She doesn't want to walk.

[AppyLover2]

Kitty just doesn't want to walk. This has been going on for about a week now. At first I thought it was just the hard ground so kept her stalled except when the ground was thawing. She's eating, drinking, peeing and pooping same as normal. She isn't limping just walking very slowly like a little old lady. Farrier was here yesterday and said he didn't see anything that he thought would be causing it. No obvious leg swelling or pain, no hoof issues, no sensitive areas around her stomach or her back, gut sounds are good and she's alert. Evening feed time I have to go get her and bring her in to be fed rather than her coming in by herself.

She is the mare who had mild laminitis 2 years ago, but farrier said that on a scale of 1 to 10 her laminitis might be 1 1/2. I've been keeping her in at night and giving her 1/4 of a Bute once a day.

I'll be calling the vet for a visit tomorrow but would appreciate ideas/comments from you guys before he gets here.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I would lay money on that being laminitis. It sounds absolutely classic to me.

Farriers can't always pick up on it and my one mare that is prone, you could hit her feet with a hammer and she would not flinch....

 

[AppyLover2]

Jane if it is laminitis what should I be doing for her?????

 

[Minimor]

Laminitis, almost certain. In the early stages there is nothing for a farrier to see, and no specific hoof tenderness may be obvious. Horse doesn't necessarily limp--I've seen them moving like they are just very very stiff. They can even look like they have something wrong in the hind legs, but in reality they are moving hind legs 'funny' to compensate for sore front feet.

 

[Becky]

I'd bet money it's laminitis. Get her off of any pasture. Soaked grass hay only. Soak for an hour in cold water; or 1/2 hour in hot water. No grain of any kind. She could have soaked, rinsed beet pulp if she needs more calories. She would need a balance of the right vitamins/minerals after a while, but for now the above is necessary to make her more comfortable. A deeply bedded stall too if she is sore. Use caution when using Bute.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Keep her warm, keep her dry, bed her down well, make sure she is drinking, and take her off ALL grain, immediately.

The bute will help.

This is one of the few times when bute is better than banamine.

If you feel you need the Vet, OK, but if it is laminitis then it is almost all down to nursing care.

You might want the Vet just to confirm this, and also, if it is bad enough to put pads on her feet.

 

[AppyLover2]

I wish I could remember all the reasons he didn't think it was the laminitis. She doesn't act like she's walking on egg shells; doesn't stand with back feet up under her, she almost seems stiff rather than sore footed. Picks her back feet up but drags the front ones and walks with her nose to the ground.

Is 1/4 Bute once a day enough for her?

 

[Minimor]

Seriously, some horses do look stiff when they are having an attack of laminitis. Sometimes they will pick the hind feet up high and sort of wave them around in a spastic sort of way before setting the foot down again. Front legs may sort of shuffle, appearing as if the horse cannot bend the knees, so the foot sort of swings out with the leg stiff & hoof barely clearing the ground.

Bute works best if given in two equally divided doses per day. I can't say what the daily dose for your mare should be, but whatever the proper daily dosage is, it would be better to divide it in half and give it twice a day than to give it all at once in one dose per day.

 

[chandab]

I wish I could remember all the reasons he didn't think it was the laminitis. She doesn't act like she's walking on egg shells; doesn't stand with back feet up under her, she almost seems stiff rather than sore footed. Picks her back feet up but drags the front ones and walks with her nose to the ground.
Is 1/4 Bute once a day enough for her?

Unfortunately, I have 3 laminitic mares, and only one has ever stood in the classic founder horse stance. All are on grass hay only, a little beet pulp (non-molasses) and get a low carb ration balancer (I have limited choices for feed where I live, so this is the best I can do for them and it seems to be working). All three are finally getting the hoof care they need, now that I finally found a new farrier (not easy around here), and looking much improved. One of these mares has arthritic changes in her knees due to the laminitis (I know it sounds weird, but walking funny to make her feet feel better put stress on her knees), and she'll walk with her nose to the ground; between the farrier fixing up her hooves and a good joint supplement she is finally starting to get around better.

If she's dragging her front ones, any chance she injured one or both shoulders, just something to ask the vet when he comes. Arthritis is another to look into with the vet. Everyone else is covering the laminitis side of it, so just thought I'd try to throw a few other thoughts out there.

[several eyars ago, my now senior gelding was walking funny, all stiff in the hind end; the boarding facility owner thought he looked like he was tying up (walking funny, wouldn't extend to pee and such), although he hadn't been worked or any of tahe usual causes of tying up, we called the vet and had him come out and look. Evidently, the youngster in the pen with him had kicked him in the big butt muscle and he was very sore from that, a few days of bute and he was himself again. What these guys don't get themselves into.]

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

my first thoughts... laminitis kicking in, possible hoof abcess, arthritis.

Had a 33 year old 40" shetland that wouldn't move, thought her laminitis started up again but it was a hoof abcess.

Also just a thought, An old horseman told me about giving her Yucca daily. NOT the pellets, there is not too much yucca in them. I bought the powdered yucca, and its like around 99% pure yucca.It really helped her aches and pains, and made her more comfy.

Robin

 

[Knighthawke]

It sounds like laminitis too. I used to work with a vet and we would cut frog supports and tape them on with duct tape. I dont know quite how to explain it but we used to use a roll of gauze or like floor matt and we would cut a v like shape like the frog and then duct tape them one. Since the horse is usually painful on the sole by taping it to the frog it lifts the sole up. I know with most of the horses I have done this to, they usually walk off much more pleased and comfortable.

Barb

 

[AppyLover2]

Thank you all so much for your replies.

I did have her feet wrapped for a few days - used a thick mouse pad and duct taped them on the front. Really couldn't see much change. Farrier said there's no bruise, absess or anything like that so he was doubtful that any kind of padding would be beneficial - however; I thought it might help with the pain if nothing else. Not sure whether or not to pad them again, but will buy some sanitary napkins next time I go to the store cause I understand they (or diapers) make nice soft pads for sore feet. Sheesh haven't had any of those around for something like 35 years or so.

She's on Thyro L, Purine Low Starch feed, as far as I know that's the best I can get for her, and grass hay. She's outside right now (only about 30 feet from the barn) and I've been keeping her in a well bedded stall at night. Kinda figure standing around in the snow, if that's where she wants to be, might make her feet feel better.

Edited to add a question about the possibility of ulcer problems with the Bute. Until I can get something else I think it's ok to give her a human dose of something like Tums or RolAids. If not please somebody tell me so.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Robin, I am assuming you mean and old horseman told you about Yucca....or you have some very talented horses......

The one mare I have that does get a touch of laminitis, all she ever gives as a symptom is that she moves stiffly on her front feet.

Trust us on this, whatever your farrier says, it is very likely to be laminitis.

I would certainly have the Vet to check on other causes but it sounds like absolutely classic laminitis to me and to a number of other people.

When I have had laminitis in my mare I have never called a farrier, much as I respect them.

Were I to need a professional, I would call a Vet!

 

[Becky]

Donna, which Purina feed are you using? Most are high, high in NSC! The best and only one I would use for a laminitic horse is their Well Solve L/S at 11% NSC. For now, I would take her off of any grain if she were mine. Until you can get her comfortable again.

 

[AppyLover2]

Thanks Jane. The farrier was here on his scheduled visit. I had called the vets office and they suggested that I wait until after her feet were trimmed then call again if she wasn't any better. She, whoever answered the phone, said there isn't much they can do if it's laminitis.....sure had me wondering.....I hate it when someone other than the vet says something like that. It may be true but I'd sure rather hear it from the professional than from the vet tech.

Becky she's been on Well Solve L/S since her original laminitic episode. I can't cut her grain completely but I can reduce it. She's only getting 1 cup twice a day now. Guess I can reduce it to 1/2 or 1/4. Sure doesn't seem like much but maybe she'll start eating her hay better again.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Rabbit! You are toooooo FUNNY! Yes, an old horseman told me!!!! Thanks for the good laugh!

Robin

 

[Knighthawke]

When you put the pad on you dont want it on the sole. Just on the frog. If it is laminitis, padding on the sole will cause pain, you need to keep the padding on the frog only.

A mouse pad is a good idea but I would try to cut out a v for the frog only.

 

[AppyLover2]

Thanks Barbara. Had no idea you shouldn't pad the whole hoof. You ladies are GREAT! Still wish someone would give me some idea of the dosage of Bute though. She's 31" tall. I understand that a tablet is 1 gram and a big horse would get 2 grams twice a day. Soooo 1/4 of 2 grams (approx 300 lb vs 1200 lbs) would be 1/2 pill rather than the 1/4 I've been giving her. Maybe 1/4 pill twice a day rather than the once a day I've been giving it to her. Anybody????

Also just wanted to gladly say when I went out to feed she seems to be more alert and moving better. Not herself yet but a definite improvement. Maybe that trim helped.

 

[chandab]

Edited to add a question about the possibility of ulcer problems with the Bute. Until I can get something else I think it's ok to give her a human dose of something like Tums or RolAids. If not please somebody tell me so.

I don't know about tums or Rolaids; but I've used generic tagamet when dosing bute. [i don't know if its the proper dosage, but for my B minis, I just use one tablet and haven't had problems with that.]

 

[MiLo Minis]

Robin, I am assuming you mean and old horseman told you about Yucca....or you have some very talented horses......

The one mare I have that does get a touch of laminitis, all she ever gives as a symptom is that she moves stiffly on her front feet.

Trust us on this, whatever your farrier says, it is very likely to be laminitis.

I would certainly have the Vet to check on other causes but it sounds like absolutely classic laminitis to me and to a number of other people.

When I have had laminitis in my mare I have never called a farrier, much as I respect them.

Were I to need a professional, I would call a Vet!

Actually if it is a case of laminitis you are better off working with BOTH a vet and a farrier. One thing you can do is stand her in ice or snow if it is available. It can reduce the swelling, make her more comfortable and help to prevent any further damage.