HWN Suggests

Laminitis is NOT a Disease

Laminitis (or, “founder”, as it is often called) is, justifiably, one of the most feared medical and lameness conditions of the horse. I’ve been thinking about it a lot mostly because I just started taking care of two horses with chronic laminitis, and I’m hoping that I can bring them some comfort, even if I can’t get them all the way back to normal (which isn’t likely). So, I thought I’d share some thoughts.

First, off, some word history. Laminitis has been recognized as a bad condition foir horses for a long, long time. Chaucer’s “Knight’s Tale” (in the Canterbury Tales, c. 1392 CE) describes a horse with founder. The word “founder” comes from Old French fondrer “collapse; submerge,…

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 Everything You Need to Know About Laminitis

Laminitis can be defined as inflammation of the laminae that anchor the coffin bone within the hoof capsule. Another term that may be encountered in discussions about laminitis is founder, which refers to the rotational and downward movement of the coffin bone within the hoof capsule. This sometimes occurs in severe cases of laminitis due to the breakdown of these crucial laminar attachments.

 Laminitis: A Serious, Crippling Disease of Horses

The term acute laminitis is used interchangeably with the term founder. However, these terms describe different conditions. Acute laminitis involves a sudden initial attack of pain and inflammation of the laminae. Founder usually refers to a long-term condition associated with rotation of the coffin bone.

Articles of Interest

A horse owner's guide to pasture-associated laminitis

Pasture-associated laminitis is the most-reported laminitis in the U.S. It is the result of excess consumption of grass high in nonstructural carbohydrates, which are starches and sugars.

Equine laminitis

Laminitis, failure of the distal phalanx to maintain its attachment to the lamellae of the inner hoof wall, causes unrelenting pain and a characteristic lameness. During a developmental phase, pathology in organs anatomically remote from the foot generates laminitis trigger factors that circulate to cause separation and disorganization of hoof lamellar anatomy. Laminitis, linked to seasonal variations in grass fructan concentration can be induced experimentally using oligofructose, a closely related compound. There is a strong correlation between the degree of lameness and the severity of histopathology in lamellar samples from horses with laminitis.

Laminitis in Horses

Laminitis (inflammation of the lamina of the hoof) is a common and potentially devastating foot problem that affects all members of the equine family: horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, and wild equids. The disease process involves a breakdown of the bond between the hoof wall and the distal phalanx, commonly called the coffin bone, pedal bone, or third phalanx (P3). The distal phalanx/coffin bone in the horse is equivalent to the bone at the top of the human middle finger (Figure. 1a-drawing and 1b- radiograph). It is completely encased in the hoof. As with the human fingernail, the hoof wall is firmly attached to the coffin bone by a strong dermal-epidermal bond.

Spring Grass and Laminitis in Horses

So what makes grass “lush” in the spring and how does it contribute to laminitis? The fertile grass of spring contains higher amounts of nonstructural carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, and less structural carbohydrates or fiber, than grass later in the season.

The management of equine acute laminitis

Laminitis is an extremely painful condition resulting in damage to the soft tissues anchoring the third phalanx to the hoof, which can result in life-threatening debilitation. Specific therapy is not available. The most important principles of therapy include aggressive nutritional and medical management of primary disease processes, cryotherapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, pain management, and biomechanical support. This review focuses on the principles of evidenced-based therapies.

Resources

12 Tips for Lowering the Risk of Laminitis in Horses

12 Tips for Lowering the Risk of Laminitis in Horses February 20, 2013 By Kentucky Equine Research Staff Print Email Newsletter Laminitis is an inflammatory condition that affects a horse’s hooves. The condition causes intense pain and tissue destruction that often result in the horse’s death. Laminitis can be triggered by specific events like overconsumption of carbohydrate-rich grain, but it can also occur in horses that are kept on pasture and don’t appear to be at risk.

Top 17 Risk Factors for Laminitis in Horses [+ How to Prevent]

One in ten horses is affected by laminitis each year. This painful condition involves damage to the hoof laminae, leading to varying degrees of lameness. Although laminitis affects the hooves, the condition is often initiated by dietary and metabolic factors. Laminitis can also result from infection with a systemic inflammatory response or excessive mechanical stresses on the hooves. Many horses recover completely, but others have lasting damage and are not able to resume their previous level of work.

HAPPA

Reoccurring attacks of laminitis pose a real threat to the health and wellbeing of the horse. Despite a reduction in pain and moderate rehabilitation, the affected hooves will never fully recover, especially if the pedal bone has moved. Laminitis causes weakening of the lamina which means the horse will be more sensitive to further episodes, as the connections of the hoof become scarred.

UC Davis

Laminitis commonly results from endocrine diseases such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), but other causes can include weight bearing on supporting limbs due to injury and excessive sugar intake from grain or lush pasture.

World Horse Welfare

Laminitis is an extremely painful condition of the feet in which there is inflammation and weakening of the sensitive tissues (laminae or lamellae) that bond the pedal bone (the main bone within the hoof) to the hoof wall and it can affect any horse, pony, donkey or their hybrids.