Laminitis is a common, extremely painful, and frequently recurrent condition in horses, ponies and donkeys. This condition affects the tissues (laminae) bonding the hoof wall to pedal bone in the hoof. This can result in the pedal bone sinking or rotating within the hoof under the weight of the horse. In extreme cases this can result in penetration the sole of the foot by the pedal bone.
There are three general situations that Laminitis can arise.
– Diseases associated with inflammation e.g., Certain types of colic’s, diarrhoea, retained placenta and severe pneumonia.
– Endocrine (hormone) disease e.g., Equine Cushing’s disease and equine metabolic syndrome. Horses with these underlying conditions are prone to developing laminitis due to eating lush green grass high in sugar that they are unable to process adequately.
– Mechanical overload – supporting limb laminitis e.g., associated with a fracture or infected joint in the other leg so that the leg which is bearing all of the weight is at risk of laminitis.
The clinical signs of equine laminitis are:
– Lameness affecting most commonly at least two limbs.
– The horse leans back onto its heels to take the weight off the painful toe area.
– The lameness is worse when the horse walks on hard ground or turns.
– Shifting weight between feet when resting
– Increased digital pulses.
– Pain with use of hoof testers at the point of frog on the foot
If you suspect your horse has laminitis, bring it in out of the paddock and rest them and call us at YVV on (02) 6226 4444 or (02) 6227 5955 for MB.
