Is Laminitis a Hoof Disease or a Metabolic Disease?
Michelle Anderson
November 22, 2021
Dr. Vern Dryden explains how equine metabolic diseases and laminitis are connected.
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:
Dr. Vern Dryden explains how equine metabolic diseases and laminitis are connected.
The key is adding weight carefully without triggering hyperinsulinemia and laminitis.
Laminitis is an extremely painful and often deadly hoof disease in horses with several causes. Get your questions about laminitis—from nutrition to podiatry—answered during this live recording of our podcast. Sponsored by Wellness Ready.
Metabolic profiling might hold the key to pinpointing which at-risk equids are most likely to develop the hoof disease laminitis.
Veterinarians have warned owners of PPID horses about the predisposition they carry for laminitis. However, recent research suggests it’s not that black and white.
We asked two experts how they approach laminitis and try to keep affected horses comfortable.
Hormone imbalances wreak havoc on horses and their hooves. Here’s advice to help manage equine metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Andrew van Eps suggests addressing obesity now to prevent laminitis, shares new insight into supporting limb laminitis, and offers advice about icing feet in acute cases.
Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or equine Cushing’s disease) is caused by an enlargement of the pituitary gland’s middle lobe (the pars intermedia), which results in an overproduction of hormones that regulate bodily functions. Learn more about this disease in our slideshow.
Learn how veterinarians diagnosed and managed six real-life equine Cushing’s cases that strayed from the classic scenarios.
It still isn’t clear how PPID leads to insulin issues and subsequent laminitis. But vets and researchers do know that, regardless of how PPID horses develop insulin dysregulation, having both conditions leads to a poorer prognosis than having either alone.
Aged horses require the same, if not higher, level of care as their younger counterparts. Learn about the unique needs of old horses, and meet five over-30 horses with age-related ailments.
Researchers found that horses 25 years and older are more likely to suffer chronic laminitis even if they aren’t showing obvious clinical signs of disease.
Owning a horse over his lifetime can be rewarding, but you need to be prepared for specific costs related to his care. Learn about senior horse research studies and what veterinarians say you should watch for as your horse ages.
By cutting the DDFT, veterinarians can stop one of the forces that pulls on the coffin bone during laminitis.
A review of research into laminitic pain in horses found veterinarians rely on a multimodal approach for pain management.
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
