The unlikely laminitic
When Jayne Mackenzie’s Connemara suddenly went lame, the last thing she suspected was laminitis because he wasn’t being turned out on grass. Stephanie Bateman investigates how the pony recovered from two potentially fatal and severely rotated pedal bones
How this dangerous disease attacked a horse with none of the risk factors
WE OFTEN ASSOCIATE laminitis with fat ponies who have gorged on spring grass, but the reality is it can affect any horse or pony regardless of their weight, at any time of the year.
When Jayne Mackenzie’s Connemara gelding Flynn went lame in February 2020, she was convinced he had an abscess. The last thing she expected was for him to be suffering from a severe attack of laminitis.
“He had no history of laminitis and wasn’t even being turned out on any grass,” says Jayne, who has owned 15-year-old Flynn for seven years.
“I called out my farrier Russell Jones, who came out to check him. There was no sign of an abscess and the lameness improved. There was also no sign of laminitis at this point.”
Jayne carried on as normal, turning Flynn out in a sand paddock during the day and bringing him in at night as the fields were too wet to graze.
A few days later, Flynn’s lameness took a turn for the worse.
“When I arrived at the yard, Flynn was lying down, and when he stood up, he was panting and showing signs of distress,” tells Jayne. “He was moving weight from one foot to another and was very uncomfortable. He was also off his food and when Flynn is off his food, you know something is wrong!”
Jayne phoned the vet who came out and gave Flynn a painkiller, explaining they were treating it as laminitis.
“The vet came back and took X-rays that were then sent to vet Federica Cantatore at Pool House Equine Clinic,” says Jayne. “After seeing the X-rays, Federica told us to wrap his feet up and get him to the clinic ASAP. Flynn was then hospitalised.”
‘Severe rotation’
Flynn was admitted to the vet hospital on 19 February 2020. On arrival, he was uncomfortable and reluctant to move.
“During the clinical examination, Flynn was weight-shifting on his front limbs and acquiring the classic laminitis stance,” reports Federica. “The digital pulse on both front feet was increased, and X-rays revealed evidence of severe rotation of the pedal bone in both front feet, although more pronounced on the left front foot, as a result of severe laminitis.”
Support pads were applied on both front feet to reduce the tension of the deep digital flexor tendon, and because of the degree of pain, Flynn was started on a course of oral paracetamol (20mg/kg twice daily) and phenylbutazone (4.4mg/kg orally once daily), and 60mg of morphine sulphate given intramuscularly.
The caloric intake of his diet was reduced according to his body weight, and a calmer (acepromazine) was administered twice daily to encourage Flynn to lie down for longer periods of time in order to reduce the weight on his feet.
“Flynn was closely monitored and was stabled in a box on a deep bed of shavings,” says Federica. “The following day, he was remedially shod by Jonathan Nunn, AWCF, with wooden clogs. Afterwards, Flynn was immediately more comfortable and the dose of phenylbutazone was reduced.”
Going home
Due to his good progression, Flynn was discharged home three days later, on 22 February, with instructions for strict
“It brought home the fact that laminitis doesn’t just affect fat ponies on too much grass. Flynn wasn’t even on grass and his routine hadn’t changed”
Jayne Mackenzie