LAMINITIS

One of the most severe diseases for horses

DOTT.SSA EMANUELA VALLE
DIP. SCIENZE VETERINARIE – UNIVERSITÀ DI TORINO

EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary
and Comparative Nutrition

No owner would ever want to face the hard reality of laminitis. The pain that the horse feels is unbearable: it is a sharp pain in the feet that makes it difficult for him to walk and, in some extreme cases, can even prevent the horse from standing.

The importance of early detection of laminitis is the first essential step in effectively addressing this potentially devastating disease.

Recognizing laminitis allows the horse ownerto timely start the necessary care and take targeted preventive measures, significantly increasing the chances of complete recovery of the horse.

It is not always known that laminitis is not only a problem of the pony and some obese horses. Unfortunately, it can also affect sport horses of any discipline causing effects that could drag over time and compromise their sporting career.

The most common causes of laminitis in the sport horse are:

Laminitis caused by Inflammatory Systemic Diseases

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), also known as systemic inflammatory disease, is an inflammatory reaction that can manifest itself in various pathological conditions, including infections such as pneumonia, flue, and colitis.
Basically, whenever the horse faces an infection, there is a risk that he will develop SIRS and, as a result, may also deteriorate into laminitis.
It is vital to ensure that the horse is vaccinated against diseases for which vaccines are available, and that he is in a state of optimal condition.
Competitions and travelling can increase his stress levels, making him more susceptible to health issues.

Loading laminitis

Whenever a horse is on ‘three legs’, meaning he has a condition that does not allow him to support a limb, such as a serious lameness, a wound or a fracture, he is at risk of developing laminitis.
In these situations, the other feet have to bear more weight, and this creates serious stress on the hooves. In particular, the contralateral foot is subject to greater stress.
This is probably related to the fact that the increased weight alters the normal blood flow in the hoof by exposing the edges of the foot to greater tension.
An average of 10 to 20% of horses that have a fracture that limits the load of a limb can develop laminitis.

Road laminitis

It is an old expression, that reminds us how the work on hard and unsuitable surface can cause inflammation and pain in the foot.
Often in these cases the lameness is not so obvious, but the horse typically walks on eggshells.
It is caused by the rigid impact of the forces created in the foot when the ground on which it works is too hard or compact.
This would appear to cause impaired capillary perfusion within the lamellae which causes inflammation of the hoof tissues.

Metabolic laminitis

It’s normally caused by two issues, such as PPID and metabolic syndrome.
PPID is an intermediate pituitary dysfunction, which alters hormonal levels, especially ACTH hormone levels.
This condition, often called Cushing, manifests itself with symptoms such as hirsutism, loss of muscle mass, regional fat, polyuria, polydipsia, and chronic laminitis.
Treatment consists of using specific medications prescribed by the vet.
Metabolic syndrome is a frequent cause of laminitis in overweight and obese horses, especially ponies or those with a slow metabolism.
This syndrome is characterized by dysregulation of the hormone insulin, which causes insulin resistance and a general inflammatory state, increasing oxidative stress and contributing to laminitis.
Treatment involves weight loss through a targeted diet prescribed by the vet, which reduces sugars such as starch and total calorie intake of the diet.

Focus on antioxidants

In cases of laminitis and in all situations when any stress in the feet wants to be avoided, it is common to use antioxidants. In these situations, blood circulation is impaired, and the production of free radicals increases, causing significant damage both locally in the lamellae and in the blood. Horses with chronic laminitis can have three times the average incidence of free radical damage. Antioxidants are used to counteract these damages, stabilizing free radicals and making them not dangerous. Antioxidants are produced naturally in the body, but they are also provided by diet. Among vitamins, the most important antioxidant is vitamin E, followed by vitamin C.

There are also important nutritional sources of antioxidants in addition to vitamins. Among the natural extracts we find turmeric. The beneficial effects of turmeric are mainly related to its anti-inflammatory properties. It is also very rich in bioactive compounds beneficial to the body that can be a valuable nutritional support in various conditions, not only related to inflammation, but to stress and increased needs of the sport horse.