The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Need hoof supplements. Laminitis scare!

5K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  loosie 
#1 ·
HUGE scare today! Came home at lunch time to put the horses in for the farrier and she was already there and had done the minis. Went and brought Harley in for her. She started to do his feet and she was saying how screwed up they were. I asked her if it was due to having them done a couple weeks late and she said no. Then she pointed out how messed up his toes were and how elongated his white line is and how flat footed he is. She thought maybe he had laminitis. I was SO SCARED! He hasn't been lame or off since I have had him and he is a horse that would NOT put up with anything if he was unhappy or uncomfortable. She checked his digital pulses and she said they were fairly normal. We put our heads together and it seems like it had something to do with his neglect as a yearling when he was rescued (Rescued from a CO kill lot and was scheduled to go to a Mexico slaughterhouse. Feet were in terrible shape, he had strangles, and he was sunburned from intense heat in the desert area where the killpen was). PHEW! Glad it was nothing I did! She trimmed his hooves up and backed up his toes (per my request). I don't care if it makes him a little tender footed because I am willing to give him time off to get over it. He comes first! Luckily, so far he isn't tender at all and is his usual perky and goofy self. Will keep an eye on him for the next couple weeks and see how he does. Also am going to put him on a hoof supplement. The farrier said a hoof supplement, some time off, and a shorter period between trims should do him some good while his feet correct! SO glad it isn't laminitis!


My question is, what is the best hoof supplement to go with for him?

 

Attachments

See less See more
3
#3 ·
What you have to remember is that an already grown hoof won't be affected by any supplement and it takes about a year for a new hoof to grow out completely (that from my farrier).

There are many hoof supplements out there and most are a combination hoof and coat as the requirements are similar. As with anything, one supplement that works for one horse may have no effect on another so you may have to experiment a little.

If you want to use something like Smartpak for consistent delivery, they have a couple of good supplements that many people use at our barn with great results...Farriers Formula (and one person uses the Farriers Formula Double Strength) and SmartHoof Ultra.

Farriers Formula would probably be available from other places like ValleyVet (guessing). Anything that starts with "Smart" is a Smartpak formulation so only SmartPak would sell it.
 
#4 ·
If he is fed any grain, discontinue a.s.a.p. - 1st cutting timothy hay, (nothing with rich alfalfa!) lots of fresh water and access to free-choice salt. If he is walking tender, definitely get him some bute and begin that immediately - it's like our "Motrin" - anti-inflammatory/pain reliever. That will help the situation and keep him comfortable. If anything gets worse, call your vet right away. Sounds like you've caught things early, and by taking these measures right now, will increase his odds to a sound recovery. Best of luck! :)
 
#9 ·
Do you have any recent pictures of his feet? Like others said, the hoof supplement won't affect his current hooves, but the new hoof growth that will be coming in. What feed is he getting? Due to his past, I'd make sure he has a nice balanced diet to ensure his feet are growing nice and healthy.
 
#15 ·
She started to do his feet and she was saying how screwed up they were.


Yes, they do look a bit of a worry, but need better/bigger pics to really get much.
Gather this farrier is new to you? It's obvious by the old pic you posted, he's had problem feet long term.

See the link in my signature below for what is needed of hoof pics.
It is also best to post pics straight after a trim, not when they're due. I've drawn on a couple of the pics, to give you an idea of where the wall should be(green lines) and where it appears the underside of walls should be backed/bevelled to, but it's only a rough idea with those pics.
Then she pointed out how messed up his toes were and how elongated his white line is and how flat footed he is. She thought maybe he had laminitis. I was SO SCARED!
Don't be scared, get educated!:wink: It is a very common issue that if people are proactive and the horse properly managed, most big issues can be avoided or at least drastically minimised. He may well have/had 'low grade' systemic laminitis, or possibly it's just because of terrible mechanics & neglect before you got him, which hasn't been corrected. You can learn a lot at barefoothorses.com, ecirhorse.com & e-hoofcare.com among other good sites & resources.

He hasn't been lame or off since I have had him
Good. Best not wait for that to happen, but get those hooves in good order now, to avoid them getting worse. So it's good that you're being proactive about possible laminitis too.

trimmed his hooves up and backed up his toes (per my request). I don't care if it makes him a little tender footed
Good - the first bit that is. It would be good if you could post some post-trim pics? Of your second comment, you should absolutely care - while compromised/laminitic hooves can sometimes be tender post trim, through no fault of the trimmer, if the trim makes the horse tender, that's not a good thing at all. He should be better, or at least the same after a good trim.

going to put him on a hoof supplement. The farrier said a hoof supplement, some time off, and a shorter period between trims should do him some good while his feet correct! SO glad it isn't laminitis!
How do you know/what makes you sure his feet aren't that way due to laminitis? HEIRO looks like a very good laminitis specific supplement and supping Mg & essential fatty acids is a good move for systemic & hoof health. But if you're looking for a general nutritional supplement, depends what's in his diet as to what he may need. FeedXL.com is a great resource for working out what products are best for your specific horse & situation.
 

Attachments

#18 ·
Those pics you edited are post trim. Farrier said his pulses were fine and he isn't lame. It is just where his toes were so long and it stretched the white line making the laminitic appearance. It is going to take time to get his feet back under himself
 
#19 ·
She could have taken off a lot more toe in her trim. My horse's feet don't look that overgrown when they are due for a trim, much less after a trim. Did she not want to back his toes up until you asked her to? How long has she been trimming him?
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#20 ·
She could have taken off a lot more toe in her trim. My horse's feet don't look that overgrown when they are due for a trim, much less after a trim. Did she not want to back his toes up until you asked her to? How long has she been trimming him?
Posted via Mobile Device
They were a lot worse. We want to adjust him a little at a time
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top