Tag: Laminitis

Managing a horse prone to laminitis

Suzanne Ashton
Managing a horse with laminitis

Managing a horse prone to laminitis can be daunting. By educating yourself on the topic, you give your horse or pony the best chance of returning to full health, alongside minimising the risk of recurrence. In this article, we look at how to manage a horse or pony prone to laminitis by looking at feed, turnout, exercise and hoof care. About laminitis Laminitis is a painful condition characterised by inflammation of the laminae of the foot (hoof). This inflammation and subsequent damage can lead to extreme and crippling pain for a…

Laminitis in Horses: Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment

Suzanne Ashton
Laminitis, a typical stance of a horse or pony suffering from laminitis

Laminitis affects the sensitive laminae (tissues) of the horse’s hoof. It results in extreme pain, inflammation, and, in some cases, permanent damage to the laminae. Horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules are susceptible to the condition. What is laminae? The laminae are interwoven specialised ‘leaves’ of tissue which suspend the pedal bone within the hoof. In mild cases of Laminitis, appropriate treatment will resolve the problem with no lasting effect. If the inflammation is more severe and progressive, the sensitive laminae may lose their blood supply, resulting in loss of support…

Laminitis and the horse’s diet

Suzanne Ashton
Laminitis study

Unfortunately, laminitis affects horses and ponies every year, no matter what the season. It is an extremely painful condition that is caused by multiple factors and can result in permanent damage to the hooves. You can read our article here to learn more about the signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Laminitis and the horse’s diet It is well known that a horse’s diet can play a big part in both the onset and the severity of a laminitic episode, and also in managing laminitis. In particular, excessive total dietary calories, especially…

Native-breed horse owners wanted for second stage in laminitis study

Suzanne Ashton
Native-breed horse being examined - owners wanted for assistance in laminitis study

Native-breed horse owners wanted for assistance in laminitis study Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are calling on native-breed horse and pony owners in Aberdeenshire to help them with the next phase of their study into laminitis. They are looking for people with native-breed horses or ponies aged four and over, and with no previous diagnosis of PPID (Equine Cushing’s Syndrome), for the study investigating risk factors for pasture-associated laminitis – an extremely painful condition of the hoof that can have devastating consequences. Postgraduate researchers Ashley Ward and Verena Schmidt…

Treating Laminitis – A Case Study

Suzanne Ashton
Treating Laminitis - A case study - image bay horse Libby

Treating Laminitis – A Case Study Here we take a look at how FormaHoof can be effective in treating laminitis by using a case study to understand a timeline of events – including a successful outcome – for rescued pony, Libby. How FormaHoof (and a lot of love and support from her dedicated new owner) has given Libby The Canadian a new lease of life! If you have ever had a horse with laminitis, you know just how painful and debilitating the disease is. Severe or recurring episodes can quickly…

5 Ways To Prevent Laminitis this Spring and Summer

Abby Dickinson
Laminitis study

Discover how to help prevent laminitis this spring and summer with these five top tips! With the warmer weather and the grass becoming greener, horse owners look for ways to prevent laminitis. Along with the sun comes the dreaded ring of ‘laminitis alarm-bells’ and the granted concern for horse health and well-being. Long, staring assessments of our horse’s posture, checking hooves for heat, and the phrase; “is it just me, or does he look a bit lame?”, soon becomes part of routine yard -life. Luckily, laminitis is not contagious, unlike…

New Study Shows Laminitis is as Common as Colic and a Year Round Threat

Suzanne Ashton

ESSENTIAL READING: New Study Reveals Latest Statistics on Laminitis *Helpful infographic below One in 10 horses or ponies may develop at least one laminitis episode each year, making it just as common as colic, according to a new study led by Dr Danica Pollard, a PhD student at the Royal Veterinary College. The research was conducted by the Animal Health Trust in collaboration with Rossdales Equine Hospital, and funded by World Horse Welfare. Laminitis is a debilitating disease that affects the structure and healthy function of equine feet. It is…

Equine Laminitis CARE Study Update

Suzanne Ashton
CARE Study Update - Laminitis

Equine Laminitis; CARE Study Update #EverythingHorseMagazine – Laminitis CARE Study- Horse Health For March, Everything Horse Magazine focuses on Lamintis, as at this time of year many horse owners start to become increasingly aware of the risks to equines and look to put preventive measures in place. Over the following weeks our team will take a look at a variety of topics including signs of Laminitis, feeding for laminitis and products available on the market. To start our Laminitis focus off for March, we touched base with the Animal Health Trust…

Laminitis – Research sheds new light on laminitis risk factors

Suzanne Ashton
laminitis

New research suggests we may soon be able to better identify horses at greater risk of developing pasture-associated laminitis, not only by looking at breed type, body condition score and associated higher risk environments but also by checking hormone and insulin levels. Laminitis manifests in the foot and results in varying degrees of pain, lameness and debilitation. There are several causes of laminitis and currently these are divided into three main categories: sepsis/systemic inflammatory conditions, endocrine/metabolic disturbances, which includes pasture associated laminitis, and mechanical overload. Being able to identify animals…