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Shivon,

Chronic Laminitis with Severe Rotation


See Rehab Trim page

Sept 2008, web site update and review

We learn so much from all of these wonderful horses - and their owners!!

I have lost touch with Shivon and her owner, they live several hours from me, but an update is that she lives in Soft Ride boots, is being trimmed by her wonderful Vet, and is happy.

Looking at these pictures? At the time I repeatedly and strongly suggested that this mare be put on a very strict diet, but her circumstances were such that it didn't happen. I'm now studying nutrition with Dr Eleanor Kellon (See http://www.drkellon.com/ ) and the more I learn, the more I realize I have to study.

This mare's problem doesn't start in her feet, it starts in her feeder. This is one of many chronic conditions that we can't trim our way out of.

October 25, 2005

Vicki owns Scout so we already know she has a huge heart. When that big heart joins up with her friend Bonnie, who rescues horses off the track as a hobby, we end up with an attempt to restore soundness to Shivon, a beautiful 6 year old paint mare.

Bonnie is a vet anesthesiologist, and Vicki works for three equine vets, so they run across more horses deserving a second chance than most of us know exist... Bonnie needs to formalize her rescue operation because she deserves that level of recognition, if nothing else!!

This sweet mare has had a very rough life. When she was 2 years old she caught her left rear leg in wire and severed her extensor tendon. It went untreated for several months until the youngster was given to Bonnie . Her leg healed and she was eventually sound.

They began to train her as a 4 year old. Shivon had a club foot, and came up lame with what they suspect was a stone bruise. On November 1, 2003, she was trimmed too short by the farrier, and went down with the pain. They treated it as an abscess, and approximately a month later she foundered. X-rays showed severe rotation but her coffin bone didn't sink.

Shivon wears a taped on Davis treatment boot that gives her sole protection while transferring most of the pressure to the wall area.

Before the trim

 

Trim? Where to start?

Shivon was dead lame before I started trimming and I wasn't going to do much of a trim without getting x-rays. Bonnie is taking those this week, so we hope to have everything available by next week.

Without the X-rays all I did was take her heel down about 1/4 inch and clean up the foot to accommodate the lower heel. Her bars are just barely passive. all the sole I uncovered seems to be live sole, so... wow... what to do???

This mare gets VERY sore "when farrier's try to trim her short". I need the x-rays and some good advice.

Update, December 12th 2005

Bonnie got x-rays taken while I was on vacation, and I had thought of doing an initial trim with them that day, but when I saw the X-Ray I lost my nerve and decided to get some advice before I started.

Shivon's rotation is as extreme as it can get , and her wall at the toe is separating and looks like it could detach.

I'll be going down on the 19th to trim, and can use all of the sage advice I can get at this point. Her other foot is holding up okay, but she's a big girl and is asking a lot of it.

I've gotten Bonnie all of the great contact info for the Founder and Cushing's lists (see my Links page) and basic files on diet management... lets all cross our fingers that I can help her.

Target Trim
These pictures were sent to me to illustrate where Shivon's feet should be. I don't know how fast we can get them there, but it's a great goal!
 
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Serving the greater SF Bay Area & Northern California
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