Ulcers AND laminitis-aka, THE SEVENTH CIRCLE OF HORSEY HELL

As some of you know I moved my horses back to my old barn about 3 1/2 weeks ago. My mare settled right back in with her old herd mate's like she had never left.
Rhaegar? Not so much.
He dropped weight again which happens when he is stressed. Called the vet, talked it over with her. She said give him two weeks to settle in and then treat for ulcers.
Well, last Friday I noticed he was extremely lame. Couldn't even walk. So I pulled him in, and started looking for abscesses. Couldn't find one. Called the vet and the farrier. Took pictures and videos, sent them along. They said to treat for abscesses in both fronts (we were thinking maybe it was hiding from us) and see how he did the next day.
Went out the next day and just knew in my gut it wasnt an abscess. He was standing in the classic laminitic stance, which he would never do otherwise because he tends to stand more camped under than anything, a left over trait from having to compensate for his feet.

Took more pictures and videos and sent them to my farrier who referred me to a lameness specialist. She came out and confirmed.
Laminitis.
How on earth a skinny thoroughbred managed to get laminitis, I'll never know but what's done is done.
I had her do a full exam on him along with x rays of his feet and knees up front (I have been wanting to get x rays of the knees for a while now just to make sure there aren't any surprises) and she also confirmed that he probably (shes actually extremely certain) that he has ulcers as well. I already suspected that but it jist makes things all the more difficult.

So know I have to figure out how on earth I'm going to put weight back on this horse without causing a flare up.
We talked about putting him on the ADM Patriot feed with cocosoya oil and topline extreme (he is already on the topline and cocosoya but before this he was on Triple Crown Senior for grain).
My thing is, the horses at the barn only get fed 1x a day. I dont know if I can make it out there 2x a day to feed him if he needs it. So I'm just worried about that.
Anyone have some ideas for how on earth you feed a hard keeper with laminitis???

He is dry lotted in the arena right now with free chpoce hay that i soak before giving him. In a few days we are hoping to slowly add grain back in so he can have his supplements again but I don't even know what grain to give him

 

Does he get alfalfa ? I would see about getting him on alfalfa asap. It will help put weight on him, while helping with the ulcers. I would ask that he is fed a double portion, and maybe out it in a slow feed net so he has access .
Hopefully you can turn it around ! Sorry you have to deal with it.
What did your vet put him on for the ulcers ? What did your vet put him on for the laminitis ?

 

Really like ADM's Glo line, but not a fan of the Patriot. heard from a ADM rep directly that it is a "mid level quality feed"

will he be by himself in the dry lot? would they toss him some food a second time each day?

could you do the max "feed' that is recommended in each feeding, and a BIG bucket of soaked alfalfa pellets that he can eat as he chooses throughout the day, along with the free choice hay?

 

Sorry about the laminitis. Is this the same horse we mentioned last August based on his hooves photos about looking laminitic?

Even skinny horses can be metabolic. I wonder if he is. I would also try Equishure by KER for hind gut ulcers. Feeding only once a day probably didn't help him in getting ulcers either.

I recently read Cushings horses are at their worst this time of year and I think IR horses might be too based on Foxy. He looked better when he wasn't moving much due to being lame from torn fibers in his deep flexor back in July than he does now ridden more because he is sound. I did have him on previcox back then too, so just put him back on to see if really that was the difference or not. He most likely has arthritis in his neck and some in at least one hock.

I would check out this site and their group to help your horse. Equine Cushings & Insulin Resistance Group

 

He is normally turned out with three other horses, as this barn is kind of a half self care/half part care facility. We are weird. I have never seen another barn like ours.
Currently he isn't on anything for the ulcers or laminitis, as the vet and I are still discussing options.
She wants me to take care of the feet first, and in a week or two treat for the ulcers.
I have had several people suggest alfalfa. But the vet is concerned with the sugar content in it.

 

He doesn't look thin, I wouldn't push any supplements or weight gain feeds.

 

Alfalfa isn't always high in sugar, just get it tested first.

Honestly, my first guess would be that he got into something, or that someone tossed a basket full of apples over the fence line.

I'd go the Nexium route for ulcers. Cheap and easy.

 

Alfalfa is normally lower in sugars than most grass hay. O would also your vet for acepromazine to help reduce the blood flow to his hooves, or can help reduce pain in a rou d about way until you stay treating

 

He looks ok from this angle, but he dropped a lot of weight in since we moved
You can see in the pocs below how much hes lost along the ribs and back

 

Oh definitely, the other picture is deceptive.

His ribs and hip bone show too much, and the topline is also thin in that it lacks a covering of fat(a covering that will probably never be much on this horse), but the horse is greatly lacking in muscle. The topline won't develop without appropriate work.

The muscling on the hind quarter matches the appearance of the topline and neck in that sense. A good way to see that is to look at the hind quarter above the stifle, that whole hollow area fills in with muscle, not fat.

My guess is that this horse is an 'old fashioned' Thoroughbred - never carries a great deal of body fat, no matter how it's fed, and the filling in of the topline is largely about work developing muscle.