LAMINITIS

WHAT IS LAMINITIS?

Laminitis is an extremely painful and potentially devastating condition affecting the hooves. Inflammation of the laminae which attach the hoof to the pedal bone causes them to separate, which allows the pedal bone to drop downwards (rotate) towards the sole. This is incredibly painful and in severe cases the bone can penetrate the sole of the hoof.

The vast majority of laminitis cases are caused by an underlying hormonal condition, either Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, Cushing's disease) or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).

HOW TO SPOT IF YOUR HORSE HAS LAMINITIS

Acute laminitis causes pain and inflammation in the hoof. Your horse may lie down, be reluctant to walk or pick the feet up, and stand with their weight shifted backwards. The hooves may feel warmer than normal and there may be a strong digital pulse. In less severe cases, your horse may shift weight from side to side, have a short 'pottery' gait, be reluctant to turn and prefer walking on soft ground. Some horses have chronic low grade laminitis where they may not show particular signs of pain, but over time, the hoof grows abnormally, with changes in the white line, in the hoof wall angle and/or divergent rings.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR HORSE HAS LAMINITIS

Severe laminitis is an emergency so contact your vet as soon as you suspect laminitis. Prompt treatment not only relieves pain but can reduce the risk of long-term damage.

Your horse should be walked as little as possible to reduce the risk of more separation of the laminae. Remove your horse from pasture to a stable and provide deep supportive bedding, such as shavings, across the entire stable including right up to the door. Ensure your horse can reach water and food (soaked hay) easily.

CAUSES OF LAMINITIS

Laminitis is often associated with grazing, especially when the grass has high levels of sugars and fructans. Around 90% of laminitis cases have an underlying hormonal cause - PPID (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction, Equine Cushings disease), EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome) or both. There appears to be a link between these diseases and insulin resistance, which increases the risk of a horse developing laminitis. So the same grazing regime could trigger laminitis in an at-risk horse but cause no problem in a horse without one of these hormonal disorders.¹

MANAGING A HORSE WITH LAMINITIS

If your horse has an episode of laminitis, you will need to work closely with your vet and farrier to help get your horse back to normal. There are several things you can then do to reduce the risk of future episodes:

• Discuss with your vet whether your horse should be tested for PPID and EMS as these are the most common underlying causes of laminitis. If diagnosed, treating these conditions can help reduce the risk of further episodes
• Keep your horse slim - obesity is associated with insulin resistance, a major risk factor for laminitis
• Manage grazing carefully, restricting intake of of grass containing high levels of sugar and fructans