Poor Bee is foundering. Foundering is when the P3 (Coffin Bone or Distal Phalanx) separates from the hoof wall and actually detaches or sinks. The coffin bone is held in place by a complex webbing system, called the lamina. When the lamina gets inflamed, the structure is weakened. Founder can be caused by several things but one of the more frequent causes are lush grasses and overweight horses. Poor Bee is an eager eater and is more heavy set compared to other horses, making him prone to founder. When I pulled him out of his pasture over the weekend, I noticed he was extremely sore and reluctant to move. Yesterday I had the farrier and the vet out and we gave him some anti-inflammatories and put on a special shoe that helped to distribute weight, support the hoof, and protect the vascular structure. Bee is stuck in solitary confinement - a big stall with lots of shavings. I have to go out twice a day to give him meds, ice his legs, and keep him company so he doesn't get too bored. On Thursday the vet will be back and we'll know more. But we suspect that we caught the inflammation before the damage was done.
This picture was taken from www.clearhillsfarrier.ca/laminitis.jpg. It shows the P3 completely detached from the hoof wall, an extreme case.
Must go now and tend to the Bee!
2 comments:
ahh I hope Bee is OK Callie spends much of the spring worrying about that , I do hope you caught it in time
steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the message! Yes, I think we did catch in time. The vet is coming out tomorrow and I'll know more!
~Katie
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