Pedigree Query

My mare, Life in Fiction, has laminitis. The veterinarian in charge of her case at Guelph says the prognosis is poor.

Is anyone aware of any horse that has been able to recover after a bout of laminitis that gets to the point where the horse is in discomfort despite medications (including morphine)? Is anyone aware of a "miracle" reversal in condition with a horse with laminitis? Can anything be done to save her at this stage or are we just prolonging the inevitable?

Hoping for a miracle,
Heather

Nothing is hopeless including founder. If the mare is still moving around there is hope, but the amount of work to bring a horse through this insidious disease is extraordinary. If you really want to save this mare, there are professionals that can help. You are the first, I've heard that mentioned drugs as strong as morphine to ebb the flow of pain that your horse is experiencing. It appears to be a very challenging situation with a less than fifty fifty chance of survival. To give you an example, I am a retired farrier, who rescued a winning OTTB gelding from Charles Town with founder due to trauma. It took me two years to get his recovery to the point that he could trot. Today, he's my youngest daughter's fox hunter and she's a whipper-in trainee with a local hunt. He has a club foot, but gallops with the staff horses/hounds and clears 4 foot coops/fences with ease. Vice a versa, I rescued a young winning filly from Fairmount Park who suffered from traumatic founder in both front hooves and I lost her in less than a year. I gave both the same dedication and love and yet the outcomes were completely opposite. You need to determine what you can invest in this horse and go from there. I must tell you that even being a professional the emotional and financial toll it takes to keep a foundering horse alive is great. It could be worse for an individual who has to depend on paid professionals to care for the horse. Good luck.

Thanks for your insights.

Another question given your experience with the filly: How do you know when it's time to let go? The vet says he wants to give my mare until tomorrow morning; the farm manager says that if she were his horse, he would euthanize her now; I want to give her until at least tomorrow morning, but when is it cruel to push beyond that?

You are asking a very difficult question. I don't know any of the circumstances surrounding this filly. Are you dealing with acute founder or chronic? How long has the current episode continued? Have you gotten a second opinion? Is this filly ambulatory? Can she get up and move, even a little? Does she have an appetite and is she eating? Is the position of the coffin bone such that it protrudes through the sole? Is there infection in addition to the founder? Have you taken X-Rays? Have you applied a supportive appliance to the hoof to prevent further rotation of the coffin bone and to relieve pressure across the surface of the sole? Are medications being given relieving the pain or is the pain so extreme that the filly is in shock? Sometimes, packing the hoof in ice periodically throughout the episode decreases the acute pain and inflammation. Do you want to save the filly?

These are all questions you need to determine with the facts that you have available to you.

Speaking as a horseman, who has made these decisions on numerous occasions, I would go with the suggestion of the vet if you truly want to save the filly. If you have confidence in your Vet, sometimes a night can make a big difference. If you feel that the disposition of the filly's pain is so critical that the filly will suffer greatly through the night then you might want to consider putting the filly down immediately. Normally, the ultimate decision to put a horse down is readily apparent to the owner and those giving supporting care. My experience with both founder and colic is that the horse reaches an intolerable point that they cannot find a comfortable situation or position. In the case of founder when that point is reached, the horse lays down on its side with its legs stretched out and remains immobile and makes no attempts to rise. In all my equine experiences, good and bad, I've always been taken by what a horse's eyes tell you. When it is time, the eyes will tell you. It will be a very difficult moment but you will need to listen.

I'm so sorry for your circumstances.

Thanks - very helpful

My mare's up in Canada and I'm down in New York so when I talk to my vet tomorrow morning, I'll rely on his judgment. He knows I want them to do everything humanly possible to save her, but as he's on site, he'll have a good idea of how much pain she's in.

I had a chance to read your thread in the General Discussion. I thought Majxmom gave you some good ideas if you get passed this episode. I'm familiar with many of the options she discussed.

There is no doubt in my mind, after being in the business over 40 years, you've got to be the ultimate optimist to be a horse person and you have to have a good dentist and doctor to treat you after you've been kicked in the teeth or stomach by the ups and downs of our beloved horses.

Best wishes.

I spoke to the vet this morning and he said my mare was still not eating, was in great pain, and the pain medications were no longer helping her. Given the above, we decided it was time to let go.

Thank you everyone on this site who has helped me out through this. Your insights have given me comfort that I tried everything I could to save her. I'll always be grateful.