Managing Acute Laminitis – An Overview

Acute laminitis can be a career ending disease in the horse and is often life threatening. It has been stated often by authoritative sources that ‘laminitis remains the most controversial disease in equine veterinary medicine with regards to etiology, treatment and prognosis’ a. The challenges faced by the veterinarian and the farrier are enormous and include not only treating a disease in which the etiology is poorly understood but also guiding and counseling the owner / trainer throughout the treatment process. The owner should be made aware of the difficulties associated with treating severe laminitis and the ethical considerations regarding the welfare of the horse 1. The goal of the clinician is to relieve pain, prevent or limit further damage to the lamellae and improve function of the feet. The clinician is often limited in this respect, as it is the extent of the lamellar pathology (damage) that will limit the success of treatment and not the treatment regimen itself ...