Laminitis is a devastating disease that does not discriminate based on a horse’s age, breed, or discipline. For that reason, at the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif., it became a focus of discussion during the podiatry table topic led by Andy Parks, VetMB, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, professor of large animal surgery at the University of Georgia, and Steve O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS, APF, of Northern Virginia Equine.

Laminitis remains a challenging disease to manage and often poses more questions than answers. According to one study (Equine Veterinary Journal), 4-5% of all horses will suffer from laminitis during their lifetimes. One participant in the podiatry discussion commented that laminitis is a "forever disease."

The table topic opened with case study of a 23-year-old Warmblood mare with active laminitis for more than a year that began experiencing bone loss at the tip of the coffin bone. This often results from reduced blood flow along with initial weight-bearing overload of the foot. If allowed to progress too far, bone loss can lead to fracture