Apologies

[Solitaire]

Sorry I'm not around much, I have been reading the board whenever I can.

I've had one of my horses very ill since June and then my husband home for 2 weeks, I haven't even had much time for sewing.

[BizzieLizzie]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. I hope it all works out soon so you can get some stitchy time.

[wendywombat]

I hope your horse is on the mend...they do take up our time don't they! I remember when we had horses in the UK!

Is it as hot there as it is in Tarn et Garonne?

[Angel]

Hope your horse is on the mend! What's been wrong?

[Fizzbw]

Poor you, and poor horse, what was/is wrong? I remember how horrendous it was when my chap got pneumonia, and then he went down with shock laminitis! It was awful, but he's fine now thank the gods.

If you want a horsey person hug, pm me.

Niki xxx

[Solitaire]

Back in June she went lame, vet found an infection in her foot so she had antibiotics, that seemed to clear up but then she had huge swellings appear on both sides of her body running from between the front legs to the back ones. Vet took bloods and sent them away and they came back with Leptospiriosis.

Everyday for a week the vet had to come out and inject her, but the Lepto had triggered Laminitis. My vets contacted a horse specialist vet who confirmed what they thought.

X-rays show chronic laminitis in the front and mild in the rear, under sedation her feet have been trimmed back and the front ones had special plastic frog shoes bandaged to her feet, I had to keep repairing the bandages everyday.

Thursday the vet and farrier returned and under sedation again removed the bandages and trimmed back her toes, she now has infections in all feet and I have to force her to stand and walk at least 3 times a day, there's still a possibility that the hooves will detach from the front feet, which means we will have to say goodbye to her

She's not an easy horse to do things to and still puts up a fight with the vet and farrier, so we are being optimistic, but it's so hard to see her like this

[wendywombat]

I really hope that you can get her better! Poor thing...and poor you too!

Sounds like she's a feisty girl so I hope she'll pull through.

[Violet270]

I'm so sorry to hear about her troubles. Our furry friends do take a huge chunk of our hearts, and it is so hard to see them in distress. My thoughts and prayers are with you both.

[rcperryls]

to you and your horse. It is so hard when an animal is ill and you can't explain why things need to be done, medicine taken or other therapies required. I'm sure they don't understand why the person they love has "done these things." I hope that your horse gets well soon. Come around for hugs whenever you need them.

Carole

[karen4bells]

sending out a few hugs to you! What an ordeal
I hope the meds and therapy work and your horse will soon show signs of improvement!

[Solitaire]

Thank you all for your kind words

The horse vet is very good and like us, he won't let her suffer, it's just a waiting game now on whether her feet improve enough for her to stay on her feet, her body is covered in huge sore skinless areas from laying down and her legs have chunks out of them from where she uses them to get up and down. When she walks it sounds like she is walking through mud

I do have photos but think they would be too distressing for you to see.

[LadyS]

I am so sorry to hear about your horse, it's really sad to see an animal sick like this.

[Rose]

Oh my that is so sad. My heart goes out to you and your horse. I hope she can improve.

[Fizzbw]

Oh you poor thing! my chap wasn't this ill, but had a similar experience with a n initial illness causing shock laminitis. His feet were riddled with infection as well. I feelthat this infection was caused by the foot being damaged by the myriad of antibiotics he was given for the pneumonia.

Luckily I had a total star of a barefoot trimmer and that and special hoof boots sorted things out. The vet was ok but it was as much complimentary therapies that sorted him out. But I know some of these things are hard to find where you are, so I'm so glad you have a good vet.

But I have seen amazing results with Ainsworths Injury Mix, a homeopathic remedy, it won't affect or interact with any other treatment. I can find you a link if you are interested, it's the kind of thing that won't hurt and might help.

And look after yourself!!! I k ow it's hard when you are so involved with them, but you have to be kind to yourself. I so hope your mare will be ok, lami is such a vile condition.

Niki xxx

[Solitaire]

Thanks Fizz would like the link please.

I had to stop feeding her the pellets I usually buy as the vet said they were too high in fat, my husband brought 2 bags of Hi-Fi Lite down and I found a supplier of Dodson & Horrel that sell the Fibergy, this is for lami sufferers too, the vet was very interested in it and she can have 2 pieces of carrot or an apple as a treat. I feed her 4 small meals a day and hay but she doesn't eat a lot now.

The Lepto triggered her lami and the bones have rotated in both front feet, one is more severe than the other.

[Fizzbw]

Even if there is rotation they can still get better with the best care. It's when the bones sink as well that it's hard. I'm very impressed with the results barefoot people are getting with rotation, but vets also get good results as well, it's just I'm very wary of nailing into an already compromised hoof.

You seem to have got her food sorted now, she should have her hay soaked as well to remove the sugars. I used Allan And Page's Fast Fibre which is good as well, just FYI incase it's easier to get hold of. Any proper high fibre pellets will be safe, and sugar beet that is unmollassed. Make sure anything has less that 10% sugar on the label, even some of the so called laminitis safe feeds aren't ( like Spillars Happy Hoof, avoid!!!) hi fi lite is fine.

The other really important thing to add to her food is magnesium. Best added as pure mag ox, you can get it here:

http://www.naturalhorsesupplies.co.uk/p ... ++%A31299/" target="_blank" target="_blank

The link for Ainsworths. You can also talk to them about a more specific remedy for lami, but you can't go wrong with the injury mix.

http://www.ainsworths.com/index.php?nod ... ombo-horse" target="_blank

On the link above use the drop down menu to get the injury mix, whichever amount you want.

Best of best of luck

Niki xxx

[Solitaire]

I've bookmarked the links and will have a proper look later when I've walked the dogs

Luckily Mabel is barefoot, she won't let anybody lift her feet for long without a fight, she throws herself on to her knees, that's why the vet sedates her and then I have to kneel on her head to keep her down, sounds terrible, but she can do real damage with her feet if not kept still, she kicked my hand last week when I was try to repair the bandages and it's still swollen as she caught me on the knuckles. Silly husband was more interested in swatting flies

My farrier is lovely, very calm, even when she plays up, but the main worry is if the front hooves separate, we will know more in another 2 weeks when they come back.

Specialist horse feed is hard to find where I am, not many horses as the land is mostly arable and a few livestock and the grass is poor, although the horse vet said the pellets I buy are good, just not suitable for her at the moment.

Nobody can work out where the Leptospirosis came from and my old boy didn't catch it either

[Fizzbw]

Needs must huh. It's so horrid for you I'm so sorry. They are difficult when they hurt so much as well and of course you can't justify or explain it to them. Gutting.

So glad to hear she is barefoot, really it does give her a better prognosis IMO than if she was shod and all the damage shoes can do to the foot.

Lepto can be caught here as well, I think that you can only put it down to shitty bad luck can't you

Let me know how she goes, we can take it off board if you like

Hugs

Niki xxx

[wendywombat]

My daughters horse has terrible feet! He had really soft hoof walls and was a problem when shod! She ran him barefoot and he was so much better, even on tarmac roads.
Sadly after she sold him he was shod again, but as he's now part of the British Vaulting team he's OK on soft ground.

Laminitis is a real B****R to clear up. I feel for you! for you and one for Mabel