Shropshire Welfare News

Welfare Report 2008
By Jan Ashford

It has been a quiet year in Shropshire which must bode well generally for the equine population as there has only been one welfare concern reported.
This was of a miniature pony mare in Wem who was reported as being ‘on the floor & distressed’ in a field.
When visited, the pony’s owner was attempting to get the pony in who was walking very gingerly and in obvious pain.
Closer inspection revealed an obvious and severe laminitis with the pony having a raised digital pulse, extremely warm feet, signs of previous Laminitic damage to her soles along with the adoption of the classic laminitis stance and obvious distress.
The owner was happy for the help offered and it was clear that this was more a case of ignorance (as is often the case) rather than deliberate neglect.
The vet was summoned and the pony treated.
However, days later, the pony was again reported as being ‘down & distressed’ in the same field. It seemed that due to the owners work commitments, it wasn’t convenient to keep the pony stabled as recommended so consequently the pony had been turned back out.
Contact was made with World Horse Welfare (formerly the ILPH) who promptly sent their chief field inspector to investigate. Advice on care and management has been given along with expectations for the future care of the pony (who is a chronic laminitic)
The National Laminitis Trust gives comprehensive information for the care, feeding and management of laminitis on their website (www.laminitis.org.)

There is also a new telephone helpline for worried horse owners from The Laminitis Trust.

09051 051051
The new help line is open Monday to Friday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm when a veterinary expert will be available to discuss problems relating to laminitis. Calls will be charged at the rate of £1 per minute, which will greatly help the Laminitis Trust’s fund-raising drive for further research into the disease.

Care of the Laminitic Horse/Pony After Onset
 Keep feeding a minimum of 2 ½% bodyweight, even if the horse is obese and dieting recommended. Starvation diets are detrimental to the welfare of the horse. Such drastic dieting can lead to the stored fat reserves of the animal being broken down and released into the blood stream as liquid fat. When this happens it is often fatal. Do feed a broad spectrum mineral supplement such as "Farrier's Formula", "Nu-foot", "Naf Hoof and Hide" or similar. It has been proven that in order for the animals body to overcome the toxins released into its system and repair the damaged tissues it needs a carefully balanced diet that can provide all the necessary micronutrients. These include Biotin, Methionine, Proline, Zinc, Copper, Iodine, Glycine, Tyrosine, Lecithin and Vitamin C as the primary elements. The use of just one or two of these components on their own is not enough. A combination is required in order to allow the animal to absorb them into its system.

Avoid the use of Bran unless needed as a laxative as instructed by your Vet.  It is high in Phosphorous and blocks absorption of Calcium in the small intestine. This in turn creates a systemic calcium deficiency which is detrimental to hoof health.

Avoid all cereal and pulse products. They are high in Carbohydrates. Keep to high fibre forage products such as previous years hay, wheat straw, alfalfa and un-molassed sugar beet pulp.

Do try to provide a stable or turn-out area (with shelter) large enough and deeply bedded enough for the animal to turn around easily - a depth of 18" minimum should be used, with very deep beds of peat or shavings being the best medium. Turning in a confined space and/or walking on a hard surface will be painful and in some cases impossible for the animal involved.

Do provide access to salt in either block form or fed loose and an iodised mineral block whilst the horse is confined.

 Watch the horse closely for signs of colic. Stress, sudden change of management, inability to reach food or water sources at low level and long term/high dosage use of anti-inflammatories can cause this to occur.

Watch for signs of sores developing in animals that lie down for long periods of time - at the elbows and hocks in particular.

Keep checking all of the horse’s feet, not just those diagnosed, for signs of increased digital pulse. Laminitis can affect more than one foot and the increased pressure being placed on the other feet could cause trauma induced laminitis to occur in these too.

Don't prescribe or alter the level of anti-inflammatories such as Bute without seeking Veterinary advice first. Don't mix other drugs or herbal remedies with prescribed drugs without seeking Veterinary advice first.

Don't use corticosteroids or any item containing them such as sweet itch products. They could kill the horse.Don't force walk the animal. This may cause the already compromised laminae to tear further, resulting in founder and sinking.

Don't allow the animal access to grazing until instructed to do so by your Vet.

Care of the Laminitic Horse/Pony During & After Recovery
In many respects the care of the laminitic horse/pony after onset will depend upon the level of trauma that has occurred to the feet.

For those that are fortunate enough to have been caught very early, all that will be required will be box rest, followed by a careful return to work and tighter management of diet along with any other alterations to management that resulted in the onset in the first place i.e. removal of stress, proper support of limbs if the horse is injured etc.

 For those that were less fortunate then a period of total rehabilitation will be necessary and must be done in accordance with the instructions of both Vet AND Farrier.
 
There will also be many factors that could affect the recovery of the animal during the recovery period, especially if the use of anti-inflammatories is over a prolonged period. The risk of ulcers developing, the risk of colic, the risk of abscesses and the trauma to the hoof being made even more severe by incorrect management.
 
For these animals it is vital that they are monitored very carefully throughout this period, the feet given the best possible chance to heal (which could take up to 12 months) and the return to exercise and then light work carefully structured. This is particularly important to those animals that have been on long-term box rest.
 Once recovered, it is vital for the management of the animal to be changed in accordance with its new needs. For those that were diet induced this is a relatively easy task. Both Vets and Equine Nutritionists can advise on a suitable diet, and management of intake by the means of strip grazing, restricted grazing or the use of a grazing muzzle.

For others, such as Cushingoid animals, the task is a little bit more complex so will need the involvement of the Vet to discuss the options relating to that particular animal.
 
Another aspect of management that will need to be reviewed will be that of foot care. Even if the external appearance of the hoof suggests recovery, it can take much longer than this for the interior tissues and structures to return to a truly healthy condition. Careful and knowledgeable attention from the Farrier on a very regular basis is essential. The animal may need special shoes (such as heart bar shoes) fitted in order to restore correct balance and alignment of the foot/feet involved and to ensure that any abscesses that may form are correctly drained and dead tissue cleaned away.
 
Once fully recovered, many animals return to a full and active life with very few consequences. However, the work that the individual is expected to do should be discussed in full with both Vet AND Farrier as for some animals there may be certain activities such as jumping that may be best avoided.
 Perhaps the most important thing of all to remember is that each animal is an individual, so what may have worked for a "friends" horse/pony may not necessarily work or apply for your own animal