Laminitis in Horses

What You Should Know About Laminitis in Horses

Laminitis is actually a condition in the hooves of horses.  It causes the hooves to swell up, and it can be really uncomfortable for them.  It can lead to a debilitated lifestyle, and it can even lead to other concerns if it isn’t treated properly.  It is often times caused by blunt force trauma to the hoof, but it can also come through disease and other health conditions.  Sometimes, it can lead to necrosis and edema, which can really cause your horse to be unhealthy.  Here are a few things that you should know about diagnosing and treating laminitis in your horse. 

There are certain illnesses that can cause your horse to have a predisposition to laminitis.  These conditions include toxemia, septicemia, uterine infection, diarrhea, colitis, intestinal obstruction, and intestinal inflammation.  Other factors may include having too much weight on one of their legs, working too much on hard surfaces, gaining too much weight, trimming the hooves too much, or even certain medications that your horse may take regularly. 

There are a few signs to look for that will help you to know whether or not your horse could be suffering from laminitis.  Most of the time, their hooves will look somewhat distorted.  They may actually begin to have heels that are overgrown, soles that are flat, and toes that are longer than they should be. 

Laminitis can either be severe or mild, depending on the case.  Generally, you will notice it on the front feet more than the back feet, because most of their weight is bore on their front legs.  The severity of this condition is determined by a grading scale known as the Obel grading scale.  It goes from 1 to 4.  If a horse has grade one, it is just mild.  At grade 4, it can be very severe. 

Horses that have laminitis will usually walk differently.  They will have to put a majority of their weight on an unaffected leg, and you may notice a difference in their mobility.  They don’t want to put too much pressure on their toes.  They may even begin to not move around much at all.  This is something that you should look out for if you have horses as pets. 

The best way to fully diagnose laminitis in horses is by taking them to  vet, or having a vet come out to you.  Since horses are so big, some people don’t have the ability to just up and take them to the vet when needed.  This is when you might need a house call.  They can come out and do some tests to diagnose the condition and let you know the proper treatment method. 

Treatment will vary from one horse to the next.  There are a lot of ways to treat the condition, depending on the severity of it.  The best thing that you can do is have IV fluids administered, let them take anti inflammatory medications, and give them mineral oil or antimicrobials.  This will help to cut back on the swelling, and it will also help the horse to have less pain.  The key is to improve the blood supply that goes to the hooves, and there are many medications that work great. 

As you can see, laminitis can actually be a very serious condition.  It is something that you need to look out for if you have horses.  You don’t want it to go unnoticed because it will greatly decrease your horse’s quality of life.  This can be frustrating to you, and frustrating to them. Just be watchful, and have a vet check them out regularly.

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