Laminitis is inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the foot. It is usually only the forelimbs that are involved, although sometimes the hindlimbs can also be affected. Laminitis is commonly seen in ponies grazing on rich pasture, however, laminitis can occur at any time of year in many breeds of horse. |  |
Causes:
- Grain overload
- Endoxtaemia (e.g. horses with severe diarrhoea)
- Obesity and lush pasture
- Steroid treatment
- Trauma (e.g. increased weight on foot due to severe lameness in another limb)
- Cushings (Increased levels of horses' own steroid, cortisol)
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Acute laminitis
Horses with acute laminitis have bounding digital pulses, heat in the foot, pain when pressure is applied to the sole with hoof testers and reluctance to bear weight on their forelimbs.
Lameness can vary from having a stiff gait at trot to being reluctant to move and in some cases can cause the animal to be recumbent. |
Diagnosis:
Although the clinical signs are often enough to diagnose laminitis and start treatment, radiographs are required to confirm the diagnosis, assess the severity (degree of rotation and sinking of the pedal bone) and, therefore, find the most appropriate treatment. Radiographs also help greatly in assessing the progress of the condition. |
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Treatment:
The cause of the laminitis should be removed immediately (i.e. stop steroid treatment, remove from pasture, treat cushings disease) and the horse placed on box rest, ideally with a deep shavings bed to support the foot and a restricted diet (hay only).
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone ('bute') are used for pain relief.
If a deep shavings bed is not possible frog pads should be used to support the foot. |
Chronic laminitis
Chronic laminitis occurs when acute bouts have caused conformational changes within the foot. The pedal bone can either sink or rotate due to the weakness in it's attachment to the hoof wall caused by the inflammation. These changes can cause the foot to have a long toe (seedy toe), rings parallel to the coronary band (founder lines), a dropped sole and a widened white line. Horses with chronic laminitis also become susceptible to abscesses. |
Treatment:
Treatment should be as for an acute bout accompanied by corrective foot trimming. |
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Lameness
