Thursday, November 18, 2010

Preventing Laminitis in At-Risk Horses

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Tracy Gantz
November 15 2010, Article # 17230

Even though veterinarians and farriers are making progress in developing laminitis treatment techniques and researching the causes of laminitis, prevention is still the No. 1 defense against a disease that plagues all too many horses. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Bob Agne, DVM, an equine podiatrist at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Ky., discussed how to recognize individuals that are at risk for laminitis and how to manage them to reduce the risk of the disease.

Several pre-existing conditions can put a horse at risk for laminitis, Agne reported. He noted risk factors and preventive treatments for each, but he cautioned that every case is different. Not all horses will show all clinical signs or respond similarly to preventive measures.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)

* Typical clinical signs: Horses that are easy keepers, are overweight with cresty necks and discreet subcutaneous fat deposits and have high insulin and glucose levels. Horses with EMS are also more likely to show signs of previous bouts of low-grade laminitis...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=17230

No comments: