Laminitis

Question 1

What is laminitis?

Answer 1

Inflammation of the lamina

• Is chronic is lameness if present after 48 hours or distal phalanx rotates

Question 2

What clinical signs do you see with laminitis?

Answer 2

• Refusal to move

- Distal phalange sinking into the hoof

Question 3

What is an Obel Grade 1 laminitis?

Answer 3

No lameness at walk, short stilted gait at trot

Question 4

What is an Obel Grade 2 laminitis?

Answer 4

Stilted gait at walk foot can be lifter

Question 5

What is an Obel Grade 3 laminitis?

Answer 5

Reluctant to walk, resists lifting foot

Question 6

What is an Obel Grade 4 laminitis?

Answer 6

Refusal to move, may become recumbent

Question 7

What does the hoof capsule look like in the normal horse? Laminitis horse?

Answer 7

• Normal horse has the coffin bone parallel to the hoof wall (15-17 mm)
• Laminitis –> will see hoof wall separation,

Question 8

What are some risk factors for laminitis?

Answer 8

Pony

Fat horse

Late summer

High carb (grain)

Non-weightbearing lameness

Question 9

How can you treat chronic laminitis?

Answer 9

• Therapeutic shoeing –> dorsal hoof wall resection, heart bar shoe, reversed horse shoe
• Deep digital flexor tenotomy–> last resort
• Plaster of Paris for acute cases
• Putting horse in stall with sand
• Euthanasia to relieve suffering