The document provides a comprehensive overview of laminitis in horses, highlighting its causes, symptoms, and treatments. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the condition as an emergency, working with veterinarians, and implementing preventative measures to avoid laminitis recurrence. Key factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, and hormonal issues like PPID are detailed as significant contributors to the disease.

1. Laminitis
• Possible causes of laminitis
• How to recognise the symptoms of acute
and chronic laminitis
• What to do if your horse has laminitis
• How to recognise and treat Insulin
Resistance/EMS
• How to recognise and treat PPID/Cushing’s
“The more you know, the better off you and your horse are going to
be.” David Ramey DVM

2. Laminitis is ALWAYS an emergency -
contact your vet (and farrier)
• Establish that the horse has laminitis
• Identify and remove/treat the cause
• Treat the pain/symptoms
• Support and realign the feet

3. Possible causes of laminitis
Endocrine (hormonal)
• Insulin Resistance/Equine Metabolic Syndrome
Probably the most common cause of laminitis. Suspect IR unless there is
another obvious cause, especially if the horse has been eating grass or cereal,
is overweight or is an “easy keeper”
• PPID (Cushing’s disease)
First time laminitis in the autumn, particularly in older horses, is often a sign of
PPID long before coat changes are seen
• Obesity - linked to IR/EMS - adipose fat has been shown to release
hormones which reduce sensitivity to insulin and cause inflammation
• Cortico-steroids (iatrogenic) e.g. dexamethasone - rule out
underlying PPID/IR
• Stress - travelling, loss of companion, extreme cold/hot weather - rule out
underlying PPID/IR

4. Possible causes of laminitis
Inflammatory
• Grain/grass carbohydrate overload
often following an event such as escaping into long grass or feed room, and
likely to be accompanied by colic, gas and /or diarrhoea
• Retained placenta following foaling
• Endotoxaemia/acute bacterial infection e.g. colic,
colitis, salmonella, peritonitis, pneumonia - horse is likely to be seriously ill
and will often have a raised temperature
• Toxins e.g.black walnut shavings, poisonous plants

5. Possible causes of laminitis
Mechanical
• Excessive weight bearing on one leg (supporting
limb laminitis) following serious injury to another leg
• Excessive concussion, e.g. galloping on a road, jumping
on hard ground (rule out underlying IR/PPID)
• Incorrect foot balance (rule out underlying IR/PPID)

6. Symptoms of acute laminitis
• Reluctance to move leading to total refusal to
move
• Reluctance to turn
• Lying down more than normal
• Muscle tension in the shoulders, back, quarters
• Digital pulses are strong and pounding
• Laminitic stance - usually standing with weight taken on heels to
relieve pain on toes, front feet further out in front of body than normal, hind
feet further under body than normal.
• Paddling - shifting weight from one foot to the other, usually fronts but
can be hinds too

7. Symptoms of acute laminitis
• Feet feel hotter than usual
• Pain on sole pressure between frog and toe
• Signs of pain - increased pulse (may exceed 80
bpm) and respiration (may exceed 60 breaths/min),
trembling, sweating, depressed, off food
• NB laminitis is often mistaken for hock lameness,
bruised soles or abscesses - if there is any doubt,
treat as laminitis until proven otherwise
• don’t overlook hind leg laminitis - laminitis is
commonly seen in all 4 feet in endocrine cases

8. Chronic laminitis
Defined by rotation or sinking of the
pedal/coffin bone

9. Symptoms of chronic laminitis
• Feeling “footy” - preference for soft ground
• Stiff gait - walking on heels
• Abnormal hoof growth - heels grow quicker
• Depression at the coronet
• Bruising on the sole in front of the frog
• Bruising/redness in the white line or walls
• Dropped sole
• Penetration of sole by P3

10. Symptoms of chronic laminitis
Hoof rings wider at the heel

11. Symptoms of chronic laminitis
Stretched white line

12. Symptoms of chronic laminitis
Change in hoof wall angle

13. What to do if your horse has laminitis
Emergency treatment
• call your vet (and farrier/trimmer)
• remove horse from grass (but move horse as little as possible - if
necessary wait for vet/support feet/use transport)
• confine on deep supportive bedding e.g. sand,
sawdust, pea gravel
• support the feet if the bedding isn’t sufficient to do
this, e.g. with styrofoam, boots & pads, dental impression material
• give NSAIDs e.g. Bute, Danilon, Equioxx for the inflammation & pain
(for as short a time as possible)
• apply cold therapy to the feet to reduce pain and
inflammation

14. What to do if your horse has laminitis
• feed a low sugar/starch/fat and high fibre diet - do
not starve
• diagnose the cause - with blood tests if necessary
(insulin & glucose for IR/EMS, ACTH for PPID)
• treat the cause - pergolide for PPID, diet and
possibly Metformin for IR/EMS
• get lateral x-rays taken to assess damage and
movement of the pedal bone
• get the hooves trimmed as soon as possible with a
short toe & low heel. Realign any rotation as soon
as possible

15. Symptoms of Insulin Resistance/EMS
• history of easy weight gain from adulthood, frequently
obese, “good doer”
• abnormal fat deposits: cresty neck, fat in the hollows above
the eyes (supraorbital fat), lumpy fat deposits at the base of
the tail, a fat sheath (often mistaken for a sheath infection)
or fat udder
• history of laminitis usually when horse eating grass
• advanced symptoms include increased thirst and urination,
loss of body condition, especially muscle, weakness, low
energy levels
• ravenous appetite, rarely stops eating when food available
• poor exercise tolerance
• above normal insulin with normal blood glucose

16. Treatment of IR/EMS
Insulin Resistance is managed by:
• low sugar/starch/fat and high fibre mineral
balanced diet
• regular exercise when able
• Metformin or Thyro-L may be considered
• (keeping feet well trimmed)

17. Symptoms of PPID/Cushing’s Disease
• Laminitis often occurring in autumn (see seasonal rise) or
occurring late in life for the first time
• Insulin resistance
• Weight loss and pot belly appearance are common and may
be seen with patchy fat deposits developing in the neck and
around the tail head
• Changes to coat (hirsutism) - long, often curly hair, delayed
or incomplete shedding
• PU/PD (excessive drinking and urination)
• Muscle wasting, often most noticeable along the topline
• Increased susceptibility to infections, particularly sinusitis,
abscesses, skin problems, pneumonia.

18. Symptoms of PPID/Cushing’s
• Poor resistance to internal parasites
• Development of allergies and hypersensitivities (e.g. to
vaccinations, insect bites)
• Hyperhidrosis - excessive sweating (or sometimes failure
to sweat at all)
• Lethargy/poor performance
• Loss of fertility
• Unexplained tendon & ligament problems
• Neurological disease, e.g. ataxia, blindness, seizures,
narcolepsy

19. PPID Seasonal Rise
• All horses experience a rise in ACTH levels in the autumn
(usually Aug - Oct but often into Nov/Dec in older/advanced
PPID horses).
• Autumn unexplained laminitis may be due to the seasonal
rise and trying pergolide may be warranted (ideally blood
should be tested for ACTH before starting pergolide).
• Testing ACTH for diagnosis of PPID can be done at any
time of year if the lab uses a seasonally adjusted normal
range (e.g. Liphook Equine Hospital) - autumn may be the
best time to test as the difference between horses with PPID
and normal horses is greater.

20. Treatment of PPID/Cushing’s
• Treat with Pergolide – starting dose usually 0.5 – 1.5 mg/day
rising to 7 mg or more to control symptoms as the disease
progresses. Ideally introduce slowly to avoid the “pergolide
veil”.
• Some horses have shown improvements in shedding and attitude
with Vitex Agnus Castus.
• Monitor dosage according to symptoms/blood tests and be aware
dosage may need to be increased during the autumn
• Horses with PPID may also be insulin resistant and need
managing accordingly with diet and exercise
• PPID horses often need careful management e.g. to reduce stress,
regulate their temperature, control internal parasites, etc.

21. Conclusion
• Always treat laminitis as an emergency -
– learn to recognise the slightest symptom
– identify and remove/treat the cause
– keep feet well balanced and provide support if
necessary

22. And finally,
prevention is better than cure!
Make your goal no laminitis ever by
– keeping feet properly balanced
– feeding a high fibre low sugar/starch/fat mineral
balanced diet according to your horse’s needs
– giving your horse regular exercise
– monitoring weight/body condition score and not
allowing your horse to become overweight
– Employing good horse management to minimise stress
and maintain good health
– Learning all you can about these conditions