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Lio's Ongoing Recovery From Severe Laminitis
My precious Hawaiian horse, Lio, was stricken with laminitic events starting April '06 caused by White Line Disease which was caused by poor trimming, bad veterinary and farrier advice and the wrong diet. The list of my sins is huge and I'm willing to share them with anyone who wants to learn what NOT to do.
By June Lio was in so much pain that I was ready to give up, do the humane thing and put him to sleep. The second vet I called in for the task, Dr. Dave Almond D.V.M., told me about local farriers, Ray and PJ Teasdale, who practiced the Equine Digital Support System. They came to the rescue with styrofoam pads and treatment and dietary information. Eventually they put him in the EDSS shoes, got him back on his feet and gave me Hope For Soundness!
Lio's Right Front Foot November 10, 2006
(In EDSS shoes set by the Teasdales)
The x-rays already show major improvement
below left was taken June '06 and right was taken Nov '06
Lio spent EIGHT months on 4 grams of bute daily waiting for a miracle. I needed to keep his pain level down and his gut healthy so I dosed him with Dynapro and apple cider vinegar. He had bed sores the size of dinner plates on his hips and there were days he couldn't get up at all. And then I heard that there was going to be a SoundFest clinic here on the Big Island and that Gene Ovnicek was coming!
On December 11, 2006, Gene brought his whole family over to Harmony Farm to treat Lio!
He resectioned Lio's feet, derotated his heels and rebuilt plastic walls with glue so his hooves could grow normally.
Gene used the EDSS shoes with cuffs and screws to keep them on and Lio jumped in the air for joy! He was finally out of pain!
Gene returned in February to reshape Lio's feet and help the local farriers with horses who were in dire straits. I watched him work his magic on these "hopeless"cases and witnessed them practically rise from the dead and walk.
Lio says "thank you, Gene!"
THERE IS A CURE FOR LAMINITIS
It takes an enormous commitment on the part of the caretaker to rehabilitate a horse with laminitis, especially when compounded by White Line Disease. Every day I am reminded of Barbaro who lost his gallant fight against laminitis ten months ago. He had every amenity known to modern veterinary science and a state-of-the-art recovery room/stall. Yet here is Lio, breathing, bucking, kicking and running around his pasture.
#1 If Barbaro had been wearing Natural Balance shoes, chances are that his leg would not have fractured because the old fashioned horseshoes force the hoof to land toe first, sending enormous pressure up the joints and there's your spiral fracture.
#2 If Barbaro had been treated for laminitis by Gene Ovnicek (and, believe me, I tried to get the message to Dr. Richardson), he would more than likely be still with the living.
Lio is proof.
Updated 121707