]. What may work for one animal may not work for another. The standard though is no grain or very little and lesser quality hay. Soft bedding and confinement also. Linda B

 

[Frankie]

Linda,

Ours is having tons of problems last few weeks. No changes but weather.

Can you help me to understand the weather change contributing too?

Thaks

 

[yankee_minis]

Well, last week it was in the 50s. This week it is in the below 20*. Last week (and a lot before, it seems) we were getting rain rain rain. Sunday we're expecting 6-12 inches of snow. Right now we have almost no snow cover. We expect to go below zero tonight.

Linda, I know the weather affects my old broken bones... how does it affect laminitis?

Also, what I'm hearing is that the treatment doesn't range all over the place as I've heard... that it is basically rest and anti-inflammatories.

Marty, we have had X-rays and there's no rotation and one foot is barely angled and the other is about 5*-7*

Thanks, Hosscrazy. I went to those web sites and joined the group.