After signs of laminitis show up, it is important to act quickly. Laminitis is a hoof disease that happens when there is a disruption of blood flow to the laminae. The laminae secure the coffin bone, the main bone of the foot, to the hoof wall. Laminitis appears when there is an inflammation of the laminae. That inflammation weakens the laminae, causing the hoof wall’s connection to the bone inside the hoof to weaken, eventually failing.
Laminitis can run its course in 7 days leading to the worst scenario of foundering. When a horse founders, the coffin bones rotate and sinks through the hoof’s sole. When this happens, it can be catastrophic to a horse. Horses that founder are experiencing great pain. Most likely, if foundering occurs, the horse is put down.
Signs of a laminitis
All hooves can get laminitis, but mostly the front hooves are involved. Horses with laminitis do all they can to not put weight on their front hooves by lifting them high and avoiding walking at all costs. Some horses and or ponies will actually lean back on the haunches to release pressure off their front hooves.
- Laminitis stance above
- the horse is depressed, has no appetite, and lays down more than usual
- the horse will not want to exercise
- the horse will shift weight off to hoof, attempting to keep weight off of affected feet.
- If forced to walk, it has a slow, crouching, short-striding gait.
- Each foot, once lifted, is set down as quickly as possible to relieve the weight on the other side.
- Usually, when the hoof is touched, heat is apparent throughout the whole hoof. It may be warmer towards the coronary band.
- There may be muscle trembling caused by pain.
- The horse flinches with pressure placed on the sole. Sometimes even lightly tapping with a hoof pick or hammer will cause a flench due to pain.
- Depending on the horse’s level of pain tolerance, lameness is usually moderate to severe during
- Horses with laminitis may show elevated vital signs, like increased body temperature, heart rate, and respiration.
Diagnosis
Call a vet immediately with the onset of the above signs. Laminitis can change quickly and become severe within hours. With immediate attention, a horse can have a pretty good outlook for recovery.
However, the development of laminitis happens without any signs. Therefore, when symptoms start showing up, it is vital to call the vet and farrier. If you are not with your horse 24/7, you may miss a sign, and then laminitis might be further along than you or the vet might think. An X-ray is the only way to show evidence of rotation of the pedal bone that can be present as early as the third day of horse showing symptoms.
How to avoid laminitis
Avoiding laminitis is really simple. Although it’s a sneaky disease. And as horse owners, we can do things to help prevent it from attacking our horses. Here are a few not so detailed things a new horses owner can do:
- Do not overfeed the horse. Heavy loads of any feed can be harmful. Ask your equine nutritionist or veterinarian. They may suggest a modified diet that provides adequate nutrition based on high-quality forage, digestible fiber (beet pulp), and oil. Avoid excess carbohydrates, especially from grain. Horses can survive without grain. Sweet feeds especially are too caloric for most horses. It is tempting to think that sweet feed is yummy for their tummy, but it is not. Just like humans, horses can get Type 2 diabetes. In a horse, it is called EMS Equine Metabolic Syndrome.
- Keep all feed locked up. If your horse escapes, they will binge on the grain or fresh grass. Gorging on feed can bring on an episode of laminitis. Call your vet immediately if this happens.
- Just like in humans, a horse that is overweight is pre-disposed to laminitis. Follow the vet’s body condition charts to determine if a horse is overweight.
- Keep horses off grass in the first of spring, after a rain (if possible). Rain and evening cool hours can promote the grass to produce more sugar. So if you have a horse predisposed to laminitis or overweight, you should limit their grass pasture time. Put them in a dry lot, with unlimited plain ole’ grass hay.
- It’s important not to place a horse out in a pasture that has started growing after the winter months. They should be allowed to graze in small increments of time. Then eventually allowing them out full time. Some varieties of grasses and produce a lot of sugar in spring and fall. Find out what kind of grass you have and schedule your pasturing based on your grass type.
- Exercise them, just like humans. Horses need exercise to keep their body working. If a horse is slightly overweight or gains weight quickly, give them more exercise.
Treatment of laminitis in horses
Treatment must involve a veterinarian when a horse shows signs of laminitis. As well as a farrier. The farrier can help trim the horse in such a way it relieve pressure points. A veterinarian will take blood work to analyze and X-rays to determine the severity of any bone rotation. You will be assigned ways to decrease the horse’s pain levels and medicine regime.
After signs of laminitis flare-up, here are 4 triage steps to relieve pain until the vet and farrier can arrive.
Of course, you should call a veterinarian immediately when you see symptoms of laminitis in horses. As with any disease, immediate and proper veterinarian care may help a horse recover quickly. Treating mild laminitis in horses can be successful, but laminitis can take a turn for the worst within hours of the symptoms appearing.
The following are simply triage ideas. Please depend on your veterinarian and farrier for proper care and maintainance.
- Take the horse out of the field and place it in a stall or small pen filled with 1-2 feet of bedding. Preferably shavings which will encourage the horse to lay down and take pressure off of his feet. It also reduces pain by padding its feet from the hard ground. Walking should be kept to a bare minimum to help alleviate rotation.
- Cold hosing the hoof will help relieve the inflammation.
- To help relieve painful pressure points. Attach a 2″ insulation foam board cut into the shape of your horse’s hoof. Attach the foam to the bottom of the hoof with duct tape. Finally, duct tape the entire board so that it helps to prevent it from getting torn up. A couple of layers of tape will help it last longer. I change it at each feeding.
- Take all feed away, ask the veterinarian what feed to leave with the horse until they get there. Always have clean water available.
A horse’s owner, rider, or caregiver is responsible for preventative measures needed to care for a horse’s health.
As you can see, a horse owner can prevent hoof problems with good and basic hoof care, regular farrier trimming, proper nutrition, and clean living areas. Putting off getting help to a compromised hoof can lead to significant issues that may cause lameness and long-term recuperation periods or death. Don’t hesitate to take a photo and send it to your farrier or a veterinarian to ascertain the depth of the problem.