Laminitis

Dear Dr. Lowder,
I have a fifteen year old mare with laminitis. She was born in Wyoming and has been there ever since. She is stalled at night and allowed in a turnout during the day. With our winters the temperature are generally below freezing at night.

I have owned this horse since she was two. She had three outs on the track as a two-year old and then the next two years had it pretty easy. I started her on barrels and poles as a four-year old and have been using her ever since.

Last fall she developed lameness in her right front fetlock. I have had her too two different vets and am now considering shockwave treatment. The first vet had me put her on bute 1 gram a day and see if she would heal. After about two months of this with no improvement I went to a different vet.

This time around I really feel like I have a good vet and we have tried numerous medicines. After doing several blocks and taking xrays we isloated the area to the fetlock. There is a small amount of calcium buildup on the top side of the fetlock but my vet said she is not a candidate for surgery.

First I injected her joint with HA and cortisone, gave her 1 gram of bute a day. She was responding to this but as soon as the injection wore off she was again lame. Next I gave her a series of predef 2x shots, rub the fetlock area with DMSO with HA cortisone in it, along with the 1 gram of bute, this had very little effect on her.

She started to go off of her food so I have discontinued the bute, but have her on BL Solution. All along I have been giving her a glucosamine supplement. I am currently giving her Adequan to build to maintenance and am considering a shock wave treatment about three weeks into it.

Do you think with her age and history I will see any improvement? And do you have any other ideas for this mare?

Carol Petersen

Carol,
Your subject heading said laminitis but you describe a horse with a lame fetlock? Without seeing the x-rays it is hard to say but it does not sound like this mare is going to be used for anything more than pleasure riding at best. Shock wave is only a temporary thing and does not work in the long run. The Adequan will help but will not stop the lameness. It sounds like this mare has had a lot of running in her day. If the joint injections don't work then I would retire the mare.

Thank You,
Dr. Lowder

To read all of Dr. Lowder's full length articles, inlcuding one on Laminitis, click here.