OK, here's the situation. I left the barn yesterday morning around 930 am.
At 12:30 the BO called to say she had just come from putting Boo up because
he had gotten into the forbidden front pasture. He could have been there 15
mins all the way up to 3 hours. My best guess is he had at least an hour on
rich clover laden green well-rained-on grass. I observed him last night and
he seemed no worse for the wear and even this morning seemed to be ok. But I
went out this evening at 4 and he is in that laminitic stance. TO make
matters worse, he has been trying to abscess on the right front and it is
blowing out the right side coronet band. He was able to maneuver with his
left front ok and had made some progress over the last 2 days as the abscess
was starting to drain. Now we are back to square one after 3 years of
finally getting it all together. I am increasingly scared and sad and don't
know what to do for him at this moment. I need some real quick answers so I
can at least go back out tonight before dark and tend to him again. It is
going to be in the mid 50's tonight and I fear the cold weather laminitis
could play a factor. Should I wrap his legs?



I don't feel any bounding pulse or heat. Doesn't mean it isn't there, but it
feels normal to me. He is rocked on his heels and slowly rocking back and
forth. Would giving him a little bit of pergolide do anything, like say
.5mg? Just grasping here.



He is on ODTBC, tested low s/s hay and a handful of TC lite to feed him his
pergolide (at 2mg currently). He is also on Forco, and I have Mag Ox from
the mill on hand. What do I do to "cool" his feet and reverse the damaging
process? HELP!!!



Laura and Boo Boo the breakout artist

NC 1/2010

Laura -

Check here -

<http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquineCushings/files/Emergency%20Protocols/>

Linda
EC Primary Response
West Coast
May 2004

Hi Laura,

sorry to hear about your horse.. I don't think its the cold  weather laminitis. if the weather is in the 50's...If it was my horse I would cold bath the hoofs... I used a old tub sock and filled it with crushed ice and wrap it around the top of the hoofs with small Clamps and as it melts it gives the moisture and cold to help the laminitis. . also I would make sure the horse is on the j herb.. it sounds like you have been there before so you are better prepared than someone who never has...this is what I would do if it was my horse... low nsc diet. natural trim, walk if the horse can. not in circles or small turns..

good luck... 
sue & princess
oh 6/10



________________________________
From: Laura Matthews <lauratmatt@...>
To: ECHoof@...; EquineCushings@...
Sent: Sunday, September 9, 2012 5:12 PM
Subject: [EquineCushings] URGENT. Break out on grass-laminitic stance!!!


 
O


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In EquineCushings@..., "Laura Matthews" <lauratmatt@...> wrote:

Hi Laura,
I understand your panic. I also don't know when cold goes from helping to hurting, I'm too new at this. But if icing is called for, those homemade ice wraps that were described, I think Michelle Williams, can't remember, might help. Using the bags store bought ice come in, you cut a hole in the bottom (save ice) and pull them on the leg, then secure at the bottom with bell boots and maybe some duct tape, fill back up with the ice and secure the tops. Do you have any APF on hand? And maybe give Boo some extra Mag. Ox. This happened to Chappie earlier & he was OK, but he wasn't nursing an abscess. He did however, have a mild colic, so keep an eye out for that, I did 1 dose of Banamine and that resolved. Good Luck, I know how you feel. If he's in pain, I wouldn't try to walk him. You have him on a good diet, so he may "bounce" back from this just fine.
Laura K. Chappie & Beau
N.IL.2011

---And maybe give Boo some extra Mag. Ox. This happened to Chappie earlier &
he was OK, but he wasn't nursing an abscess





I do have mag ox on hand but not sure how much to give. I have also been
tempted to give him some banamine to take the edge off and enclose him in
his 12X24 stall and bed it deep. I have the dried herbs that are components
of APF and maybe that would help with the stress of the situation-might take
some myself! I will go and do some icing right away at least on the left
front that is not abscessing. He will not tolerate anything cold on the
right and I guess it is due to the abscess-must be cold sensitive. Off I go
to try to figure this out..wish me luck..arghhhhh..(pulling hair out as I go
and trying not to sit down and cry.)



Laura and Boo the sore footed grass munchkin

NC 1/2010

.

I would IMMEDIATELY ice all four feet. Here's the link to my plan for making your own emergency ice boots. If you don't have bell boots or polo wraps, you could use duct tape instead. The advantage of the polos is that you can undo them and refill the ice without undoing the bottom, as the ice melts.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ECHistory5/files/Michelle%20Peck%20Williams/

My vet says you can't have too much cold, that they don't feel cold on the bottom of their legs and that is how horses survive in Mongolia and other places that have lots of snow. I iced Fionn for two straight days and he was fine. You have to get the swelling down NOW. Inflammation is the enemy!

Don't know how you feel about bute and/or banamine but I've had 3 different vets tell me that it will also help reduce inflammation. But list members have also expressed concern about it so you should research and make your own decisions there. I gave Fionn 2 g 2x day for a couple days (he's a very big boy-1300 pounds) until the pulses were gone and he was fine but every horse is different.

Also keep him in, if he has a stall. The less he moves on those feet, the better. Your goal is to minimize damage!

Good luck and keep us posted.

Michelle Peck Williams & Fionn
Lexington KY USA
Fionn@...
June 2012

My vet also says it doesn't matter WHERE on the lower leg you put the ice, as long as you cool the leg to reduce inflammation throughout. Wonder if you used an extra polo or duct tape to close the bottom of the plastic bag, could you put the ice ABOVE the abscess? It might work. Can't hurt at least.

Michelle & Fionn
Lexington KY USA
Fionn@...
June 2012

Laura, I have a very good friend who has informed me that crying is good. I find this to be true. Usually after I cry, my head clears and I am able to pull myself up by the boot straps and move on to what needs to be done. So if you need to cry - go for it! :)
Don't recommend the hair pulling out though - takes a while to recover from that. My Butters has had a few escapes to the greener side also. One time she got into the grass 5 times in a 24 hour period. She's fine from that, but I will warn you to make sure the trim is immaculate for your Boo, this is where we ran into problems.

Pam/Butters who is persistant/Frosty who can't see the greener side/Story who would love to be on the greener side
12/10
Va


(pulling hair out as I go

_____



Don't know how you feel about bute and/or banamine but I've had 3 different
vets tell me that it will also help reduce inflammation. But list members
have also expressed concern about it so you should research and make your
own decisions there. I gave Fionn 2 g 2x day for a couple days (he's a very
big boy-1300 pounds) until the pulses were gone and he was fine but every
horse is different.

Good luck and keep us posted.



Thanks Linda, Sue and Michelle,

I just got home from the barn. When I got there at 615 he was down in his
stall. I opted to give him 10cc of banamine figuring that even though it is
NOT good for abscessing, he was in far more peril with the laminitic
episode..and if my memory serves me right (and that's a big if) banamine can
also relax the hindgut and help move things out. I'm guessing that is why it
is used for colicy horses?...hhhmmm?

Anyway while he was down I placed several large ice packs on his lower legs
and wrapped them with a polo. While he was down I put in 6 ginormous loads
of sawdust. Just before 7 he decided to get up and he walked to his hay. He
had boots and pads on and prior to him getting up I cut a pad to give him
some toe relief since that is where he seems to be sore. His right foot is
in a diaper and boot with pads as well.

He seemed more content and there was no rocking. He has a 12X24 run in shed
and is locked in there and will stay in the pony penitentiary till he is
over the hump.

I gave him a small amount of mag ox on some wet cubes thinking it might help
along the way. I guess there isn't much else I can do at this point but
watch, wait and ice and hope the attack will subside with minimal damage.

You all have been so helpful. I just wish I could get back on my Yahoo acct.
It seems to have locked me out and I can't get to the messages..so I'm sort
of flying blind here. I've tried resetting my password and it won't accept
any thing I put out so I cant see all the helpful suggestions and the do's
and don'ts.

I will update tomorrow.meanwhile crossing my fingers that he will be ok..

Laura and Boo the (fill in the blank) horse

NC 1/2010

--- In EquineCushings@..., Michelle Peck Williams <fionn@...> wrote:

I would IMMEDIATELY ice all four feet. Here's the link to my plan for making your own emergency ice boots. If you don't have bell boots or polo wraps, you could use duct tape instead. The advantage of the polos is that you can undo them and refill the ice without undoing the bottom, as the ice melts.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ECHistory5/files/Michelle%20Peck%20Williams/

Thank you Michelle for posting this again. I thought I had it flagged, but couldn't find it , so I am officially flagging it right now.
Laura K. Chappie & Beau
N.IL.2011

_____











. Usually after I cry, my head clears and I am able to pull myself up by the
boot straps and move on to what needs to be done. So if you need to cry - go
for it! :)



Thanks Pam for the permission to bawl! So far that stiff upper lip has
prevailed.guess I get so frustrated when I see how far Boo has come in the
last 3 years and then see him back down to the bottom rung. I just feel
irked!!! It isn't fair sometimes and you just have to work through it. I am
grateful beyond words for this group and it's large amount of advice,
support and experience. It is what kept Boo alive this long (30 yrs old) and
otherwise very healthy. I am willing to keep going as long as he wants to be
here and I am always looking for that "look" that will tell me when he's had
enough. In 3 years I have seen it once-in the beginning-before I found this
group. Over the last 3 years I have gained a wealth of practical experience
and though it is a world I never would have chosen for myself, I wouldn't
trade this knowledge for all the J-herb in China (-:

Thanks again for your concern!

Laura and Boo

NC 1/2010




(pulling hair out as I go