The lowdown on laminitis
Vet Nicky Jarvis shares the latest thinking on reducing laminitis risk factors and spotting early signs to help your horse stay healthy and sound
Our expert
Nicky Jarvis BVetMed CertAVP(EM) CertAVP(ESST) MRCVS is Head of Veterinary Services at Redwings. She qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1990, joining Redwings in 1996. She’s responsible for overseeing the charity’s team of dedicated vets, equine veterinary nurses and equine care staff. She regularly lectures around the world on a wide variety of subjects, including nutrition and veteran care.
Photos: Redwings. With thanks to Redwings for their help with this feature, redwings.org.uk
Laminitis is a common condition. But familiarity shouldn’t breed contempt – more than 7% of equine euthanasias are linked to the disease, so it’s one that should always be taken seriously.
What is laminitis?
To understand why laminitis is so serious, we should first look at the structure of a horse’s foot. The pedal bone is suspended from the inside of the hoof wall by laminae, which act rather like Velcro to bond the two structures tightly together. This means the laminae are effectively carrying all the weight of the horse.
When laminitis strikes, blood flow to the laminae is disrupted, which affects the strength and health of the tissues. This can cause the laminae to weaken to the point where they start to stretch and separate. When this happens, the pedal bone becomes unstable and may start to rotate or sink within the hoof. In very severe cases, the bone may come through the sole.
What causes laminitis?
There are three main circumstances in which laminitis develops...
• hormonal imbalance – specifically insulin dysregulation associated with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, previously known as equine Cushing’s disease)