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.
The same disease has several different causes, which include:
We all should be aware of our level of competence with foot problems–horse owners, veterinarians, and farriers. Since there is no formal education in the field of podiatry, training must be sought on an individual basis.
?Never use only clinical assessment to estimate the progress of a laminitic horse,? began Ric Redden, DVM, moderator of the laminitis Sunrise Session on Dec. 7 and founder of the International Equine Podiatry Center in Versailles, Ky. ?X rays an
The Animal Health Foundation recently announced that it has made a $50,000 research grant to Christopher C. Pollitt, BVSc, PhD, associate professor in equine medicine and director of The Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit at the School of
The Board of Directors of the Oak Tree Racing Association recently announced that they will renew funding for The Piedra Foundation’s Applied Equine Medical Research Grants which began i
The long vigil is over. After 14 weeks of battle, Sunday Silence died of heart failure Sunday, Aug. 19, brought on by infection in his leg and the debilitating effects of laminitis.
At Shadai Stallion Station in Japan’s Hokkaido, where
HAYAKITA, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN (August 13) — It’s the ninth anniversary of the death of Zenya Yoshida, the founder of Shadai Farm. Rain has fallen for most of the day, growing stronger toward evening and the mood is grim at Shadai Stallion Station.
To be sure, we don’t yet know everything about laminitis. We don’t know exactly why it occurs, why some horses have more acute attacks than others, or why some severe cases bounce back while seemingly lesser cases go downhill until euthanasia is the
Is there a way to return a foundered horse to a useful, productive life, and to successfully manage his discomfort and all the associated fallout from laminitis?
My best friend’s broodmare has unilateral laminitis (laminitis in one front hoof); she is a 19-year-old Quarter Horse and is currently five months pregnant. The concern is what to feed her to keep the foal healthy, and to keep her from suffering.
At sufficient doses, the fructan induces digestive upset and will cause an uncontrolled activation of MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases; these enzymes are thought to be a factor in laminar degradation), triggering laminitis.
One of the most common comments at the 15th annual Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium in Louisville, Ky., Jan. 21-23, 2002, was that if farriers or veterinarians don’t have a passion for working on laminitic horses, they shouldn’t take the cases.
These findings suggest that the causes of laminitis or conditions associated with laminitis still remains elusive in many of the cases, which prevents us from developing a preventive strategy for this disease.
More than 350 horse owners turned out to hear six speakers at the second annual Horseman’s Day, held in conjunction with the annual AAEP convention. In almost every case, those in attendance were still raising their hands with questions when
Current research suggests that laminitis has either metabolic or vascular causes. The First International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot made no apologies for presenting laminitis research in its current state of
One of the biggest revelations of the symposium was Pollitt’s presentation on his laminitis work at the Australian Laminitis Research Unit, in which he discussed carbohydrate overload-induced laminitis.
Treating laminitis is a frustrating assignment for a veterinarian, who must juggle the welfare of the horse, the emotions of the owner, and the skills of collaborating farriers and therapists, and keep up with the latest information on drug
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