I Need Help Until We Get To The Vet

[rubyviewminis]

Missy is on day 202 in foal and I found her limping this morning. Cleaned her hoof out to see what was in there and her front hooves are warm. I took her food away and put her in the stall with bedding until our vet appt. later this afternoon. I don't have any experience with founder or laminitis, and the only foaling experience is with her last pregnancy which was a surprise too. Here's her history and what she is being fed now:

Last time she got tender footed at about this time in her pregnancy every time we had her hooves trimmed a little. During the last three months we just let her go because we were afraid to make her too lame. She was still very active, fed Safechoice Original, mostly meadow grass hay and some alfalfa. As soon as the foal was born she was fine.

As soon as we were certain she was in foal this time, I waited until she was about 5 months and pulled her off our grass hay because it is a mix and has a little fescue in it. She has been fine, no problem, I have to trim her about every 3 weeks to keep her heels down, she paws her toes off. She is being fed the lowest ration of Safechoice Special Care that is for IR and Cushings horses, I feed it because it has no corn, low starch and sugar. I also feed her alfalfa hay that has a 40-50% ratio of Orchard grass in it, and then Omega Horseshine which is mostly flaxseed. She is carefully fed exactly for her weight, no more even when she begs, no treats of any kind. I was finally able to get grass pellets which I soak to give her the Omegashine, salt, Safechoice, and Karbo Combo which is an immune boosting supplement. Its tiny pellets and she gets 1/8 oz.

I don't know what to feed her until we go to the vet who is on an emergency ranch call. Is there a safe medication they can give her? I am at a loss and so upset! I will come back in to see if anyone can help, I only have a laptop, no cell currently.

 

[MiLo Minis]

If you are suspecting laminitis I would get some ice to stand her in. That will keep the swelling down and prevent as much damage as possible until the vet can get there and give her medication. If you have snow already get her back outside in the snow - that is the quickest easiest way to keep her feet cool.By the way this IS an emergency call! The faster she can get help the less damage will be done. Can you feel her pulse in her feet?

 

[rubyviewminis]

It is cold out, I have been hosing her hooves, thanks I will call my back up vet right now!

 

[Hosscrazy]

Ditto - if you can get her feet in cold ice water buckets, or at least wrap them in baggies filled with ice water, that would be best right now. Keep her in a stall with lots of heavy shavings so she can get some relief. Regarding meds, wait til your vet gets there - he'll want to take xrays and will get her the meds she needs.

Keep us posted,

Liz N.

 

[HGFarm]

I love alfalfa as a feed but any horse that has even attempted to founder should be kept off of alfalfa-forever. Spring grass (obviously it's not spring now) is also really bad.

 

[kay56649]

I hope everything turns out ok!! Keep us updated!

 

[chandab]

I saw your post on FB, so will add... Yes, beet pulp will be good for her, but you'll want to soak it and rinse it; the rinsing will help get rid of any residual sugars (or any added back by the company for flavoring). It can be upto 40% of her diet, although, I rarely go that high (mine usually just get 1/3# dry measure then soaked to help keep them hydrated in winter).

When my silver mare initially foundered, I was out of grass hay, but ordered a pallet of the STandlee timothy pellets, and she ate almost exclusively those for 3-4 months til the new hay crop was in (she got literally a handful of baled hay). [she wasn't pregnant, but I didn't even have fescue hay to offer.] She did great on the pellets, but it did take her a few days to decide that those pellets were edible. [she had her first and likely only foal this year, and she did great, and loved that she could eat just about anything she wanted.]

If you can get them, the Standlee compressed timothy bales might be an option.

Hope you get good news from the vet.

 

[rubyviewminis]

Thank you so much Chanda! Yes, the vet said until we get answers from the specalist's she is waiting on to feed her minimal Safechoice Special Care - for IR and Cushings horses which is why I feed it, soaked and drained off beet pulp and her Timothy pellets. On our way to get the beet pulp which we usually feed during winter but this year I hadn't started it yet. I have had serious problems with getting in Standlee products I need, they only sell through dealers and Cal Ranch only gets in what the main office sends, I can't get ANY of the other kinds of Balancers, hays, or supplements others can unless we drive to Utah or Idaho and look. The alfalfa mix was all we could get in Idaho when we confirmed she was in foal and our nice grass hay has the fescue in the mix. I have posted ads everywhere to trade, buy, whatever to get some plain meadow hay and no one wants to get rid of theirs. I WAS able to have one of the feed stores order in a pallet of Timothy cubes, I had asked two weeks ago, so it will be in this Monday or next Monday. All this until the vet has a diet figured and they are testing all our hay for the other horses or if we get any foster horses here, then we will know what we have. They said we caught the laminitis in the early stage, I cut sponges to put in their soaking boots for her to walk to the trailer and she loved it. Her hooves are barely, barely warm now, and I still can't feel the pulse even tho they showed me. Her pulse was faint and normal so was heart rate, the foal is kicking up a storm and they like Missy's weight. They (two vets) didn't feel a need to draw blood since she wasn't bad and is already better so they know to change her diet, and she never had a lot of heat and also previous Xrays of her hooves due to her pastern injury last year (poor Missy) and feel unless she shows more lameness or heat or any other negative signs to leave her be and keep things simple but watchful. I am putting the foaling camera up again too, she is at 203 days in foal and want to keep an eye on her. They want her kept in the stall for now. That pen has soft sand in it so later if she is fine we can let her go in it too. I will post any new info about her feeds and diet when I get it, it might help others if they run into this. Oh, all the minis are in dry lots and we drag so they don't even have the wild sprigs of grass that might try to grow in spring. I so appreciate all the help and concern, thank you!

 

[chandab]

Becky,

Perhaps Mountain Sunrise products would be easier for you to get in NV. Here's their website: http://www.mountainsunrise.com/ They have several types of grass hay pellets.

 

[AnnaC]

It sounds as though you have everything under control Becky, but can I just throw another thought into the mix. Is it possible that she is a little flat footed? Just thinking that she was also 'feely-footed' at the same time in her last pregnancy - as the weight of the foal grows it is possible that it makes her a bit 'foot tender' in her soles, nothing to do with laminitis (especially as both her foot pulse and heart rate are normal and her feet themselves are not showing extra warmth)??

Just suggesting another possibility!

 

[rubyviewminis]

Oh thank you guys, Missy has nice concave soles and her hooves are like granite, so the last pregnancy being ignorant about all this other stuff I thought exactly what you just suggested. Especially since we couldn't trim her and had to let her hooves just grow, then when she foaled the hoof pain disappeared. But my vet said it didn't matter, since that incident occured once already and even if pregnancy only induced, the physical problem going on is the same, and unless we arrest the excess sugars/carbs being put into her she would definitely founder completely, so we try to eliminate one element That is why I have to keep her on deep bedding and confined right now also just to make sure no further damage can be done to the laminae.

I bookmarked Mountain Sunrise, and right now their phones and email are out, but yes, thank you!

I scored 3 bales of Timothy in trade for some alfalfa/orchard that the gal I know at the feed store had, she wanted mine for her roping horse and had extra Timothy they just got in at her house.Sooo nice of her. She will give me a price on special ordering Timothy cubes, and tell her distributor to keep a supply of Timothy pellets. I told her I get them now from the other place because her store may have a dozen different bagged hay product, but it all has alfalfa mix in it. Lots of folks can't use it. Only problem is I have to buy a pallet of cubes, but I don't have to buy the whole pallet at the other place. I guess when you stomp your feet and mention you buy in Idaho, they figure your REALLY serious about the product. So for now my little Miss is getting something for her tummy, and it isn't a big change from the cubes and pellets thankfully. She is enjoying the pampering too.

Our neighbor asked why we have so many stacks of hay with only 3 little horses lol!

 

[Hosscrazy]

Great suggestion on Mountain Surise - that is what I feed my minis. They offer a large variety of products, but I feed 1/4" 100% pure timothy pellets and have used this company for years - they are consistantly top notch in quality. I highly recommend it!

Liz N.

 

[chandab]

Great suggestion on Mountain Surise - that is what I feed my minis. They offer a large variety of products, but I feed 1/4" 100% pure timothy pellets and have used this company for years - they are consistantly top notch in quality. I highly recommend it!

Liz N.

I've heard nothing but good about them, but can't get them where I am, I'm just too far away. Luckily, I can get STandlee timothy pellets, but have to go at least 150 miles to the closest TSC or 4.5 hours to the next best choice (where I just picked up 20 bags last week).

 

[rubyviewminis]

Geez Chanda, I thought I was remote! Well, with so many people moving here the population is growing, but commercially we are still remote. The vet called and until hay tests return she wants Missy off Safechoice, keep her on Omega Shine, they told her it is one of the best things to give her, soak and rinse the Timothy hay and beet pulp, hay 24 hours. Find a vitamin/mineral supplement for her with no added cereal grains or the like, like Safechoice. Any of the commercially prepared IR specialty feeds, they don't want her on right now. She said that some alfalfa and alfalfa mixes do test with low enough %'s to be able to go ahead and feed unless the horse is obese. I had read a few articles on that awhile back also. I just hope I can let her out soon to move around.

Here is an excellent article my vet sent me that is very interesting and covers many things, I hope the link works.

Laminitis.pdf

 

[HGFarm]

Sounds like you are certainly on top of it! I hope she does ok, but sounds like she is in very good and capable hands to me. You are a great 'mommy'!