Dec. 2017

Laminitis a Closer Look at a Scary Disease

Laminitis a.k.a Founder: Understanding What It Is And What You Can Do To Prevent It From Effecting Your Horse.

Laminitis also known as founder is a disease that horse owners seem to fear even talking about like the word alone could bring the bad luck of it attacking their horse. The key to preventing this boogy monster of a disease from affecting your horse is to know what it is caused by and how to prevent most cases.

So let us break down what Laminitis is in its basic terms. Laminitis is the inflammation of the hoof laminae which are tissues in the hoof that support the pedal bone or coffin bone. These tissues hold the bone in place and in balance which in turn is a big part of overall hoof health in fact pretty much everything we do with our horses feet are to ensure this bone stays balanced and the hoof wall healthy. The inflammation causes degeneration of the tissues by the lack of blood flow this tissue death or weakness allows the hammock supporting the coffin bone to slack or give out.

What are the biggest and easiest to prevent causes of founder? 
Carbs. They don't just get us they get our horses too. Carbohydrates for horses are in two categories the good Structural Carbs which is the source of your horses energy that comes from the actual structure of the plant the fibers.

Then there are the Non Structural Carbs. These are the ones we can get into trouble with if not kept at moderate levels. These are the sugars and starches in the plant that it makes during its life to sustain its own function. 
These carbs are meant to be absorbed by your horse in the small intestine early on in digestion since they are more readily digestible. Makes sense right. 
So when we get into trouble is when there are too many Non Structural Carbs and they get passed through to the large intestine where microbes are waiting to use enzymes on the tough Structural Carbs that give our horses their energy. When these microbes go to work though on the starches and sugars passed down from the small intestine as overload it changes the ph of the gut killing the microbes which in turn get absorbed in the blood as a toxin this makes your horse sick. This sickness can lead to toxin levels building up in the blood stream.

If this wasn't bad enough the blood flow is weakest in our horses hooves the farthest point from their hearts and even though they have their little hoof heart aka the frog to help pump the blood back up the leg the circulation is slowest in the hoof so naturally the toxins of any sort that will cause inflammation build up there the most where they cause so much damage to the delicate structures for the hoof.

Where are these starches commonly found in spring grasses, grains, pelleted feeds, new crops where the tender leaves have just started shooting up lush and green. Controlling how much your horse eats of this great food is key to controlling the risk. Work with your horses vet to find what you both think is the optimum turnout and fiber forage ratio for your horse especially if they are an 'easy keeper' who has a tendency to pack away the pounds. Plants Non structural carbs fluctuate during the day as well mainly being the highest during the sunlight hours.

But a starches and sugars are not the only factor, they are just the one we have the most control over. Laminitis is much more complex in that the risk is different to each horse. Some horses are insulin resistant, have metabolic imbalances, hormone imbalances and these also add to the risk of laminitis outbreaks but in theses issues lowering the Non structural Carbs is a general safe measure to help keep your horse healthy.

What to do at the first signs of heat,swelling and tenderness in the feet
Get to the vet! Is the number one also reduce the swelling, support the sole directly with padded boots or shoes, and with your vet isolate the cause of the rotation/slippage and reduce or eliminate it. Anti inflammatory are often prescribed, feed restrictions, cold water bathes liniment rubs, exorcises to promote better circulation special boots or shoes for pedal bone support can be prescribed depending on the type and severity of the laminitis.

Other causes for laminitis are blood poisoning, severe colic, sever hoof trauma, overbearing and straining of a particular limb, systemic infections and toxemia after birth caused by uterus infection or retained placenta. These causes can be prevent best by just being an attentive horse owner, making sure your horses hoofs are trimmed and balanced properly that the break over pint is in the center of the hoof, your riding areas are free from objects that could puncture or damage your horses hoof. Keeping a watchful eye on your horses over all health and knowing when they are sick, getting help when you need it and treating infections well before they get to the systemic point. Of course we know that being a horse owner is essentially being the owner of a massive stubborn two year old that like to get into everything and accidents happen but getting prompt and proper treatment is key to keeping your horse healthy and lowering your risk for laminitis and many other harmful diseases.

I hope this helped shed light on this disease even though we do not fully understand what causes all cases of laminitis we hope this helps horse owners and care givers.