Can you or your veterinarian accurately assess lameness and/or pain in your laminitic horse?

This is the question a research team led by Ignacio Viñuela-Fernández, DVM, MSc, asked, knowing how important it is to manage the pain in horses that develop laminitis. "Laminitis is a common and potentially devastating condition that is a major welfare concern when ineffectively managed," explained Viñuela-Fernández from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

While most laminitic horses recover, many are at-risk for developing laminitis again in the future. It is also well-known that standard doses of traditional anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone (Bute) might not adequately control the pain experienced by these horses.

Because accurate assessment of pain in laminitic horses is so important, Viñuela-Fernández and colleagues invited 12 veterinarians and final-year veterinary students to evaluate lameness associated with laminitis in 14 horses on two different occasions. The vets and students used three separate scoring systems to assess lameness