Laminitis is a painful condition of the feet.
The actual word laminitis means 'inflammation (itis) of the sensitive laminae (lamin)'.
These laminae are the membranes that hold the bone of the foot (pedal bone) in place inside the foot. So in Laminitis when they get inflamed it is as if your horse has to stand on a very badly bruised fingernail.
The cause of almost all laminitis is poor digestion.
When food is not broken down properly in the hindgut of a horse, acids and toxins are produced which leak into the body and damage blood vessels and organs throughout the body.
When blood vessels and cells that feed the feet are affected in this way the amount of blood flowing down to the sensitive laminae is reduced and they become swollen.
(Some alternative theories also suggest that toxins more importantly affect horn growth and that these are the cause of most laminitis). Swelling or inflammation of laminae means that they cannot do their job of holding the pedal bone in place properly and this results in a lot of pain. As the situation gets worse and if the flow of toxins is not reduced then the laminae can be so damaged that the foot bone sinks right through the sole of the foot and the horse will have to be euthanased. When the foot bone sinks a little the pedal bone is said to have 'rotated'.
LAMINITIS MANAGEMENT & PREVENTION
At the start of treatment for laminitis horses are better stabled on a deep clean bed (shavings may be best which gives support and comfort. As you see improvement the horse can be let out onto an even concrete yard or small starvation paddock with no grass. Do not feed any concentrates or allow grazing and just feed hay or other pure roughage material. The horse should not be overstarved and supplements in the feed will help proper recovery of the foot and rest of the body. Simple hoof growth formulae may be useful, MSM and minerals and vitamins as well as Laminitis Prone Supplement. Immune support may also help with healing of the damaged tissues within the foot.
Walking too early on may make laminitis worse. Forcing exercise may encourage separation of the sensitive laminae but when things are more stable walking on soft ground may encourage circulation.
Hoof Care:
Feet care is very important in confirmed cases of laminitis. Quick removal of the shoes may further traumatise the feet and if the sole has already dropped then shoes will make the feet more comfortable by raising the sole off the ground. Frog support is often important in laminitis cases and temporary padding placed over the frog may provide useful support until Xrays can be done or the farrier used.
Once the laminitis has settled down corrective shoeing aims to restore the natural shape and conformation of the foot. Vet and farrier should work together and trimming is carried out once a month. Using Xrays as a guide farriers will aim to shorten long toes, rasp back the front hoof wall to make it parallel with the pedal bone, remove excessive heel length and corrective shoes fitted as required. In special cases heart bar shoes provide support to the pedal bone through the frog. Glue on shoes or plastic strap on shoes may help to eliminate trauma.
Prevention:
1. Diet: Restrict intake of food that may be causing the problem e.g. grass. This is particularly important for fat ponies which have more pressure on the feet and in all horses prone to the problem. Diet should also contain supplements and nutrients that are known to help limit laminitis damage and improve digestion of food thus helping prevent the problem. Most ponies are safe if they are only allowed to graze for an hour in the morning or an hour in the evening.
2. Make use of starvation paddocks to restrict intake of grass and think about using muzzles to prevent ponies and horses that are prone to laminitis eating too much.
3. Avoid using your horse on the road and on hard surfaces as this traumatises the feet and may cause laminitis to come back.
4. Make sure that medical conditions such as colic and infections are treated quickly as these can result in release of toxins which can bring on laminitis.
5. Ensure that rich food is locked away safely.
SUPPLEMENTS
There are many supplements on the market designed specifically to help horses and ponies suffering from laminitis. Generally it is easy to see which these products are as they use 'lam' in their names to indicate their connection to the problem. Most of these formulae are designed to provide anti-oxidants and other neutraceuticals which help soothe the damage that may be done to the laminae in the hoof.
A liver tonic is sometimes used with supplements to help the immune system and help improves levels of comfort of damaged feet. A liver tonic also helps with horses that have been taking Bute for long periods.
MSM the sulphur supplement can also help with damaged tissues in the feet. Biotin products can help and supplements to make up for mineral levels during starvation feeding can also be beneficial.
The pain of laminitis must be similar to when we shut our fingers in the car door but it is worse for the horse because he or she has to stand with all his or her weight on those bruised areas. Laminitis can occur in any horse at any time of year but most commonly affects ponies and show horses in the spring when new lush grass starts growing.
Laminitis as a condition is not fully understood by scientists and vets.
Nevertheless treatment can still be very effective in simple cases. Because it is primarily a nutritional problem food supplements can be particularly useful. |
