Chip’s level of comfort appears to have made some slight improvements since his last visit two weeks ago with Dr. King from Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital. His blood work shows only a very slightly elevated ATCH but visually he has very classic symptoms of Cushing’s, including the stagnant, shaggy coat and of course the laminitis. We will begin on a very low dose of Prascend and hope to help him improve and to help support him. His weight is good, so we will be addressing Cushing’s disease and will not have to worry about the metabolic side. These would be excessive fat pads indicative of horses who are suffering with both Insulin Resistance and Cushing’s simultaneously. Due to age and body type we will continue to manage sugar intake.
Today, Dr. King helped support Chip’s front hoof with another conservative trim that took off some of the excess distorted hoof wall. He used an adhesive and casting tape to make a hoof wall cast to provide more support to the hoof. His heels were left open to allow for good movement. We will continue with pain management with Bute and recheck again in two weeks.
Laminitis is a cruel disease. Our number one priority right now is to give Chip comfort and support as his little hooves try to recover. We are realistic that things can change for the worse drastically and quickly in these cases. For right now, he has shown some small improvements. We are reassured that Chip is being treated with dignity and given our best efforts to turn this around. This was not something that just happened and, as the x‑rays showed two weeks ago, he has been suffering for a long time from this disease. We are thankful to have Dr. King helping on this case. His expertise in this area of equine podiatry is valuable. Little Chip is assuredly in very good hands and getting the absolute best care possible.
