Laminitis (Founder)

Laminitis (commonly called “founder”) affects an estimated 7-14% of the world’s equine population. It’s the inflammation of the tiny, interwoven lamellae that attach a horse’s hoof to the underlying coffin bone (third phalanx, or P3) and support the horse’s entire body weight. Anything that impacts the integrity of the lamellae, such as inflammation, weakens their hold. This causes the coffin bone to displace within the hoof capsule and move toward the ground. The condition is very painful and is often life-threatening to horses.

Causes of Laminitis

The same disease has several different causes, which include:

  • Endocrine-associated laminitis, which is the most common cause, occurs in horses with insulin dysregulation, often due to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing’s disease ), and exacerbated by ingestion of starch and sugars in feed or pasture (grass founder).
  • Sepsis-related laminitis is due to toxins in the bloodstream of sick horses (e.g., those with diarrhea, colic, retained placenta, or metritis—uterine infection);
  • Supporting-limb laminitis, which is caused by excessive weight bearing on a limb as a result of a painful injury in the opposite limb (e.g., fracture).

Clinical Signs (Symptoms) of Laminitis in Horses

  • Reluctance or inability to walk, or profound lameness;
  • Frequent weight shifting;
  • Abnormal stance and weight distribution to relieve pressure on the affected limb(s);
  • Increased heart and respiratory rate, and sweating;
  • Glazed, pained facial expression;
  • Bounding digital arterial pulses; and
  • Feet that are consistently warmer than usual to the touch.
Subcategories:
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The Laminitis Puzzle: Another Piece

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He’s looking good, feeling good and eating well these days, yet Barbaro is still a long way from leaving the hospital.

The Kentucky Derby winner went for his daily walk outside the intensive care unit at the New Bolton Center on Tuesday,

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Pasture-Associated Laminitis and Countermeasures

Researchers with the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in Aberystwyth, Wales, suggested some possible preventative measures for pasture-associated laminitis in the July issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

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Barbaro Continues to Do Well

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Hay for the Laminitic Horse

Is there a particular type of grass hay that is better than others for maintenance diet for a laminitic horse?

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Good Foot Gone Bad

Ric Redden, DVM, founder of the International Equine Podiatry Center, spoke about several common and sometimes debilitating hoof problems that can materialize with little or no warning, such as laminitis, white line disease, and hoof abscesses.

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Barbaro “Stable,” Has Laminitis

In early- to mid-July, Barbaro developed “acute, severe” laminitis in his uninjured left hind foot, and his prognosis for recovery was pronounced “poor” by Dean Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, chief of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s New

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Barbaro Might Soon Get Cast Removed Completely

Based on the latest examination of Barbaro’s injured right hind leg, there is a possibility the classic winner will soon have the cast removed completely.


The cast on the leg was changed Sunday (Aug. 27) by veterinarians at the Universit

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