If you find that your horse is not behaving normally or is walking strangely, you need to check him to make sure he is not suffering from laminitis. This disease can affect any specimen at any age, and you should pay attention to the signs. If you do not know the symptoms or do not know what to do to treat the disorder, this article will help you identify the signs your equine friend is presenting.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Recognizing Laminite or Rinfondimento
Step 1. Read up on laminitis
It is a disease that causes lameness in the horse. It was once associated primarily with overweight ponies, but it can affect horses of all ages and sizes.
- This pathology weakens the dermal laminae that join the pedal bone to the inner part of the hoof; breaking off, this bone can rotate downward and can sometimes even push through the sole. When it comes to press against this part of the hoof, the disease takes the name of deepening.
- This bond consists of a layer of non-living tissue and another sensitive one, very similar to the union between the nails and the nail bed. When these two tissues become disconnected from each other, the detachment between the bone and the hoof occurs.
Step 2. Check for early signs of laminitis
The first stage of the disease is called "acute", in which the horse has developed laminitis, but the hoof is not yet detached.
- Pay attention to the behavior of the animal, which may appear depressed and probably has less appetite than usual.
- He is likely to want to avoid physical activity, as walking causes him pain; he may also assume an abnormal standing position to try to alleviate suffering. For example, she might push her forelegs forward in an effort to reduce stress.
- Check if the way he walks changes, for example he may not be able to turn easily, especially on hard surfaces. Although he apparently shows no difficulty on soft ground, the way he walks on hard ones is a telltale sign of pathology; you may also notice that it continually tends to shift weight from one leg to the other.
Step 3. Look for changes in the hooves
These can grow in different ways, creating strange rings; furthermore, the white part can develop more than normal inside a ring. The hoof may be brittle or may crumble around the edges.
Also try to touch the hooves and feel their temperature, as they may be warmer to the touch during the early stage of the disease
Step 4. Check for tachycardia and rapid breathing
When he is entering the early stage of the disease, the respiratory and heart rates may begin to increase; the heart can go up to 60-120 beats per minute, while the respiratory rate even up to 80-100 breaths per minute.
Step 5. Check for symptoms of the sub-acute phase
This occurs when the horse has been suffering from the disease for at least three days, but the bone has not yet broken off; at this stage the symptoms are not yet very evident, but they are the same as those that occur in the acute phase, such as increased heart rate and changes in gait.
Step 6. Pay attention to changes in the animal's standing position
The horse has pain in his feet, so it is normal for him to want to take the pressure off the feet. A typical attitude is to swing on the hind legs, trying to shift most of the weight on the heels; in this posture, the horse appears to be leaning backwards. Furthermore, it is difficult to get him to move; having found a relatively comfortable position, he is rather reluctant to move due to the pain he feels. The chronic phase of the disease begins when the hoof comes off.
Observe if the animal wants to rest; if you see that you want to lie down or rest more often than usual, it could be a symptom of the disorder; similarly, if he refuses to leave the stable or does not want to walk, laminitis has probably reached the chronic stage
Part 2 of 3: Treating Laminite or Rinfondimento
Step 1. Call the vet immediately
Describe in detail the complaints you have noticed; measures the animal's temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate. Every horse owner should have a working stethoscope, rectal thermometer, and know how to use them.
Step 2. Do not force the animal to walk or move
If he shows signs of laminitis, you shouldn't force him to exercise; if it is a considerable distance from home, you should move it with the trailer. Put a deep layer of shavings on the stable floor (at least 10-13cm), as they provide a soft base and padding for the horse's legs, reducing pain in part.
Step 3. Take some palliative measures while you wait for the vet to arrive
By putting the following remedies in place before the doctor arrives, you can make his job easier and give your pet the much needed relief.
- Apply cold therapy; the procedure is similar to that used for people. Put ice on his feet, just like you would for a human's injured ankle or knee. You can also use a bucket full of ice and water or use specific cooling braces to apply to the animal's paws; However, be careful not to leave the compress for more than half an hour.
- Give him non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) pain relievers. These drugs relieve pain, but they also help reduce inflammation; for example, you can give him equine medications, such as Equioxx, Danilon, or phenylbutazone. If the animal is already taking steroids, however, you must avoid giving him these drugs, because the combination of the two active ingredients can be deadly. Always consult your veterinarian before using any prescription medication.
- Treatments for laminitis can vary based on the severity of the ailment, but for years the primary cure has always been the administration of phenylbutazone, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. This, together with an appropriate support brace for the foot, is the main treatment used to relieve pain and resolve the condition.
Step 4. Let the vet diagnose the disease
He can control the symptoms described above by examining the horse, even if he has better training to identify them; eventually, he may also decide to subject the animal to an x-ray to observe the inside of the hoof.
Ask him how long you need to administer anti-inflammatories to the horse; when using this type of medication (especially phenylbutazone) it may be necessary to take a day off after about a week of treatment
Step 5. Learn about acepromazine
This medicine increases blood circulation to the laminae, sometimes helping to reduce discomfort; it also has a certain sedative effect on the animal, promoting relaxation and reducing the risk of further injury.
Step 6. Take him to an orthopedic farrier (a professional qualified to treat ailments such as laminitis by corrective shoeing) for a thorough examination
He may be able to reduce some pressure on the ailing foot by cleverly using special "footwear"; he can also examine the horse to see if the sole pads are appropriate. Be cautious about taking individual steps, as if you make a mistake you could cause the hoof to tilt, precipitating the situation and causing the bone to puncture the sole.
You can also cut a piece of Styrofoam to the size of the plinth; to provide good padding it should be about 5cm thick
Step 7. Try to understand the possible causes of the disease, to prevent it from happening again in the future
Sometimes, the horse can suffer from laminitis when he is overweight and eats fresh pasture grass, but not always; there may also be other diseases that cause episodes of this pathology. Studies are still being carried out on laminitis, as the mechanisms of development, treatment and prevention methods are not yet fully understood.
To know the etiology it is useful to perform a blood test, so as to analyze the blood sugar, since a risk factor for the disease is an excess of sugar in the body
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Laminitis
Step 1. Don't give your horse too much starch or sugar
Some herbs are too sugary for these animals, which are unable to process starches; often, spring and autumn grass is too rich in sugar, also because it is generally grown for cattle. Although experts have not yet figured out the causes, an abundant amount of starch in the horse's body can cause laminitis.
Avoid feeding the horse with fresh grass specific for cattle and do not take it to pasture immediately after frosts; in addition, grass that is too close to cattle pastures can be excessively rich in sugar for the animal
Step 2. Limit your consumption of grains
Although some grains are included in the horse diet, you should avoid offering them too many. As with too much sugary weed, too many grains can cause excess starch in the body, leading to laminitis.
Don't give him more than 1.5-2 kg of grains at a time
Step 3. Watch for signs of laminitis after an infection
Infections located in other parts of the body can also cause this pathology. For example, if a mare does not expel all of her placenta during calving, she could develop an infection, which in turn can lead to laminitis.
There are also other diseases that can lead the horse to suffer from this disorder, for example Cushing's syndrome; if your equine friend is affected, also check for symptoms of hoof detachment
Step 4. Pay attention to whether the condition develops after a corticosteroid treatment
If you have recently given your horse steroids, you need to check for signs of laminitis; be especially vigilant when taking a really massive dose of these drugs.
Remember that, as already mentioned, you must not give steroids together with phenylbutazone, because the combination of these drugs can be deadly. If your horse develops laminitis following a steroid treatment, always consult your veterinarian before giving him phenylbutazone for pain relief
Step 5. Prevent the animal from running on hard ground
Getting him to exercise intensely on hard ground (such as concrete) is another possible cause of the disease. In addition, overweight dogs can also be affected, as excess kilograms put more pressure on their hooves.
Step 6. Regularly trim the pet's hooves
If you don't care for them properly, the horse can put too much pressure on the feet, damaging the connective tissue and triggering laminitis.
Contact a local farrier to cut the hooves of your quadruped friend; in addition to looking after the horse's feet, this professional knows how to spot the signs of laminitis and can therefore diagnose it before you
Advice
- Ask the farrier to cut your horse's hooves in order to correct and realign them. This will restore the shape and function of the hooves, allowing the horse to recover. It involves filing the toe so that it realigns with the pedal bone and forces it to return to the right position. The complete regrowth of the hoof that will replace the old part can take up to a year. Hoof trimming should be repeated in order to cure pass laminitis and prevent relapse.
- Soak the hay in a bucket of water during the spring and summer, as this will largely eliminate the sugars in the hay. Do not wet the hay in the fall and winter unless the horse has difficulty feeding.
- Give your horse only grass hay which is the healthiest type as it does not contain a lot of starch.
- Ask your veterinarian for a thyroid medicine that will help the growth of the laminae in the horse's hoof. Unless your horse has thyroid problems, this type of medication should only be used during the spring and summer as it may cause the animal to lose weight. It must be absolutely avoided during autumn and winter.
- Add a supplement to the horse's food to strengthen the animal's hooves.
Warnings
- Even if you may hear different opinions from other horse owners or trainers, do not delay and contact your veterinarian immediately; the sooner the problem is dealt with, the more chances you will have of achieving positive outcomes.
- If your horse is no longer able to stand upright or the pedal bone pierces the hoof, you will probably be forced to take the horse down.
- Do not feed alfalfa or other types of starch to the horse. Alfalfa is rich in starch and would cause laminitis in your horse.
