Understanding Laminitis

The most common sign of the onset of laminitis is lameness. If the horse can be persuaded to walk, it moves with a shortened stride, with each foot quickly placed back on the ground.
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The most common sign of the onset of laminitis is lameness. If the horse can be persuaded to walk, it moves with a shortened stride, with each foot quickly placed back on the ground. Standing still, the horse appears to have its "feet nailed to the floor" in the parlance of old-time horsemen. The characteristic stance of a laminitic horse includes hind feet brought forward under its belly to get most of its weight off its front feet, which are stuck out in front of its normal center of gravity. If all four feet are affected and the horse is in severe pain, it might lie down and be reluctant to get up again.

On closer examination, you may find that the horse has a bounding pulse. Always check the pulse before moving the animal, because even in a healthy horse, a few steps can increase the pressure within the blood vessels.

There are cases of severe, acute laminitis in which the pulse is very faint or not detectable at all. Most have warmer than normal feet. But in rare cases, they can be ice cold as well. Therefore, you must use other clinical signs if you have a suspected case of laminitis. The most obvious sign is acute lameness or signs of pain. You most likely have an emergency. Even if the horse ultimately does not have laminitis, its pain requires prompt attention, so call your veterinarian and your farrier. Ask them to come out to see the horse right away. You want to include your farrier because he or she knows your horse's feet better than you do and can be extremely helpful in telling the veterinarian what changes might be noticeable.

The quicker you get help for your horse, the greater the chances that the horse will recover. Help means treating the acute inflammatory stage as well as the inciting cause, and mechanically reversing the forces at play that are working to destroy the vital, sensitive areas inside the foot. It's vitally important for your vet and farrier to work together at this point to treat this potentially devastating disease

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Written by:

Ric Redden, DVM, is known throughout the horse world as a veteriarian, farrier and educator. He owns and manages the International Equine Podiatry Center in Versailles, Ky, the first exclusively podiatry practice in the horse world. Dr. Redden is one of the world’s foremost experts on laminitis and other hoof problems and travels internationally, teaching others his ground-breaking techniques and concepts.

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