Laminitis - Full Story

"He was so lame I didn't think he would make it"

 

This is Alfie before and after. We brought him home from Mt Byron on the 8-11-10. He was severely lame and we started treating him for abscesses in both front feet. He had 7 in one and 6 broke out in the other over a short period of time. By the 29-11-10, he was even lamer and we took him to a corrective farrier who said Alfie has a bout of laminitis and we put heart bars on him. On the 17-1-11 Alfie had a re-shoe and we found more abscesses in his near side hoof which is the worst one. He remained lame all through January and February.












 

 



He was on homeopathic drops the entire time. On the 11-3-11 we got x-rays of his front feet; the near side hoof had rotated badly and there was heaps of bone compression and stress from the unevenness.The offside front was slightly rotated. His pedal bone was lower than his frog, with no attachment to his hoof wall. The Vet said the bone had sunk so much that it can not come back. From this point the primary treatment was given for laminitis.

 

 
On 16-3-11 we took Alfie to the farrier again and he was impressed with his growth and the fact that he was not lame. We left Alfie alone as he was in no pain. On the 23-3-11, we noticed the split along the top of his hoof getting wider and we gave him risers in his shoes. He stayed sound till the 12-4-11 and went lame again so we had to take his shoes off as the wall wasn't carrying him anymore. Alfie then became extremely lame, so lame that the farrier had to come to him instead of the drive to Gatton. He had foundered again from the stress off the pain from us taking off the shoes. We then tapped frogs made from thongs to his feet and in a couple of days he seemed to be relieved. I also filled his yard with sand so he could move a bit better.


It wasn't until the 22-8-11 that we could re-shoe him again. We shoe him every 4 weeks and he only needs roller shoes on now. I had him shod on 2-11-11 and he stood quietly and went to sleep for the first time. I would say he is not in any discomfort at all now. He still needs to lose a bit more weight, but thanks to you Robyn we will not be losing this wonderful boy. 

 

 

 















 

A comment from Robyn: “Laminitis is a potentially devastating condition that involves failure of the bond between the lamellae of the inner hoof wall and the surface of P3” (Colohan et al. 1999). It is always important to seek veterinary advice. The homeopathic treatment reduces the inflammation and increases the integrity of the lamealle (connective tissue), thus allowing a more normal hoof to grow down. This particular case was very severe and required several stages of treatment. The farrier work was excellent and together with homeopathic treatment and the dedication of the owner, it appears Alfie has made a full recovery.