Laminitis: Physical Management Discussed at Vet Conference

Adjusting a laminitic horse’s weight bearing plays a crucial role in the animal’s recovery, explained Debra Ruffin Taylor, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Auburn University, at the 2010 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 14-18 in Las Veg

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Adjusting a laminitic horse’s weight bearing plays a crucial role in the animal’s recovery, explained Debra Ruffin Taylor, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Auburn University, at the 2010 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 14-18 in Las Vegas, Nev.

"I want to take whatever corium integrity that is left, and I want to put it in a situation to promote healing," said Taylor. "But I can’t do that with drugs alone. I need to consider the mechanics."

There are several mechanical problems owners can address to relieve some of the weight that the horse is bearing down on injured tissue.

She suggested taking the horse off the hard ground and putting him on dry sand or pea gravel. Taylor likes small pea gravel better than dry sand, because the sand can get wet and harden like cement. If a horse with laminitis stands on pea gravel or dry sand, he usually puts his toe down into the gravel lower than the heel. This relieves some of the tension in the deep flexor tendon

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