What is laminitis?
- Kelly Thomas
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
Laminitis is a painful condition that affects the tissues in the hoof. In severe cases. this tissue separates from the bony column inside the hoof (known as the pedal or coffin bone), causing significant pain and a poorer prognosis (chance of full recovery).
Laminitis can occur in š®š¹š¹ š²š¾šš¶š»š²š including donkeys, draught breeds and showjumpers ā not just native ponies.
Laminitis predominantly occurs due to an underlying hormonal dysfunctionĀ¹, with conditions such as PPID (historically named Cushings) or insulin dysregulation (commonly termed Equine Metabolic Syndrome/EMS) often associated with a heightened risk. Sometimes these conditions are not recognised in the horse until they have succumbed to laminitis, meaning many owners are unaware of the risk their horse currently faces.
Laminitis can also occur because of mechanical overload (such as in the case of a compensatory limb following a fracture) or as a result of diseases associated with inflammation such as colic or pneumonia.
How is it diagnosed?
Laminitis is usually identified via one or more of these clinical signs:
Ā
š¦¶Lameness, often affecting two limbs.
āļø Shifting of weight from one foot to another or backwards
š©ŗIncreased Digital Pulses
Other signs which are associated risk factors for laminitis are:
ā¾ļøDifficulty turning
šChanges in stride length
šReluctance to move
š±Firmness in the neck
š„Heat (in any amount of feet)
š“Lethargy
š« Flexibility/softness in soles of the foot
šSwelling above the eyes
Prognosis and Treatment
Laminitis is widely regarded as šš”š š¬šššØš§š šš¢š š šš¬š š¤š¢š„š„šš« šØš š”šØš«š¬šš¬ (second only to colic).
A recent study identified ālaminitis-related consequencesā as the most prevalent reason for euthanasia amongst a cohort of 1070 horses kept in Great BritianĀ². This is the reason laminitis prevention is such an important element of horse management. šššš¬š¢šš² ššØš®šš„šš¬ šš”š š«š¢š¬š¤ šØš š„šš¦š¢š§š¢šš¢š¬ šØššš®š«š«š¢š§š .Ā³ š
Treatment often requires an immediate management change. This is usually in the form or box rest or grass-free turnout. In chronic occurrences (those where the pedal bone displaces) foot support may be recommended alongside the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as bute. In these cases, x-rays may be recommended to guide the course of treatment and to measure recovery. š¦“
When laminitis is thought to be caused by an endocrine (hormonal) disorder, periodic bloodwork will often be used to guide the length and intensity of the treatment. š©ø
Once a horse has succumbed to laminitis, the likelihood of it reoccurring increases. š
It is generally recognised that the prognosis (chance of recovery) is poorer for larger horses, making laminitis a cause for concern for šš„š„ horse owners, not just those who have native ponies. Laminitis can occur šš„š„ š²ššš« š«šØš®š§š and is no longer regarded as just a spring time concern.
šš§ š¦šš§š² ššš¬šš¬, š„šš¦š¢š§š¢šš¢š¬ ššš§ šš šš«ššššš šš§š, š¢š§ š¦šØš¬š ššš¬šš¬, š¢š ššš§ šš ššÆšØš¢ššš.
Prevention is far better than cure which is why we have curated a range of tools to help you keep your horse healthy. Check them out in our store:
š±š“ š±š“ š±š“
1. Karikoski NP, et al, 2011
2. D. Pollard, et al, 2020
3. D. Pollard, et al, 2020
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