| When I built my new place in Fischer, Texas I | | | | of Simplexity Essentials diluted in XanGo juice. This |
| expected to have the occasional overnight horse | | | | seemed to jump start her system and she ate more |
| guest but I didn't plan on having hospital patients ... | | | | hay than previously. |
| that is, until I started helping Dr. Lu Ann Groves with | | | | Monday, October 6 |
| a few laminitis cases at her barn in San Marcos. It | | | | Bonita had finished flushing the bute out of her |
| was then that I realized just how much I missed | | | | system and she was eating and drinking well. I kept |
| working hands-on with these horses. Not long after, I | | | | her on Apis and moved her up to 30c twice a day. |
| had my first laminitis patient at my new place, a | | | | The swelling was down in her back legs so I |
| mare named Bonita. This article contains the first half | | | | considered stopping the Apis. |
| of Bonita's case, which is complex and demonstrates | | | | Her manure was a bit firm so I added some black |
| just how difficult laminitis horses can be to treat. Be | | | | sesame seeds to her low-starch feed and scored |
| looking for the wrap up of Bonita's case in a part 2 | | | | some Ontario dehydrated timothy hay pellets for her, |
| article. I hope this case gives owners of laminitic | | | | which I gave in addition to her hay. She was not |
| horses the understanding that complex cases can be | | | | overweight and as a matter of fact was on the thin |
| successfully treated with a holistic approach, and also | | | | side so I wanted to make sure she got all the |
| that all aspects of the horse's health have to be | | | | calories she needed each day. |
| considered when dealing with these kinds of cases. | | | | I continued to focus on her digestion so she got aloe |
| Monday, September 29 | | | | vera, slippery elm, KLPP, and Simplexity Essentials. I |
| Bonita had been under treatment by another clinic for | | | | had her on Q10 and Xango for inflammation and |
| about six weeks prior to arriving at my clinic. She had | | | | considered adding wheat sprouts. Bonita did lay down |
| been treated with bute, acepromazine, isoxsuprine, | | | | over the weekend for a few hours so I was very |
| gastrogard, and heart bar shoes with little | | | | happy about that. She moved around very slowly |
| improvement. When she first arrived I felt she | | | | and when she stood she still lifted her back feet up |
| needed both aloe vera and slippery elm for her | | | | high and shifted her weight. However, she had been |
| stomach because she was very tight in her flanks | | | | doing this when she was on bute so I was not too |
| and abdomen. I mixed the herbs with the probiotic | | | | concerned. I did a Bowen bodywork session on her |
| acidophilus and gave the combination to her in a | | | | over the weekend and I worked on slight trimming |
| syringe. Bonita was not at all interested in the | | | | changes on her RH. I have not been able to get the |
| low-carb feed I offered so I mixed her a small bran | | | | shoe off the LH yet. |
| mash, which she liked. | | | | October 10, 2008 |
| I know many people believe bran is terrible for | | | | Bonita slowly got better. She became very picky |
| laminitis cases because it has a high ESC (sugar + | | | | about her supplements so I felt her system was not |
| starch) but I have used it for years with wonderful | | | | able to do much cleansing yet. I did Bowen on her |
| results in all but the most extreme IR cases. Even | | | | every few days to help keep her circulation going |
| though bran is high in ESC it also is high in many | | | | since she was not moving much. Her overall attitude |
| nutrients such as chromium, magnesium, manganese, | | | | was better and I continued to look at changing her |
| and silica which all support carbohydrate metabolism. | | | | supplements to see what she liked. I tried some |
| Tuesday, September 30 | | | | apple cider vinegar to see if it would help clear her |
| Bonita had foundered on mesquite beans and | | | | liver since she did not want the Q10 or sprouts. She |
| interestingly she was worse in her back feet. I was | | | | also did not like her cubes wet so it was hard to get |
| pleased to see that the swelling had gone down and | | | | her to eat something she did not want. I gave her |
| she was moving better. She had had 2 grams of | | | | Nux Vomica 30c twice a day again to help her clear |
| bute on Monday morning but none since. I kept up | | | | her liver. |
| the acidophilus, aloe vera, and slippery elm, and also | | | | October 27, 2008 |
| added Q10. She was now hungry and eating the | | | | Bonita has been a real challenge but she improved |
| low-carb feed very well. I fed her the low-carb feed | | | | slowly. The Nux Vomica seemed to help a bit but I |
| in 5 small feedings and she ate everything. I also | | | | did not see much change from the apple cider |
| gave her a very small bit of alfalfa and a couple of | | | | vinegar. I went back to the Apis when some swelling |
| small bran mashes because the weather was so dry | | | | returned in her hind legs but did not see any change. |
| and hot. | | | | She continued to hold her hind legs up and did not |
| Wednesday, October 1 | | | | want to move much on her own. Her appetite |
| This morning Bonita was not doing as well. She was | | | | improved after she made it through the clearing of |
| holding up her right hind, which was her worst hoof. | | | | the bute but she continued to be picky. |
| As I was standing on my head filing the clinches so I | | | | I could not see a clear homeopathic remedy so I |
| could remove the heart bar shoe on that hoof, I | | | | looked more to the nutrition to get her healthy |
| began remembering some of the less exciting | | | | enough to give me some clear symptoms. I offered |
| aspects to working with laminitis cases (like removing | | | | her a Chinese herbal formula to help clear her liver |
| shoes!). | | | | and support her spleen. To my pleasure, she took |
| I spent about an hour trying every boot and pad I | | | | this formula very well and after 3 or 4 days was |
| had on her bad hoof and I trimmed it carefully to see | | | | moving a bit better and not picking up her legs. She |
| if there was anything that gave her relief. She was | | | | was still not doing as well as I would have liked and |
| actually happiest with no boot or pad and with her | | | | the swelling in her lower legs was persisting. I gave |
| heel trimmed down. I put a poultice on the foot | | | | her one dose of Sulphur 200c and began to decrease |
| without a boot. My feeling was that I had to get her | | | | the Chinese herbs. |
| feeding program adjusted before I would see | | | | Within a few days Bonita was much better and I |
| sustained improvement in her feet. I already had | | | | was able to remove the shoe on her left hind and |
| blood work showing that her glucose was high but | | | | put boots on her. I opened her gate and she went |
| was waiting to get the other test back to see if she | | | | right out and walked over to the fence by the other |
| was IR, Cushings, or both. I suspect I overfed her a | | | | horses. I was thinking we were finally on the mend |
| bit on Tuesday. I gave her a dose of Thuja. | | | | when she started holding up her feet again. |
| Thursday, October 2 | | | | I had received the ACTH test back and it was 3 |
| Bonita was still sore and unfortunately the swelling | | | | times normal but she had been doing so well I did not |
| her legs had returned. I focused on feeding her less | | | | start her on any Pergolide. With this last setback I |
| and giving her more of the aloe mix directly in her | | | | felt it was time to give Pergolide a try. If she had a |
| mouth to support her digestion. I did not want her to | | | | pituitary tumor I felt I might not be able to help her |
| lose weight or reduce her calories since this would | | | | enough with homeopathy even if I got the correct |
| only drive the IR. I also had water in buckets all over | | | | remedy. I think her response to the Sulphur was |
| the pen so she would not have to walk far to drink. | | | | curative because her overall attitude improved but if |
| She had free choice hay but she was not eating as | | | | the pituitary tumor was causing steroids to be |
| much as she should to meet her needs. Her manure | | | | released into her blood then this would override the |
| looked fine so I was not worried about her being | | | | homeopathy. |
| dehydrated. She had shade but preferred to stand in | | | | Two days after starting Pergolide Bonita seemed a |
| the sun. She did not eat very well but moved around | | | | bit better. I still had her on the low-starch feed from |
| a bit more than before and did not seem quite so | | | | Aussie Logic, the timothy balance cubes, coastal hay, |
| painful. | | | | 1 pack Essentials, 4 Relaxed Wanderer herbs, aloe |
| Friday, October 3 | | | | vera, slippery elm, and 4 enzymes a day. Her |
| Bonita had stabilized by this morning. I suspected the | | | | appetite was very good so I assumed her digestive |
| bute was clearing her system the two days previous. | | | | tract was doing well. She did not shift as much on |
| I worked up her case and started her on Apis 6c | | | | her feet but did not venture out of the pen again. |
| four times a day. I also added some KLPP to her | | | | The swelling went down on her hind legs after she |
| probiotic, aloe vera, and slippery elm mix. She still did | | | | started moving much more after the Sulphur and has |
| not drink as much as I would have liked and she got | | | | stayed down. I was very optimistic about her being |
| insulted when I added water to the tiny bit of | | | | able to recover. |
| low-starch feed I gave her. I also added a bit of Mg. | | | | As you can see, working with a case like Bonita's can |
| I had just filled my barn with hay and was waiting for | | | | be very complex. Yet, it's still possible to use a holistic |
| the tests to come back. I was very concerned that | | | | approach to improve the quality of any laminitic |
| Bonita was not eating and that her glucose might | | | | horse's life. |
| actually be dropping too much, so I mixed her a pack | | | | |