Podiatry Table Topic: A Focus on Laminitis (AAEP 2012)

Laminitis is a devastating disease that does not discriminate based on a horse’s age, breed, or discipline.
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Laminitis is a devastating disease that does not discriminate based on a horse’s age, breed, or discipline. For that reason, at the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif., it became a focus of discussion during the podiatry table topic led by Andy Parks, VetMB, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, professor of large animal surgery at the University of Georgia, and Steve O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS, APF, of Northern Virginia Equine.

Laminitis remains a challenging disease to manage and often poses more questions than answers. According to one study (Equine Veterinary Journal), 4-5% of all horses will suffer from laminitis during their lifetimes. One participant in the podiatry discussion commented that laminitis is a "forever disease."

The table topic opened with case study of a 23-year-old Warmblood mare with active laminitis for more than a year that began experiencing bone loss at the tip of the coffin bone. This often results from reduced blood flow along with initial weight-bearing overload of the foot. If allowed to progress too far, bone loss can lead to fracture.

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Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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