Call out the vet if laminitis takes hold (From Worcester News)

Call out the vet if laminitis takes hold

2:35pm Wednesday 27th May 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

THE arrival of better weather means that horse owners must be extra vigilant and ensure their animals don’t fall victim to laminitis.

This serious condition can be brought on by over-feeding and is especially prevalent when horses and ponies gorge themselves on the fresh, rich grass.

Of course not every horse will contract the disease – older ponies and some breeds, especially Arabs, are predisposed to the condition.

Laminitis can occur in two forms – chronic laminitis where the pedal bone sinks or rotates within the hoof leading to permanent damage – and acute laminitis which is the early stage of the disease. In this case, the animal is uncomfortable and showing signs of lameness but major damage has not yet happened within the hoof.

A mild case in one foot can be mistaken for bruising or concussion. In acute cases the animal may get down and refuse to get up. It may lean back on its heels trying to take the weight off its feet. This may be accompanied by sweating and groaning. You must call your vet immediately.

In milder cases the signs are more subtle, but include hooves that feel hot and feet that are painful with pressure to the sole. There is a tendency for the horse to stand with its legs stretched forward while leaning backward to take the weight off its feet, and in mild cases the horse will constantly shift its weight from foot to foot as it tries to find the least painful way to stand.

The pain of laminitis means the horse’s pulse and respiratory rate rise.

In severe cases the digital pulse – which is where the blood flows into the foot – will be pounding on all four feet.

The symptoms of mild laminitis include a pony that ‘feels’ its feet, especially on rough ground; foot soreness after shoeing; odd shaped feet – indicated by rings in the hoof wall that are wider at the heel than at the toe; dropped soles with wider than normal white lines and flat feet. Pus can be present in the horse’s foot due to the weak horn growth in the diseased hoof and visible red bruising within the hoof that is obvious when the farrier trims the horse’s feet.

If you suspect your horse has laminitis, call the vet and bring him in for box rest immediately and provide a deep, shavings bed.

Do not exercise or move the horse.

Any exercise will cause more pain and increase the likelihood of the horse suffering from ‘founder or sinker’.

Drugs are the only effective means of improving the condition. Many horses are given frog supports and medication to control blood pressure.

Don’t starve the horse but feed it forage and high fibre, low starch chopped feeds. The recovery and survival rates of horses with laminitis depend on how advanced the condition is and if the ‘founder and sinker’ has occurred.

If the laminitis has progressed to the founder there will be a depression around the front part of the coronary band, indicating that the laminae at the front of the foot have separated and the pedal bone has dropped.

The deeper the depression, the worse the founder.

If the depression extends all the way round the coronary band right back to both heels the horse is classified as a sinker. This means all the lamiae have separated and the horse has a 20 per cent chance of survival. These horses are reluctant to move and slap their feet down on the ground when they walk as they are no longer properly attached to their hooves.