Even though veterinarians and farriers are making progress in developing laminitis treatment techniques and researching the causes of laminitis, prevention is still the No. 1 defense against a disease that plagues all too many horses. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Bob Agne, DVM, an equine podiatrist at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Ky., discussed how to recognize individuals that are at risk for laminitis and how to manage them to reduce the risk of the disease.

Several pre-existing conditions can put a horse at risk for laminitis, Agne reported. He noted risk factors and preventive treatments for each, but he cautioned that every case is different. Not all horses will show all clinical signs or respond similarly to preventive measures.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)

  • Typical clinical signs: Horses that are easy keepers, are overweight with cresty necks and discreet subcutaneous fat deposits and have high insulin and glucose levels. Horses with EMS are also more likely to show signs of previous bouts of low-grade laminitis.

  • Possible laminitis prevention protocols: Restricted carbohydrate intake, controlled exercise, limited grazing when long hours of sunshine and cool temperatures predominate, levothyroxine supplementation (to assist with weight loss), periodic glucose and insulin testing in spring and fall to check for a hyperinsulinemic state (which predisposes horses and ponies to laminitis), and metformin administration if insulin levels rise above 100 uU/ml

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