The wonderful Founder Warrior Veterinarian came all the way from Reno once again to work on Mama Tess today (Saturday).
(Can you believe that she drives all that way as often as she does? Me, neither. I’m just thankful that she cares enough to do that! Awesome!)
Anyway, the FW wanted to check on Tess because on her last visit November 14th, Tess was sore. We had upped her feed to put some minor weight back on her – and that was a mistake…
WHY FEEDING HER MORE FOOD WAS CONCERNING…
At this point, Tess is on Pergolide, Metformin and low NSC feed and soaked, low NSF hay. So, upping her feed shouldn’t have upset her IR or Cushings.
And, she was skinny… so we wanted to gradually add a bit of weight. One of the new feeds contained alfalfa.
But, adding feed made her laminitis flare. Her coronet band was very sensitive, she was lame on both feet and she was abscessing again.
So, we quit everything except the basics again and applied the maggots.
Luckily, she is coming out of that backslide.
On the left is her left foot from Nov 7th. On the right is her left foot today after two trims. She continues to grow awesome sole and we are cutting back her toe to get rid of all of the excess after the maggots have eaten the necrotic tissue. However, the attachment of the new growth is not good – yet. We are hoping that the maggots will get rid of the damaged and necrotic tissue and therefore leave space for the lamina to reattach.
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
So, we learned … something. What we learned, we’re not sure… Is the Pergolide not working? Is the Metformin not working? Do we need to increase the dosages? Or will she never be able to handle changes in her feed?
My thought is that she has never been able to handle alfalfa her entire life. Trainers have tried and she always had issues. Yet, every vet has told me that ‘a little bit of alfalfa’ shouldn’t be bad for them…
But for Tess, alfalfa doesn’t work. And maybe this little bit of alfalfa was all it took.
Again, dunno for sure… what tipped her very fragile balance is unknown.
For me, my mental note is that I will never, ever feed her alfalfa – in any form – ever again.
I will keep her on the skinny side. I will not vary much from what we are feeding now.
Not a great shot, I know… it was dark by the time the FW left and Tess was really into eating… She wouldn’t look at me. But you can see she has her front feet fully weighted.
I know this is an unflattering shot… but I included it for all of you who believe in orbs. Look how many there are! I’d like to think her angels are at work when we leave the barn… Or the camera lens was dusty.. whatever. ;)
PROGNOSIS
So far, so good.
For a horse that should have been put down, she is doing remarkably well!
However, if you were to come visit, you would certainly notice that she is quite lame.
On the other hand, she is happy and her feet continue to grow incredible amounts of sole. The right foot is growing with a great connection to the lamina. The left, not so much – yet. So, we wait and hope that the next round of maggots will clear out the final damaged and necrotic tissue so that the connection will be better on that left foot.
The scary part is the infection that continues. Is it in the bone? Or, is it normal infection that the maggots will help clear a path for final healing?
I’ve been told that she would be crippled with pain if she had a bone infection. She isn’t. So, I’m holding onto that…
Thanks to the Theraplate, Enzion Hoof Supplement , Omega Alpha Supplements and the Hoof Cinches, I think we have kept her feet intact and growing. (No affiliations)
Each day is a new day. When I see her happy face each morning, I feel very hopeful that she will continue to heal and thrive.
The new Team of Maggots – (Go Tess! – I should get all the maggots little Team jerseys) arrive on Tuesday. I will apply them myself and continue the good fight!
This is the right foot from Nov 14 on the left and today on the right side. She is wearing a Hoof Cinch on that foot. All looks good here. The sole is growing and she has good attachment in the new growth.
WHY HUBBY SHOULD NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE WHEN HE GOES ON VACATION…
We had planned on taking a Thanksgiving holiday. But, with Tess’ condition, I just couldn’t leave her. Besides, taking care of her is an awesome responsibility that isn’t fair to dump on a feeder for more than a day.
So, I told Hubby and the girls to go without me.
And, they did.
So….
I went shopping and bought some of my favorite foods that I never, ever eat because they make me ill.
I bought my favorite fruit – pomegranates – so messy but I love them!
And I groomed an old cat… Yes, I bought a tie for Sirdar, Hubby’s cat!
I amused myself… and continue to amuse myself… until they arrive home on Sunday eve. ;)
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
Your purchase with Riding Warehouse through this portal benefits the Bucket Fund!
I agree with keeping her away from alfalfa. Maybe for some horses it is just not good for them. What about hemp seeds and hemp oil for helping her gain a little more weight, but thin might be right for her for now. Also consider adding some organic apple cider vinegar to her water or feed daily. I have read a lot of good stuff about it helping people and animals with sugar issues.
Enjoy your treats while your family is away–pomegranates are my favorites, too. I always binge on them during pomegranate season!
Glad that there is some good news for Mama Tess through all of this. We’ll focus on that!
Dawn? Have you considered upping her chia a little? There is LOTS of nutrition in those little seeds, as well as a good fat content. Plus, it slows the absorption of sugars, so they don’t get the insulin rush from one feed to the next…. I know you feed it, but perhaps a little more for her?
Alfalfa is notorious for causing laminitis flare-ups. If she needs more weight, you might want to try soaked/rinsed/soaked beet pulp. It is the best choice for severely IR horses. You also might want to join the Equine cushings/IR group on Yahoo set up by Dr. Kellon. There is a huge stock pile of data about pergolide, metformin dosing as well as info on safe feeds. I am glad you found someone who knows how to help Tess. Good luck.
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/EquineCushings
Happy Thanksgiving! Who can go anywhere when we have horses, anyway…