Summarize the following:
Describe in detail what you are observing to your vet. Take your horse's temperature and heart/breathing rates. Every horse owner should have a working stethoscope and rectal thermometer available, and know how to use them. If your horse is showing signs of lameness, do not force him to exercise. If he is a significant distance from home, you should transfer him by trailer. Lay down a deep bed of shavings (4 or 5 inches) in his stall. These shavings will provide padding for your horse, helping to relieve some of the pain. Taking the following measures before your vet arrives will make their job easier and give your horse some much-needed relief. Use cold therapy. Cold therapy is much the same as it is in humans. You ice down the horse's feet just as you would an injured knee or ankle in a human. You can either use a muck tub with ice and water or use ice boots to apply the ice to the horse. Do not leave it on for more than 30 minutes. Provide an NSAID painkiller. These types of painkillers help relieve pain, of course, but they can also help with inflammation. You can give your horse Equioxx, Danilon, or Phenylbutazone ("Bute"), for instance. These are not to be given if the horse is on steroids, as the two drugs are contra-indicated together and can be a fatal combination. Always speak to your vet before giving any prescription medication to your horse. Treatment for laminitis can vary, depending on the severity of the condition, but the mainstay for years is to get your horse started on a regimen of Phenylbutazone, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. That, along with proper and supportive footing, are two of the treatments used in helping to alleviate the pain/disease. Your vet will check for the symptoms listed above by examining the horse, though she is better trained to spot the symptoms. Your vet may also want to take x-rays to examine the interior of the hoof. Ask how long you should provide anti-inflammatories to your horse. When you are giving your horse some of these drugs, such as Bute, you may need to skip a day after about a week. This drug can increase blood flow to the laminae, which helps the condition in some cases. It can also sedate your horse to some degree, which will keep him calm and less likely to injure himself further. They may be able to take some of the pressure off the foot by clever use of special shoes. They can also assess to horse to see if sole-pads are appropriate. Be cautious about applying any measures yourself because if you get it wrong you could tip the angle of the hoof and possibly precipitate the pedal bone punching through the sole of the hoof. You can cut a piece of thick foam to the size of the hoof. It should be a couple of inches thick to provide padding for the horse. Laminitis is sometimes caused by a horse being overweight and eating fresh pasture but not always.Other diseases can bring on bouts of laminitis. Research is still on-going concerning this disease, as its mechanisms and best modes of treatment and prevention are still not fully understood. One important test when looking for the cause is to test the blood sugar level of the horse, as too much sugar in the system is one risk factor for this disease.
Call your vet immediately. Do not force your horse to walk or move. Take some palliative measures while waiting for the vet to arrive. Allow the veterinarian to diagnose the condition. Ask about acepromazine. Get an orthopaedic farrier (one with an additional qualification in treating conditions like laminitis by corrective shoeing) to assess the horse. Investigate the possible causes of the disease to prevent it from occurring again.