Thumbs UP for Winston!!!

After four months, it was time for a check up for Winston. He has been looking great, but we wanted our vet's opinion. So Mom sprung the visit on me and the morning of I ended up trimming his feet before going to work. Winston had grown more foot than he ever has before. No way was I going to  let the vet see his feet looking so long.
I called Mom later to see what the vet thought. She felt he looked great though he could lose a little more weight to be safe. Once the grass goes dormant he could even graze with a normal muzzle. When we showed her our modified muzzle, she said he must not get much. She watched him on the lunge and cleared him to start work under saddle. He will be so happy to start working again. A total thumbs up visit.
She also checked his pulse points and foot temperature. Those, too, were normal. The biggest reminder of his episode is the event lines on all four feet. Hooves do not lie and can tell so much about what happens in a year.
The scary part, Comrade has the same event lines on all four feet. According to the vet, he definitely had and episode. I think we caught him faster because Winston's situation made me react strongly to Comrade's increased weight. In hind sight, Comrade was a little foot sore around that time. I remember talking to Peggy about him mincing across the gravel. Winston showed the same kind of soreness in the weeks before his full blown laminitis hit. These signs will be like neon lights in the future for us all.
While the vet was there, we had her pull Coggins. As she looked at each horse she commented on their overall body condition. Dottie and DaVinci: Looks great, especially for their ages. Rosemary: Still needs to lose weight. She thought this was due to lack of work, but Mom told her Rosemary works the most. So Rosemary may join the Hannibal Lecter club with Winston and Comrade. Roscoe: Needs MORE weight. Oh the joys of a boy amidst a growth spurt. We told her after Winston, we don't even let Roscoe graze without a muzzle. He does get extra food though.
Overall a positive visit which resulted in this:

Super happy and CALM pony. Our normal worry wort was so relaxed. I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder :)

A Moment of Freedom

For the last week or so, we have let Winston roam the barn. Mostly he wanders stall to stall eating up any hay leftover by the others. Occasionally, he has picked up a trot. He sounds nice and even on the rubber mats. He is less grumpy and his stall is cleaner with the additional roaming time. He is now down to 1oz of B-L a day, which is the same amount DaVinci and Dottie get for their old bones.
So with all the good signs, we put a muzzle on him and let him out with the boys in the sacrifice area for the first time. Winston trotted off, so happy to be free. Roscoe and DaVinci also were happy he was out with them. He nibbled what little grass he could get through the muzzle, chatted with the girls and put Roscoe in his place.
Seeing him out there took some weight off my chest. It was only 45min, but he enjoyed every minute. Then he came in, ate breakfast and settled in his stall with his hay for the day. You could not wish for a better horse to deal with the situation.
Here is a link to a short video of him in turn out almost a month post diagnosis and Laminil treatment: 6-4-13



Checking in with everyone

Trying to graze next to the jump Roscoe played over the other day

Winston 6-4-13, see he has withers

Winston April 2013, see how much weight he has lost

Winston Update

Thank you all for your well wishes. Please keep Winston in your thoughts. I am a big believer in positive thinking.
When I got home yesterday, Mom told me more about the day. Winston did not want to walk in from turn out and it was pouring. Big red flag. His muscles were twitching from the pain. I have to say we have a wonderful vet. Mom called and said she really thought Winston was in a bad way and they immediately worked to fit him in between appointments. No questions. We are not ones to call the vet over small things, so they know if we call it is important.
Our vet in addition to the Banamine and Ulcer prevention meds, also put him on Thyroxine. This will induce Hyperthyroidism and hopefully help him lose some weight while on stall rest. We have a whole page of instructions for all his medicines. She said to mix the meds with applesauce, but we are just going to use wheat bran. Joyce Harman said that was okay. Dr Harman said to try and get him off the pain medicine as soon as possible. Too much walking is not good. Lying down is actually the best for him. And of course she recommended putting him on Pro Bi. Stomach health is a large part of managing laminitis.
We also have to ice his hooves and legs at least twice a day to help with inflammation. Surprisingly, Winston did not mind the big, blue boots. Such a good boy.

Icing session last night

Fortunately, Peggy and Larry had a spare Nibble Net we could use for Winston so that we could slow his hay consumption. We normally wrap hay in landscaping mesh and drop into a hay bag, but this net will be easier and quicker to use. Mom had to add some landscaping mesh to make up for a big hole one of Peggy's horse ate into it. Winston has very nimble lips and had no problem with the jerry rigged bag.
And finally...
At about 1am I received a response from the doctor in charge of the Laminil trial. He said "(Winston) is an ideal candidate, because the drug is most effective when used during 48-72 hours after occurrence." I just needed to have my vet send authorization and a shipping address and they would send the Laminil. How about that?
I immediately forwarded the email to our vet, whose opinion I trust, and asked if she knew anything about it and was it worth trying. Today I got her response. At first, she was leery since she had not heard about it and so many laminitis drugs are questionable. She recommended contacting Dr Harman for holistic treatment if we wanted a different path. Then about a half hour later, she wrote that she looked over the information about the trial and Laminil. She said "It looks promising, Let's try it." We sent back for her to go ahead and contact the trial group to start the process. Now we wait.
I am not normally drawn to this type of treatment, we normally go as holistic as possible. But I am a believer of "Things happen for a reason," and my seeing the trial article the day before is too big to ignore. Added to that, when I went to the Laminil website the trial is now full and not accepting any more horses.
So that is where we stand as of now. Winston is more comfortable looking, according to Mom, but it will be a long road.

About to Cry

Despite everything we do to prevent it, Winston has been diagnosed with Laminitis. Yesterday he was a little sore and today he really did not want to walk. He was in so much pain, Mom called the vet.
He is in the early stages and has to be on Banamine 2x. Which means he has to be on Gastro guard. They also put him on another medicine which decreases over time. He is only allowed 4 flakes of hay a day and that is it.
Mom is headed out to buy ice boots. What a nightmare.
Yesterday I read an article about a trial drug, Laminil which has helped with laminitis. The drug helps prevent the inflammatory response in the mast cells. A horse that would barely walk was treated and four days later did a little jog on hard ground. It is administered through the vein in the fetlock with a tourniquet so it back flows into the foot.
I don't know what will come of it, but I emailed the doctor doing the study and told him about Winston. They are looking for more horses, so it is worth a try.
Winston has always been insulin resistant, and carries extra weight which is why we are vigilant about muzzles and dry lotting. Unfortunately, something tipped him over the edge. It could be the spring bloom or the stress of Roscoe being gone that two weeks.
Mom and I are probably both doing the "if only we had done this or that" thing right now. Nothing feels good right now.
So keep Winston in your thoughts. Poor boy, his 17th birthday is on Friday. Worst gift ever :(

And added to all this, Jenna is 3 legged lame. Mom can't reach Gretchen at home or work. When it rains it pours, just like the weather right now. I need a sunny day.