When I got to the barn this evening, I had two surprises: Kasane was covered in hives (happened last year too) and Prize was in her stall. I called the barn manager to ask about Prize and to see about giving Kasane antihistamines for a few days. The barn owner and I had been playing phone tag, with my calls not connecting to hers and her phone giving her issues when she tried to dial out. Prize was up because she was having feet issues: her white line on her front feet looked wider, she was stiff, and was also lame on her front feet. She seemed to be shifting her weight a little too the back too. The barn owner thinks Prize has a mild case of laminitis.
Prize was definitely lame more on her front left when I walked her down the barn aisle tonight. When I asked her to turn around, she was very reluctant to turn and was more willing to back up. She had a strong digital pulse in her front left (stronger than her front right). The temperature for all four feet felt the same to me tonight. She was stocked up in all four feet, so I put some liniment (probably to make me feel better).
First thing tomorrow morning I’ll be at the barn and will probably call the vet on the way out. I’ve been remembering the regimens we did for Isis (luckily they are documented on this blog – go me!).
I had a flashback to Isis when she had laminitis. We were lucky with Isis: she came through with little to no rotation and recovered fully. No one could even tell she’d ever had laminitis. (That was my Miracle Mare!) Hopefully Prize will have the same type of recovery. Prize is 27 so our treatment options may be different.
What might have caused her laminitis? It could be so many things: high sugar levels in the grass from the rain and heat, something she ate, a toxin in her system that is working its way out through her feet, etc.
I started taking notes for Prize in the medical journal at the barn. I’ll trace her feet tomorrow like I used to do with Isis. We’re also going to switch Prize over to the same set of supplements Isis used to be on (Pre-Ox and Quiessence), just in case this is a sugar-related issue. Farrier comes on Saturday. I’m hoping I can get the vet out tomorrow. It’s an expense, but laminitis is an emergency. You do what you have to do for the girls, you know?
I’ve been reading through Safer Grass (best source for info on laminitis and grass), especially these articles:
- Laminitis Attack: The First Line of Defense, by Dr. Don Walsh, DVM and Kathryn Watts
- Signs of laminitis
- Mechanisms for development of laminitis
- Risk factors for laminitis
- Founder fodder weeds
- When it’s time to give up
Yeah, I know. That last one is a “worst case scenario.” I never want to think about having to make that kind of decision any time soon for Prize, but I want the article printed and in Prize’s folder at the barn as a reminder.
