Piggy's laminitis journey

[goldhorse]

We went back to Davis today for a recheck at 5 weeks. The vet and farrier were very pleased at how sound he was at the walk and his ability to pivot on both of his front feet. Xrays showed a remarkable amount of new growth-2 cm!!!! The farrier was ecstatic that he had such a thick sole now to work with. Shoes were redone. Piggy stood like a statue for both xrays and shoeing. He's now allowed 5 minutes of hand walking twice a day building up to 10 minutes twice a day over the next month. There was some chatter about him being under saddle before too long
The vet thought he was now at a good weight. Everyone at my barn has said he's lost weight-maybe 30 to 50 lbs. So we put him on the scale. He hadn't lost anything since his last visit. So either the scale is broken or someone wrote down the wrong number last time.

[Flight]

Oh wow, great update!! So hoping it continues!!

[StraightForward]

That is encouraging, very good to hear!

[blob]

great update! and thank you for keeping us posted.

Are there specific surfaces you're supposed to walk him on?

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Awesome!! I'm so glad to see a good update. I hope it just continues to go wonderfully. Go Piggy!

[goldhorse]

Are there specific surfaces you're supposed to walk him on?

Soft footing. Once a week I've been taking him out to the dressage court to watch a lesson. It's a about a 5 minute round trip and it gives him some mental stimulation.
ETA: Think of it this way. His coffin bone is not well attached to his hoof wall until more hoof grows in. The goal is to keep his bony angles in place and then keep his hoof from flexing so it doesn't move around the bones. He's wearing a glue on Easy Flex shoe because it has a rigid steel plate embedded in it. It is more rigid than a conventional steel shoe. So no trotting or exposure to hard surfaces that may disrupt the fragile new attachment that he's grown.

[Kyras_Mom]

Thanks for the update. Good news!

Laminitis and founder are so dastardly . Keep up the good work Piggy (with lots of help from Goldhorse).

Susan

[Chisamba]

I find the different opinions on treating laminitis fascinating.

[Srhorselady]

I agree Chisamba! Also the newer research showing the difference between the stretching lamina versus those that break. I had a mare with very little rotation for years. She was sound working for over 14 years (after initial episodes) then in continuous pain due to laminitis without actual rotation for two years. Then finally after we had actually made some progress with her insulin issues she suddenly foundered with no hope of recovery. I support all research efforts towards this horrible condition. I have all my fingers and toes crossed for Piggy! Please keep us updated. So far this is great news.

[Moutaineer]

How is Piggy doing, Goldhorse?

[goldhorse]

Piggy is doing great. His hooves are still growing at an amazing rate. Grow Baby Grow!! I switched to using a rope halter when hand walking because he was feeling like a tightly coiled spring. He always rolls during our hand walks and I am afraid that he was going to stand up, shake, and explode. So far, No. He is really holding it together mentally.
Today and tomorrow, we are working with Erica Poseley on some ground work stuff by Andrew McLean, an Aussie, who has a program (system?) for ground training horses. We had our first session today and I can already see the improvement in his halts where he tends to fall forward onto his face. So it gives us something to work on and engage his brain and hopefully will translate to under saddle work when (if) we reach that point.
Still waiting on the results from his latest insulin blood work. Next recheck, xrays, and shoeing is July 12.

[Kyras_Mom]

Yes Goldhorse. That ground work is so good. Kyra’s had hours and hours over the years of me not being able to ride much. You can absolutely make a difference for the better in their carriage and posture.

Jingling for good hoof growth .

Susan

[goldhorse]

Insulin lab work is back. He is still out of the normal range but had fallen quite a bit. 78 to 38. (<20 is normal) Highest had been over 200! So we'll keep doing what we're doing. The barn manager is trying to scrounge up some teff hay but the first cutting won't be until July so he's only finding a few odd bales here and there.
Piggy remembered his ground work from Sunday so we had very little to practice today. I'm not one to drill. If 3 in a row are good, then we stop. It's so wonderful for his topline.

[Quelah]

I have a friend in Danville who has an IR mare that she manages obsessively (the mare has a lot of other soundness issues, I don't think she'd survive even mild laminitis) she gets her hay down in Santa Ynez. It tests beautifully. Good enough that it's worth driving down there twice a year to get it. If teff will work for your horse, another friend of mine has part of her property in Dixon leased to a guy who is growing Teff hay on it, I can inquire if you want.

[goldhorse]

Quelah, our grass hay tests at 10-11%. That isn't low enough for PIggy. We still have to soak it for 45 minutes.
Please send me the info on the Teff hay. Our barn manager is actively shopping for it right now. Lodi isn't too far from Dixon.

[Quelah]

I will check with my friend. Lodi? I thought you were in Martinez? Was I way off or did you move?

[Quelah]

He sells his hay grown on my friend's place to a cooperative but has a field at his folks place that he sells privately, I'll PM you his contact info.

[goldhorse]

I moved the rideable horse to MarVal to join the retired one. I still live in the East Bay but at least I no longer worry about my horse dying in a wildfire.

[Quelah]

I get it. MarVal is a lovely place, if we ever get back to showing maybe I'll see you there!

[goldhorse]

Wow, 5 weeks went by before I knew it and we went in for another recheck. Xrays showed that everything is holding steady and his new hoof growth is adopting a more normal anatomy around P3. Shoes were redone and the farrier was now able to really dig out some seedy toe that is common in laminitic horses.
Piggy is allowed to have his big dirt paddock back so long as he behaves. Hand walking is increased to 30 minutes a day. More whispers about walking under saddle in 10 weeks or maybe 15 weeks.
His weight has been holding steady but the medicine vet wants him to lose more weight. She wants him ribby. Poor Piggy. He will need a new nickname.

[blob]

great update! Come on, skinny piggy!

just curious--what is his current diet?

[goldhorse]

His current diet is grass hay soaked for 30-45 minutes, 1 lb of Triple Crown 30 ration balancer, 2000 IU natural Vitamin E, Formula 4 Feet, 1 scoop Thyro-L, and some table salt since he won't touch a salt lick. Our grass hay hovers around 10-11% sugars + carbs. 10% is the usual cutoff for a laminitic horse but his insulin was still sky high until we started soaking it to remove more sugars. His weight has stayed steady since May so I'll have to start cutting his hay back 10%.

[Quelah]

Honest question, why the ration balancer? Generally speaking our hay around here is only really deficient in copper/zinc...well know actually it's high in iron so copper and zinc is needed. Why ration balance as opposed to just a Vit/Min supplement like CA Trace that doesn't have any extra stuff?

Glad to hear he's doing well, you're a good horse mum

[goldhorse]

I think it's because
1) he's on a reduced amount of hay, maybe 12 lbs max
2) soaking the hay removes a lot of stuff other than sugars and carbs
3) they want to make sure his vitamin/mineral/protein needs are met.
4) I haven't found them to be super knowledgeable about the products out there. They have a standard discharge blurb that they give to laminitic patients which includes either TC 30 or Purina Enrich. That blurb has to cover horses coming from near and far and is probably aimed to those owners that don't think much about equine nutrition. I can scan it and share it if you're interested.

I had him on California Trace and switched to their suggestions because I'm going to not get into an argument with them. I did add extra vitamin E which I always do and a hoof supplement. I just added more biotin because his the new growth on his hoofs is looking flaky.

[Quelah]

Have you ever talked to Clair Thunes? The nutritionist? Found her very helpful when I needed to do a deeper dive on diet when I was showing Jet. I'm really happy for you that the new (probably not that new now) farrier there is working out.

[goldhorse]

Quick driveby. I've been absent from this board so please excuse me for not commenting on other threads.
We were due for a recheck on the 15th. My appointment got cancelled on Thursday and I heard that the Davis farrier had given notice. So I'm currently up a creek without a paddle. None of my local farriers like to do glue on shoes and I don't blame them nor do I want them to try if they're not experienced at it. Vet said to let his feet grow a little long to generate more good hoof wall and then we'll try nailing on the composite shoes.
Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Everything was going so well. Hopefully this is just a little hiccup in the road to recovery.

[Quelah]

Goldhorse I don't know if it would be doable for you but if they don't find you a good replacement farrier, I'll recommend Kelly Vella at Pioneer. She's been doing mine for more than 10 years and her mentor for more than a decade before that. IOWs I've been hauling my horses to Oakdale to get their feet done for more than 20 years.

[Chisamba]

Is casting a possibility? When my horses hoof wall wouldn't support nails they wrapped them in a casting material and nailed into that.

[goldhorse]

Goldhorse I don't know if it would be doable for you but if they don't find you a good replacement farrier, I'll recommend Kelly Vella at Pioneer. She's been doing mine for more than 10 years and her mentor for more than a decade before that. IOWs I've been hauling my horses to Oakdale to get their feet done for more than 20 years.

I'm talking to Moses today. If he's not comfortable, I'll call Kelly.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I hope you can figure out a farrier to work in the meantime. I hate when things are going good and then something out of our control upsets it all!

[Ryeissa]

Have you ever talked to Clair Thunes? The nutritionist? Found her very helpful when I needed to do a deeper dive on diet when I was showing Jet. I'm really happy for you that the new (probably not that new now) farrier there is working out.

I'm an equine nutrition advisor and I can help.

https://revolutionequinenutrition.org/

[goldhorse]

We got shoes on him and he's very very happy. I had a long discussion with my farrier, Moses Gonzales, Jr., who is the son of one of the best farriers in N. Calif. Quelah should recognize the name. We decided to go with Natural Balance with a pad and packing. Moses was adamant that the toes had to be brought back. Piggy has made it clear that he likes the new Manolo Blahnik's and he's walking out much better.
We were scheduled for a recheck at Davis tomorrow but Piggy started colicing on Saturday. Dehydration. Temps have been astronomical this week. This afternoon is supposed to hit over 114. Same tomorrow. So I cancelled the visit. Anyway the colic subsided with some banamine, lots of wet mashes, and 24 hours on a grass pasture. I think the grazing did the trick. I remember once a vet at Davis telling me that grass was the best thing for tummy upsets and was nature's laxative for horses. We are still monitoring water intake and lots of cooling baths, etc.
So that's the update. This heat wave is something wicked.

[Chisamba]

Wow. You put a horse with laminitis on grass? We withhold food for 24 hours and give fluids and electrolytes . Then add back soaked hay.

[blob]

Goldhorse--glad you were able to find a good farrier and get shoes on Piggy that make him happy.

Sorry to hear about the colic problems, the end of summer often seems to be so brutal. Glad he seems to be out of the worst of it. When it's really hot I end up just soaking everyone's food, I'm not sure it does a ton but I feel better knowing it's hopefully getting some added water in there!

[Chisamba]

https://ker.com/equinews/autumn-grass-p ... ic-horses/

[Ryeissa]

I think it's because
1) he's on a reduced amount of hay, maybe 12 lbs max
2) soaking the hay removes a lot of stuff other than sugars and carbs
3) they want to make sure his vitamin/mineral/protein needs are met.
4) I haven't found them to be super knowledgeable about the products out there. They have a standard discharge blurb that they give to laminitic patients which includes either TC 30 or Purina Enrich. That blurb has to cover horses coming from near and far and is probably aimed to those owners that don't think much about equine nutrition. I can scan it and share it if you're interested.

I had him on California Trace and switched to their suggestions because I'm going to not get into an argument with them. I did add extra vitamin E which I always do and a hoof supplement. I just added more biotin because his the new growth on his hoofs is looking flaky.

I'm an equine nutrition advisor. I can help with all of this

I work nationally and have metabolic clients. Cal trace is fine but most sport horses need more protein.
Horses make their own biotin....but its fine to supplement too.

https://revolutionequinenutrition.org/

[goldhorse]

Cleared to start walking under saddle after the next set of shoes. So maybe 3 weeks-ish.
Sound at the trot at his vet recheck yesterday.

[Srhorselady]

Wonderful news! From another person who has been on this long and difficult journey.

[Moutaineer]

Woohoo!

[Chisamba]

Fabulous

[goldhorse]

10_10_2022.jpg (68.85 KiB) Viewed 41318 times

Sacrificial trainer up for the first ride. Turns out that was totally unnecessary as we predicted.

[StraightForward]

Yay, this is great to see!

[Kyras_Mom]

Looking good!

Susan

[Chisamba]

He is looking quite svelte. Well done

[goldhorse]

He is looking quite svelte. Well done

Looks are deceiving. He has put on 20 kilos since this all started. I think the scale at the vet hospital needs to be recalibrated because I don't believe it. Ribs are now easily seen. Neck is skinnier. Fat pads by his tail are gone. It's on my list to buy him a 22" girth since his 24" one is way too big now.
Anyway, I'm going by his insulin levels. I have have have to get them into the normal range or he will continue to have problems.

[Chisamba]

My mare is having an " attack" at the moment. Fortunately we seem to be out of the woods. It can require pretty intense management. I hope Piggy does progress well

[goldhorse]

Chisamba, I hope your mare is doing better. Please keep us updated.

[goldhorse]

Had a recheck yesterday. Trotted sound on the pavement. Lost his excess weight.
CLEARED TO BEGIN TROTTING!!!!
Starting with a whopping 1 minute and adding 1 minute per week.
Next recheck in 3 months.

[blob]

amazing news!!

[Srhorselady]

Yeah Piggy! Are you going to change his name since he “lost the excess weight”? . Also congratulations to you for all your work (and worry).