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:
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
Any treatment of laminitis must be prefaced by answering questions such as: Do I save this horse regardless of the cost? Is it imperative that this horse race again? What sort of care will be available to the horse following application of special “ny treatment of laminitis must be prefaced by answering questions such as: Do I save this horse regardless of the cost? Is it imperative that this horse race again? What s”y treatment of laminitis must be prefaced by answering questions such as: Do I save this horse r” treatment of laminiti
The feet of wild horses have been able to adapt to their environment, while the feet of domestic horses seem to consistently fail at adapting and instead collapse, crack, flare, and bruise.
My guess is that each of us has had a mentor; one who in his or her age, wisdom, and patience let us make our youthful mistakes, let us find our own way within the boundaries of common sense, and
The name of the conference might be misleading, because the 10th Annual Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium in Louisville, Ky., covered topics from how nutrition affects hooves to what stimulates hooves to grow. The theme of this year’s symposium was
Of all the medical crises that can afflict a horse, laminitis surely is one of the most alarming. Horribly painful, and potentially devastating to his long-term soundness, the strange syndrome whereby the coffin bone inside the hoof begins to
Of all the ailments a horse can suffer, laminitis is the one that unfailingly strikes fear into the heart of an owner.
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