Maybe consider some stretching exercises? Sky had the opposite problem.. couldn't relax his hind legs. They'd always cock up under his belly like a mare. After doing some stretching exercises he was feeling much better.
You could even do it in the sense of clicker training him to do it.
That's what he does, he tucks his leg all the way up into his belly and has a hard time letting it down, my farrier said it was stringhalt?
I had my friend (a vet tech) give him a massage today too and she showed me some leg stretches - I'll definitely be doing them! Thanks Sky
One last thing.. we had a chiropractor work on Sky and that really helped too. I'd wait until he was a bit more settled to do it to him but another idea.
Haven't read this hole thread-but what a cute guy! My draft cross gets scratches in his feathers sometimes, and the vet gave us some Silvadene cream for it, that worked like a charm. You might ask for some. I think it is the same stuff we humans use for burn victims.
Thank you all so much for your guidance! Let me give you a quick update.
Desert, thank you for all the help on his diet :)
We've found while he may have a slight case of EPSM he may also have Cushing's. So what he's eating now:
4 hay cube buckets soaked a day (2 quarts of cubes each) 50/50 alfalfa/timothy.
He's getting Bess's Choice for his Cushing's - it's an herbal blend with all sorts of good things for Cushing's horses - if you're interested in it you can read here. I've seen it work miracles for Cushing's horses and have full faith in it.
As well as a tablespoon of sea salt twice a day. He's never had a salt lick or salt available to him before so I didn't want to make him sick so I built him up on it - I didn't want to give him free choice and have him get himself sick.
He's also getting Nutrena Empower grass balancer, MSM and Brewer's yeast.
Then hay continually throughout the day and of course as much water as he wants.
He's drinking excessively and peeing just as much - I've gone through so much bedding! The vet attributes this to his previous dehydration (from lack of salt) and potential Cushing's.
As for his legs, I'm so at a loss! I think it's scratches - fungal infection, but my vet says it could be mites. We forgot about it while she was here and didn't think to test him. I've tried washing his legs in Betadine and thoroughly drying them, then applying anti-itch baby powder. The powder I think was a mistake, there was menthol in it which was probably too tingly as the next day he had some fresh scratches. So I rinsed his legs and dried them again, no medicine, just warm water and thorough drying. Then my vet said to try and treat him for mites. So two days ago I covered his legs in Diatomaceous Earth - food grade powder. It's been two days and he's still itchy. My next plan is tomorrow to rinse his legs well with warm water and dry them thoroughly and then apply M-T-G, another thing my vet suggested if it's actually the fungus not the mites. If all else fails I'll have to get frontline medicine for mites. X.x If anyone has any guidance for that please let me know! I've been throwing my money in so many different directions and I think I need to stop and just let something work, but there are no 'steps' to follow so I'm lost.
As for his feet. His thrush is getting slowly better. I'm cleaning and applying Go-dry and packing his hooves with cotton every day. He's very sensitive.
I can't afford a chiropractor at this point without going into 'emergency' funds. But my friend is a certified equine massage therapist and has given him a couple massages and shown me some great stretches I do for him when I do his feet.
He's been getting turned out as much as possible and if he can't get turned out (weather and such) I take him for quiet walks.
If anyone has any help or any guidance please let me know!
And for your viewing pleasure ^^ my beautiful, most handsomest, wonderfulest boy!!!
You're probably going to laugh now.....if it is confirmed it's not any fungus or mites.....I'd clip his feathers( I know, ouch....not literally but shame on me for suggesting it), and put sauerkraut on it. Bandage over. It will clean the open sores, get rid of any pus and scabs and you can the medicate the open sores just like any open sore with a wound ointment.
It worked for my Hafi mix. He had his hind pasterns RAW, pus, swollen, hot. After the sauerkraut poultice it healed within a week.
You're probably going to laugh now.....if it is confirmed it's not any fungus or mites.....I'd clip his feathers( I know, ouch....not literally but shame on me for suggesting it), and put sauerkraut on it. Bandage over. It will clean the open sores, get rid of any pus and scabs and you can the medicate the open sores just like any open sore with a wound ointment.
It worked for my Hafi mix. He had his hind pasterns RAW, pus, swollen, hot. After the sauerkraut poultice it healed within a week.
Oh no x.x I've been desperately trying to avoid clipping his poor baby feathers xD He doesn't tolerate clippers at all especially around his legs - in time I could work on that but I so don't want to. :P
I've cut his feathers with scissors before really short back when I was working with him, but it made little difference. I have not heard of sauerkraut - what is it for? What does it help with?
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), and put sauerkraut on it. Bandage over. It will clean the open sores, get rid of any pus and scabs and you can the medicate the open sores just like any open sore with a wound ointment.
