club rotation vs. laminitis rotation

["mmieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

Hi folks,

I have been scouring the internet for opinions, advice, suggestions, etc. on something.  I hesitated to ask RC because it's not necessarily endurance related but I figure "what the heck?".  If I can find some answers that help our client, I'm going for it!  Sorry, Steph...

Anyway, here's the deal.  This horse that we suspect has Cushings is SORE.  On ALL her feet.  She has a club foot in front as well and this seems to be the worst.  Vet took x-rays.  There is 10-15 degrees rotation in ONE foot and none in the other.  He insists that because this foot did not look like this 5 years ago it IS founder.  I pointed out to him that if it was founder there would be at least SOME rotation in the other foot as well.  He insists that is NOT true.  Nelson and I believe her soreness is from the Cushings/related issues.  ALL of her feet have a good pulse, no heat, etc.  There are NO signs of laminitis.  She did have an abcess last fall which was resolved (I can't recall if it was in one or both front feet).  We suggested the owner soak her feet just in case.  Anyway, couldn't the rotation have been there all along with a club foot?  I believe this is the first time her feet have ever been x-rayed so we cannot compare 5 years ago to now.  Besides the vet is going by what they looked like from the outside!  He states that 5 years ago she had big, normal feet.  Nelson has been trimming her feet about 2 years now.  They do appear smaller than when we started going there and she has always had two different front feet.  A year ago this vet put her on thyroid meds but no follow up thyroid tests were ever done.  She got worse, not better and I think it is from the thyroid meds.  I am starting to understand that Cushing's is Cushing's.... this vet is trying to differentiate between the disease and the syndrome.  There is none...it's like diabetes.  You can be HYPOglycemic and HYPERglycemic but either way you are diabetic!  I am going today to take her blood glucose before and after she eats a large grain meal (thanks, Linda for that suggestion) ...vet said the bloodwork showed it was 79 when he drew blood.  This vet is a nice guy but he's mainly a cow vet and I'm afraid he is going to freak our client out more than she already is. She is already wanting a heartbar.   She is terrified of founder (bad experience from a previous horse that ended up being put down).  I think our issue is with the Cushings, not acute laminitis.  What do you guys think????  HELP! 

Maggie