Dear Sir or Madam,
The purpose of this note is to provide some case history that may provide help in future treatment of laminitis. Often venograms are not done soon enough which is prior to radiographic changes due to death of the lamina and DDFT is seen as a last ditch salvage procedure.
I am a small animal veterinarian in Dubuque, Iowa. On July 27th, 2015 my Brazilian imported Grand Prix level dressage Lusitano was anorexic at 5:30 a.m. At noon he was at the veterinary medical teaching hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. At five o’clock he was on the surgery table until one o’clock a.m.!
One of two 1.5 pound enteroliths that were removed.
View of the inside of one of the enteroliths
From left: Dr. Sabrina Brount, Dr. Jen Whyard and Dr. Mary Lynn Neumeister
He had two enterolithes removed from his colon. Post op he had a consolidated right lung, peritonitis, focal incison line herniation, azotemia, and hepatopathy. By two weeks post op he had resolved his lung consolidation and peritonitis but demonstrated laminitis. Despite heroic medical efforts to address this issue by eight weeks post op he had rotated, sank, and perforated his soles. I was very discouraged.
Dr. Jen Whyard, a surgery resident, went above and beyond to find Dr. Ric Redden from Versailles, Kentucky (http://www.nanric.com/). Only with Dr. Sabrina Brount’s (head of large animal dept.) help were we able to facilitate him flying into Madison to work on Zeuse. He did venograms, reshaped his feet, applied special shoes and support, and cut his deep digital flexor tendons, He educated staff for an hour of lecture prior to departing and has supervised his ongoing recovery. My horse had immediate relief. Prior to Dr. Redden’s efforts, he was lying on his side, getting up for one minute per day. By the next week, he was standing for two and one half hours at a time. This was the end of September 2015.
Left foot October 2015 – hoof ablation
Right foot October 2015 – hoof ablation
Left front foot March 2016: hoof wall – view of toe growing out at bandage change
Right front foot March 2016 hoof wall – view of toe growing out at bandage change
He also had coronary band half moon hoof ablations on the medial aspect in October to prevent abscessation. After keratinization and learning how to walk again, he came home in Feb.
Dr. Redden on right
Dr. Redden tells me that Zeuse could come back to full performance with DDFT. He instructed me to not ride him for two years so his hoof walls grow out twice. I send him digital radiographs of his feet every three to four weeks.
I went to Dr. Redden’s course in Kentucky in Oct., 2016 and found that I knew much more than my equine veterinarians about the maladies of the feet. Only Dr. Joanne Kramer from the University of Missouri was there to represent veterinary teaching institutions, although there were people from all over the world at that meeting including Australia, British Columbia, and Brazil.
November 2016: Zeuse with rail shoes superfast adhered to hoof wall
Zeuse leaving UWVC
Zeuse is now offering balanced walk, trot, and canter. In turn out, he wants to squeal and buck. It gives me great joy to see him well and I feel for all the horses and owners that are not offered the best recommendations possible.
Please see included pictures and linkages. Thank you for your attention and God bless all your efforts to help our companions.
Dr. Mary Lynn Neumeister
