Saturday 4 May 2013

Is it me...?

Is it me? I had an email yesterday about a former rehab horse, who had just been seen by his vet for re-assessment.

The horse had been doing well and improving steadily and the vet agreed that his movement was the best he'd seen BUT a few days ago the horse became footy on stony ground. When you know he was enjoying ample turnout, this graph of the recent laminitis risk in the area where he lives gives a clue as to the cause...
Guess what? The huge red spikes in risk profile exactly correspond to when he became footy.

However, the vet, in his infinite wisdom, thought the probable cause of the footiness was working on hard ground - despite the fact that the horse has been working on hard ground for 5 months or more with no increase in footiness. 

So his solution - given that he thinks that the mechanical impact of hard ground has been the problem - is a nice set of metal shoes (well known, naturally, for their fabulous concussion-reducing qualities) and  24/7 turnout on a large, lush field...
Is it any wonder that owners, and me, sometimes wish to give it all up and just keep hamsters instead?

6 comments:

Tracey B said...

I hear you sista. Its just so difficult at this time of year to get owners/let alone vets to realise what the "real" problem is.

cptrayes said...

But the shoes will "cure" it Nick, and he'll have been right all along.

It just drives you crazy, doesn't it?

C

M's mum said...

Oh dear. :0( :0( :0(

Nic Barker said...

Shoes might make the footiness disappear but that improved movement will go, as sure as eggs is eggs...

Unknown said...

I hope they don't listen to the vet! It'll only be tempory relief!! Then down hill again. Oh dear !

amandap said...

Keeping Hamsters isn't much different I hear... they go round and round in that wheel with no chance of ever taking a different route.

I despair of the never ending focus on quick fix relief of symptoms and complete neglect of that vital question... why?