Skip to content
Search Library
thumbnail

Horses with laminitis frequently suffer severe and intense pain, hoof deformation, and decreased athleticism that can be career- or even life-ending.

A variety of factors can result in the development of laminitis, including:

Avoid the development of laminitis by avoiding factors that contribute to the onset of laminitis and offering optimal nutrition,” advised Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research.

Not all laminitis can be avoided, Whitehouse said, and sometimes the disease occurs for no explicable reason. “If laminitis cannot be avoided and therefore must be treated, providing complete and balanced nutrition is a high priority.”

High-quality vitamin and mineral supplements or ration balancers are ideal for overweight horses on all-forage diets. Underweight horses experiencing an episode of laminitis may benefit from an energy-dense, low-starch feed.

“Hoof support is important for laminitis cases. This can include offering nutritional supplements that contain ingredients known to foster healthy hooves such as biotin, methionine, iodine, and zinc,” she added.

Bio-Bloom PS (Bio-Bloom HF in Australia), manufactured by Kentucky Equine Research, offers these nutrients while also providing horses with essential fatty acids from full-fat soybeans.

According to veterinary researchers from the Western University of Health Sciences and El Cajon Valley Veterinary Hospital, another potential therapeutic technique for horses with chronic laminitis is acupuncture.

Building on previous research, Lee and colleagues recently reported* that routine acupuncture treatments provide significant pain relief. These positive findings were generated based on two acupuncture sessions performed on 14 client-owned horses previously diagnosed with laminitis. Lameness was assessed using the traditional American Association of Equine Practitioners’ five-point lameness scale in addition to a body-mounted inertial sensor system called Lameness Locator.

Because of these positive results, the researchers stated that “acupuncture is a valuable complementary treatment for horses with chronic laminitis.” Researchers also noted that more than one acupuncture session was necessary for best results.

*Lee, D., K. May, B. Faramarzi. 2019. Comparison of first and second acupuncture treatments in horses with chronic laminitis. Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research. 20(1):9-12.

X

Subscribe to Equinews and get the latest equine nutrition and health news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for free now!