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| By N2H | |||||||
Recent Articles
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What is Lameness?
Lameness is laminitis, or inflammation of a part of a horses foot called the laminae. It can afflict just one foot, or all of them depending on the severity and has many causes. The front hooves are the most common to be afflicted with this deadly disease - deadly because it hinders the horse and often they are put down to prevent further pain and suffering. Thankfully for humans we can go through life with one or two bad legs - dogs can have one bad leg (and sometimes two if proper replacements are supplied for hind or front legs where mobility is restored) however a horse can not suffer a leg failure because of their weight and size. The causes of laminitis (lameness) are varied, and often compounded by more than one issue. The most common causes are carbohydrate overload, insulin resistance, nitrogen compound overload, hard ground, lush pastures, frosted grass, freezing of the feet, overheating of the feet, untreated infections, colic, Cushing’s disease and its variant peripheral Cushing’s disease, retained placenta, drug reactions and exposure to agricultural chemicals.
Lameness presents itself in many symptoms, the most common being trouble walking, sweating, flared nostrils, walking tenderly, repeated easing of affected feet, increased vital signs and body temperature, visible trembling, anxiety, and a pounding pile in the digital palmer artery. The destruction of the laminae results in the hoof wall separating and pus leaking out from it - along with rotation of the third phalanx that causes immense pain for the horse, and if untreated it can rotated and crash through the sole of the foot causing extreme pain for the animal. However with intense treatment it can be cured in some cases. There is no direct cure for laminitis, however with proper treatment a horse can recover fully, or partially and remain active for many years. It is important to keep treatment consistent so the horse does not get worse, as it will eventually be fatal.
Posted in Horses | |