Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2005 10:45:37 GMT 1
Subject : LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 7:23:00 PM
Laminitis....What causes Laminitis?
The true cause of laminitis is still unclear, but there are a number of situations that may lead to the condition.
Most commonly, these are:
Excess of rich grass. Typically this is grass high in soluble
carbohydrate in the spring and Autumn.
Feed overload when a horse breaks into a feed bin for example or
when a horse is given very large meals.
Obesity. Overweight animals will be more susceptible to laminitis.
Toxaemia, i.e. toxins circulating in the blood stream. This can be
caused by a number of things such as diarrhoea, peritonitis or metritis form a retained placenta after foaling.
Trauma. Excess concussion (driving horses are particularly prone) or
uneven weight bearing when one limb is immobilised due to an injury can cause an attack.
Some drugs, particularly corticosteriods, may result in increased
constriction in the arteries of the foot which will restrict blood flow.
Stress may make horses more prone to developing laminitis. When
stressed from a long journey for example, a horse will release higher levels of corticosteroid hormones which may have a similar effect to administered steroids.
Dietary contribution An excess of lush grass, or an overload of hard feed can lead to laminitis. The path of events that leads to this laminitis is thought to be as follows:
Too much food in the stomach. Soluble carbohydrate that should be digested in the small intestine overflows into the hind gut.
The bacterial balance in the hind gut is upset and bacteria that
prefer soluble carbohydrate proliferate and take over from fibre-digesting bacteria.
Death and rupture of the fibre-digesting bacteria due to acid
conditions leads to endotoxins (poisons) being released. The acid environment also makes the gut wall more permeable (leaky) and toxins enter the blood stream. Blood circulation and pressure is affected and laminitis will follow.
Feeding and Management if the horse has laminitis
Commonly owners are led to believe that they should starve a horse or pony with laminitis, but would you starve an ill person? It is vital that the horse or pony with laminitis receives a fibrous diet supplemented with minerals and vitamins to keep the metabolism working.
Remove the cause of the disease.
Do not starve the animal completely or you may risk inducing
hyperlipeamia. This occurs when high levels of fat are released into blood in response to starvation.
Use an alfalfa or alfalfa/straw chaff to provide available calcium
in the diet as it has been suggested that laminitics are calcium deficient. Feed an alfalfa based chaff with a mineral and vitamin supplement as a compliment to hay and water.
To minimise the risk of laminitis
Prevention is by far preferable to cure.
Reduce the exposure the horse has to causes of laminitis.
Do not allow your pony or horse to get too fat.
Ensure your farrier is called to trim the feet regularly.
Restrict grazing especially in the spring. Be aware there is often a
grass flush in the autumn.
Use a muzzle for short periods if you are unable to strip graze or
manage the pasture. One with a grid on the bottom will allow the pony to drink and nibble.
Provide hay and/or straw if pony is stabled or in a bare paddock.
Feed a low carbohydrate, high fibre diet. Consider using a mineral
and vitamin supplement to provide a balanced diet, if you are feeding below recommended quantities of compound feed.
Identifying Laminitis
Horse shifts weight from side to side
Difficulty walking
Hooves warm to touch
Strong pounding pulse at digital artery around fetlock
Horse rocks back off front feet to keep weight off them
Six steps to help prevent Laminitis
Feed liberal quantities of forage
Make changes in concentrate feed slowly over a two-week period
Keep all concentrate feeds small (under 5lbs per feed for a 16hh
horse, under 3lbs for a 13hh horse). If more feed is needed add another feed (meal)
Watch your horse's weight. If obese, try to control feed intake.
Feed a high oil, high fibre coarse mix or feed a high fibre cube
Advice on the Management of a Laminitic
Feed bulk roughage with a low feed value, such as oat straw
Reduce hay and bulk out with straw ("dilute")
Turn out on sand arenas for some of the time, if no other turn out
is available.
Use electric fencing to restrict access to grass
Beg, borrow or buy sheep or cattle to keep the grass down
Increase workload before increasing feed
Use oil as an energy source i.e. Soya Oil or Pure Vegetable Oil
Feed little and often, so you do not overload the stomach
Do not overfeed or feed in anticipation of work
Consider fructan concentrations when turning out
Do not turn out on frosted paddocks
Consider whether you should turn out on bare paddocks; using a
muzzle on less stressed pastures may be better
Feeding the Laminitic
When your horse/pony has had laminitis:-
Feed at least 1% of body weight as forage (hay +/or oat straw) split
into frequent meals
Feed frequent small meals
Feed a suitable supplement to provide all the necessary vitamins
and minerals
As your horse/pony recovers consider the following to decrease risk of another attack:-
Keep cereals in the diet to a minimum
Use slow releasing energy sources such as fibre and oil
Control weight gain, maintain body condition at less than 3.
Our loan pony Hope has Laminitus at the moment. She is a truly sweet pony who is now 27 year's old & has taught million's of children to ride ). So I thought I'd start a thread for her!
Anyone else have a horse or pony with Laminitis at the moment?
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 12.10.04 8:56:00 PM
The above list misses out insulin resistance and Cushing's, which IMO are the most common underlying causes, and I disagree laminitics should be fed much oil - oil causes insulin resistance.
Jackie
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 12.10.04 8:58:00 PM
NB Any autumn laminitis case is highly suspicious for Cushing's disease as they get worse in autumn. A 27yr old pony would be a prime candidate I am afraid, you should get her tested or try some form of treatment.
Jackie
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 12.10.04 9:06:00 PM
Re the above that oil causes insulin resistance....am I doing the wrong thing giving my ponies linseed oil?
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 9:13:00 PM
JackieJATaylor - All the time I was feeding her cod liver oil & sunflower oil she was absolutely fine. I wasn't trying to be a know it all but merely offering some advice. But thank you for your input ).
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 9:16:00 PM
Only ran out of both oil's 3 day's ago & she has come down with it in this time! Prior to that she was very well & happy.
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 9:37:00 PM
Laminitis: Nutritional Aspects.
The horse is designed for a forage-based diet. Today for our convenience, horses tend to be kept inside, fed on cattle pasture and given high-energy food because of the requirements for work. Horses are greedy. If you offer them sweet feed they will eat it.
If you feed your horse twice a day, some of the carbohydrate will escape digestion in the small intestine and will pass unchanged to the large intestine where it will be fermented. This leads to cyclic changes in in the hindgut.
Oats, the grain traditionally used to feed horses, is the most efficiently digested in the small intestine. About 85% is digested before the hindgut. In contrast, only 21% of a barley meal is digested in the small intestine. Cooking and processing affect the digestibility of the grain. For example only 29% of maize fed as the whole grain is digested in the small intestine. If it is cooked before feeding, 90% is digested in the small intestine.
Doe's obesity play a role in laminitis? Certainly, increased weight bearing may make add to the problem. Looking at the animal`s ability to cope with glucose and the effect when you give it insulin. We found that obese horses are resistant to the effects of insulin. Feeding diets rich in sugar and starch increased the insulin resistance. (Insulin resistance is thought to increase the risk of developing laminitis.)
So what can we do to help reduce the risk of laminitis? Owners should monitor the condition score and weight of their animals regularly. Avoid obesity, especially in ponies. But take care not to suddenly reduce the weight because of the risk of hyperlipaemia. Consider a fibre based diet for obese animals and those prone to laminitis. Avoiding grain-based diets rich in starch and sugar should help to reduce the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Feed small grain meals - even to race horses. Feed no more than 0.5kg/100kg body weight of oats or processed grain. If more energy is required in the diet it is better to increase the number of daily feeds and not their size.
Currently there is much interest in fructans as a cause of laminitis, but high levels of other water soluble carbohydrates, including simple sugars, are also likely to be involved. Fructans are storage carbohydrates composed of one molecule of glucose with more than one fructose molecule. They are found in temperate pasture grasses and also in other plants such as dandelions. Horses do not have the enzymes needed to digest fructans in the small intestine. So the fructans pass into the hindgut unchanged. There, they are fermented rapidly, releasing large amounts of lactic acid, which makes the gut contents more acidic and disturbs the balance of bacteria and micro-organisms.
This change in the environment within the large intestine leads to the accumulation of various factors, which may be responsible for triggering laminitis. The overgrowth of organisms such as Streptococcus bovis leads to the release of MMP activators; while those bacteria that cannot survive the acidic conditions release endotoxins. The high lactic acid concentration damages the lining of the intestine, making it easier for these toxins to be absorbed.
The fructan content of the pasture is affected by a number of factors. Fructans are found in significantly greater amounts in the stem than in the leaves. They are present in highest concentration at times of restricted growth but continued photosynthesis, such as during a drought. The amount of fructan present in the grass also varies during the day. Generally there is less at night and early in the morning. Certain grasses, such as timothy have larger fructan molecules. These may be broken down more slowly in the hindgut and may therefore be safer than other grasses that contain smaller molecules. Levels of 14-20% fructan in fresh grass are not uncommon. Haylage is likely to contain less fructan than grass because it has already started to ferment. Hay is likely to have levels between those of grass and haylage.
So, to reduce the risk of fructan-induced laminitis, measures that could be taken including:
Choose pasture that is regularly grazed or cut (the grass stems tend to have high fructan content) and contains species such as timothy that produce low levels of fructans.
Turn horses onto pasture late at night and bring them in before mid-morning, so they are grazing when the fructan content is lowest.
Restrict grazing in spring and autumn when the fructan and water soluble carbohydrate levels are high.
Don't use stubble grazing (i.e. after it has been cut for hay - because the stems will have a high fructan content.
Don't turn horses onto pasture that has been exposed to frost and bright sunlight. (The sunlight produces energy, which the grass cannot use for growth because of the cold, and so it is stored as fructan).
Just more useful information ).
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Tricia
Date : 12.10.04 9:41:00 PM
Yes our small Thelwell type mare came down with it last week. She is fine now, but had to be kept of the grass and was just on hay for 5/6 days. Autumn flush caught me off guard!
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 13.10.04 7:47:00 AM
thanks for posting this, i will print it out for the tact room wall.
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Friendly Native
Date : 13.10.04 9:19:00 AM
Yes my 'Boy' has it he is Cushingoid and is in Hospital awaiting an Operation on his Annular ligaments in both hinds. He had the EDSS system fitted last week to try and stabilize his fronts for the Op. For him this attack of Lammi was caused by the severe pain from his back legs ie the pain and stress from it all. He has a 50/50 chance of success from the Op but the stress of this may create a huge attack which unfortunately would mean he would have to be PTS. He is only 9 so we have to give him that chance. FN*
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 13.10.04 3:11:00 PM
uppity up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Nikki W>
Date : 13.10.04 4:10:00 PM
Very sadly my lovely little girlie has come down with laminitis. She is in a very small pen that is pretty much just docks.
I tried my best to get the weight off I really I did (can't tell you how sick I feel right now).
Where can I get some oat straw from? I've got some of last years old hay to give her in the meantime (its not mouldy or anything).
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Old Bay mare
Date : 13.10.04 4:52:00 PM
I've got 2 laminitics who after a bad attack this spring are now fit and well. To get to this point I stabled them on thick shavings, rations include last year's hay in limited quantities, Dengie hi fi lite, aloe vera juice and Formula 4 feet supplement twice a day. No turnout for at leats 30 days after they became sound. I followed most of this from the advice from Laminitis clinic. new research is changing the management of laminitics - starvation pastures are bad as grass is under stress so produces fructose. Incidentally, the unmolassed sugar beet can be fed to replce any high energy grains. This is such an awful disease. My boys have always lived out but I've come to realisation that they now have to be inside with turnout for about an hour twice a day, morning and night (to avoid fructose concentrations). It is alot of hard work for me as I work full time but to keep my boys healthy and sound, I've had to change the way they (and me!) live. The boys are the happiest they've been in years. It is very complicated disease but the pain and suffering it caused my ponies was plain to see. I'd advise everyone to really research as each equine's cause or trigger can be different as a couple of the above people have said. Older ponies are always suspect diabetic (insulin intolerance) or Cushings trigger. Worth checking. The main thing with pasture is land has been planted for dairy cows - way too rich for equines. If you can graze on old meadow, the fructan levels are much lower but not much left in this country! Another case of people interfering with the environment! Sorry for going on but I'm sure anyone with a laminitic knows how terrible it is to see them in such pain. Management seems to be the key with the environment we have to deal with.
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 13.10.04 4:59:00 PM
I realise you were not being a know it all Annlz - I just didn't have time for a more sociable post. You will often not see the effects of rising insulin, and oil has a 'background' effect on hormone levels over time, not a 'day to day' effect.
A small amount of linseed oil is beneficial though, though I prefer to feed linseed.
Jackie
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Ted
Date : 13.10.04 5:45:00 PM
For what it's worth , the treatment we have given Ellie's pony - who managed to get himself seriously overweight on nothing at all on and is now recovering from a laminitic attack - is :
Weight reduction programme . No foods other than one apple per day and straw "seeded" with a little hay .
He is kept in the stable block , and his stable has a 30cm deep bed of straw which is cleaned / changed twice daily .
He has so far had 3 injections to reduce the blood pressure and so the painful "pulses" and which are also antiinflammatory . If necessary he can have up to five of these .
For the first fortnight , to help constrict the blood vessels his feet were sprayed with running cold water for 15 minutes each foot .
He has also had bute as an analgesic each day .
We have just finished the fourth week .
He is now able to walk much more freely , and does not rock back before turning or starting to move .He has lost weight and is halfway to the target which the vet has set for him .
The loss of weight has also obviously taken a fair chunk of the pressure off his legs . We have also been able to halve the amount of bute that he is being given .
Now that we have had some rain and the ground is softer Ellie will start taking him for short exercise walks each day . Another 3 weeks and we should be able to let him out .
Luckily for us the other animals have helped him with the boredom problem . The donkeys seem to be taking it in turns to keep him company , and Francesca's horse seems to visit him on a regular basis .
Ted .
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 13.10.04 7:18:00 PM
hi my pony is just getting over laminitis he was on bute for ten days he is still in box rest until he as his xray very worried at the moment i just hope he will be ok .got to move yard to get him closer to home .let you know how xray goes bye for now .
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Nikki W.
Date : 13.10.04 7:32:00 PM
Well as Zephie's attack isn't too bad and I have a patch of docks in my field, I decided that the pen was a better option for her. Besides which, she doesn't stable well. She is ok for a day or two but then starts trying to bust out. I might think about putting her in the field shelter overnight if need be but their is only straw in there at the moment and I'd rather get a shavings bed in there first.
I seem to remember that last year the general advice was to keep them outside if possible so that they have enough room to move around and keep the blood flowing through the feet. Has this changed?
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Sue, Tee & Fly
Date : 13.10.04 7:42:00 PM
Ted...
You said:
"For the first fortnight , to help constrict the blood vessels his feet were sprayed with running cold water for 15 minutes each foot "
Is that correct?
My vet & farrier suggested we used ACP to dilate the blood vessels to increase blood flow to the foot for the first 5 days. Your statement would imply that you wanted to reduce blood flow?
Will ask my farrier next time I see him.
Sue, Tee & Fly
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Ted
Date : 13.10.04 8:12:00 PM
Yes , our vet said that if we were to do this it would help to constrict the blood vessesls and help to stop the blood pulses which contribute considerably to the pain that the horse feels . This was used in conjunction with the injections to reduce the blood pressure .
For whatever reason it did appear to work . Riz always seemed to find moving less painful after each water session , and Ellie was able to lift his front feet to pick them out .
It is no longer necessary to use the water treatment ,as his reduced weight and the injections have helped him to start his recovery .
The next step is to see what he is like without the assistance of an analgesic .
Ted .
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Sue, Tee & Fly
Date : 13.10.04 8:17:00 PM
Mm.. thanks Ted, intersting, maybe a different approach in France.
Good luck with him, my little arab seemed a bit "footy" last week, & had heat in one foot. My farrier sid to keep him stabled for 48 hours & he seems OK now.
He had a bout 2 years ago, but with the help of a superb farrier he pulled him round for me.
Horrible condition ;-(
Sue, Tee & Fly
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Ted
Date : 13.10.04 8:25:00 PM
Slightly differently Sue , we have to use the water treatment regularly during the Summer months for Francesca's Camargue . Being a swamp horse she needs to have water to keep her feet in good nick .
As soon as I can find the loot I'm going to have a stream that runs through the farm widened to give her a pool she can stand in . Can't use a non - running pond as that could cause it's own problems .
As you can imagine it's all good fun . Trying to keep some feet damp , and others completely dry . Another week and I'll have a 25 metre by 4 metre winter hardstanding for the donkeys completed and that'll be one worry out of the way .
Ted .
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 7:23:00 PM
Laminitis....What causes Laminitis?
The true cause of laminitis is still unclear, but there are a number of situations that may lead to the condition.
Most commonly, these are:
Excess of rich grass. Typically this is grass high in soluble
carbohydrate in the spring and Autumn.
Feed overload when a horse breaks into a feed bin for example or
when a horse is given very large meals.
Obesity. Overweight animals will be more susceptible to laminitis.
Toxaemia, i.e. toxins circulating in the blood stream. This can be
caused by a number of things such as diarrhoea, peritonitis or metritis form a retained placenta after foaling.
Trauma. Excess concussion (driving horses are particularly prone) or
uneven weight bearing when one limb is immobilised due to an injury can cause an attack.
Some drugs, particularly corticosteriods, may result in increased
constriction in the arteries of the foot which will restrict blood flow.
Stress may make horses more prone to developing laminitis. When
stressed from a long journey for example, a horse will release higher levels of corticosteroid hormones which may have a similar effect to administered steroids.
Dietary contribution An excess of lush grass, or an overload of hard feed can lead to laminitis. The path of events that leads to this laminitis is thought to be as follows:
Too much food in the stomach. Soluble carbohydrate that should be digested in the small intestine overflows into the hind gut.
The bacterial balance in the hind gut is upset and bacteria that
prefer soluble carbohydrate proliferate and take over from fibre-digesting bacteria.
Death and rupture of the fibre-digesting bacteria due to acid
conditions leads to endotoxins (poisons) being released. The acid environment also makes the gut wall more permeable (leaky) and toxins enter the blood stream. Blood circulation and pressure is affected and laminitis will follow.
Feeding and Management if the horse has laminitis
Commonly owners are led to believe that they should starve a horse or pony with laminitis, but would you starve an ill person? It is vital that the horse or pony with laminitis receives a fibrous diet supplemented with minerals and vitamins to keep the metabolism working.
Remove the cause of the disease.
Do not starve the animal completely or you may risk inducing
hyperlipeamia. This occurs when high levels of fat are released into blood in response to starvation.
Use an alfalfa or alfalfa/straw chaff to provide available calcium
in the diet as it has been suggested that laminitics are calcium deficient. Feed an alfalfa based chaff with a mineral and vitamin supplement as a compliment to hay and water.
To minimise the risk of laminitis
Prevention is by far preferable to cure.
Reduce the exposure the horse has to causes of laminitis.
Do not allow your pony or horse to get too fat.
Ensure your farrier is called to trim the feet regularly.
Restrict grazing especially in the spring. Be aware there is often a
grass flush in the autumn.
Use a muzzle for short periods if you are unable to strip graze or
manage the pasture. One with a grid on the bottom will allow the pony to drink and nibble.
Provide hay and/or straw if pony is stabled or in a bare paddock.
Feed a low carbohydrate, high fibre diet. Consider using a mineral
and vitamin supplement to provide a balanced diet, if you are feeding below recommended quantities of compound feed.
Identifying Laminitis
Horse shifts weight from side to side
Difficulty walking
Hooves warm to touch
Strong pounding pulse at digital artery around fetlock
Horse rocks back off front feet to keep weight off them
Six steps to help prevent Laminitis
Feed liberal quantities of forage
Make changes in concentrate feed slowly over a two-week period
Keep all concentrate feeds small (under 5lbs per feed for a 16hh
horse, under 3lbs for a 13hh horse). If more feed is needed add another feed (meal)
Watch your horse's weight. If obese, try to control feed intake.
Feed a high oil, high fibre coarse mix or feed a high fibre cube
Advice on the Management of a Laminitic
Feed bulk roughage with a low feed value, such as oat straw
Reduce hay and bulk out with straw ("dilute")
Turn out on sand arenas for some of the time, if no other turn out
is available.
Use electric fencing to restrict access to grass
Beg, borrow or buy sheep or cattle to keep the grass down
Increase workload before increasing feed
Use oil as an energy source i.e. Soya Oil or Pure Vegetable Oil
Feed little and often, so you do not overload the stomach
Do not overfeed or feed in anticipation of work
Consider fructan concentrations when turning out
Do not turn out on frosted paddocks
Consider whether you should turn out on bare paddocks; using a
muzzle on less stressed pastures may be better
Feeding the Laminitic
When your horse/pony has had laminitis:-
Feed at least 1% of body weight as forage (hay +/or oat straw) split
into frequent meals
Feed frequent small meals
Feed a suitable supplement to provide all the necessary vitamins
and minerals
As your horse/pony recovers consider the following to decrease risk of another attack:-
Keep cereals in the diet to a minimum
Use slow releasing energy sources such as fibre and oil
Control weight gain, maintain body condition at less than 3.
Our loan pony Hope has Laminitus at the moment. She is a truly sweet pony who is now 27 year's old & has taught million's of children to ride ). So I thought I'd start a thread for her!
Anyone else have a horse or pony with Laminitis at the moment?
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 12.10.04 8:56:00 PM
The above list misses out insulin resistance and Cushing's, which IMO are the most common underlying causes, and I disagree laminitics should be fed much oil - oil causes insulin resistance.
Jackie
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 12.10.04 8:58:00 PM
NB Any autumn laminitis case is highly suspicious for Cushing's disease as they get worse in autumn. A 27yr old pony would be a prime candidate I am afraid, you should get her tested or try some form of treatment.
Jackie
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 12.10.04 9:06:00 PM
Re the above that oil causes insulin resistance....am I doing the wrong thing giving my ponies linseed oil?
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 9:13:00 PM
JackieJATaylor - All the time I was feeding her cod liver oil & sunflower oil she was absolutely fine. I wasn't trying to be a know it all but merely offering some advice. But thank you for your input ).
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 9:16:00 PM
Only ran out of both oil's 3 day's ago & she has come down with it in this time! Prior to that she was very well & happy.
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : annlz
Date : 12.10.04 9:37:00 PM
Laminitis: Nutritional Aspects.
The horse is designed for a forage-based diet. Today for our convenience, horses tend to be kept inside, fed on cattle pasture and given high-energy food because of the requirements for work. Horses are greedy. If you offer them sweet feed they will eat it.
If you feed your horse twice a day, some of the carbohydrate will escape digestion in the small intestine and will pass unchanged to the large intestine where it will be fermented. This leads to cyclic changes in in the hindgut.
Oats, the grain traditionally used to feed horses, is the most efficiently digested in the small intestine. About 85% is digested before the hindgut. In contrast, only 21% of a barley meal is digested in the small intestine. Cooking and processing affect the digestibility of the grain. For example only 29% of maize fed as the whole grain is digested in the small intestine. If it is cooked before feeding, 90% is digested in the small intestine.
Doe's obesity play a role in laminitis? Certainly, increased weight bearing may make add to the problem. Looking at the animal`s ability to cope with glucose and the effect when you give it insulin. We found that obese horses are resistant to the effects of insulin. Feeding diets rich in sugar and starch increased the insulin resistance. (Insulin resistance is thought to increase the risk of developing laminitis.)
So what can we do to help reduce the risk of laminitis? Owners should monitor the condition score and weight of their animals regularly. Avoid obesity, especially in ponies. But take care not to suddenly reduce the weight because of the risk of hyperlipaemia. Consider a fibre based diet for obese animals and those prone to laminitis. Avoiding grain-based diets rich in starch and sugar should help to reduce the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Feed small grain meals - even to race horses. Feed no more than 0.5kg/100kg body weight of oats or processed grain. If more energy is required in the diet it is better to increase the number of daily feeds and not their size.
Currently there is much interest in fructans as a cause of laminitis, but high levels of other water soluble carbohydrates, including simple sugars, are also likely to be involved. Fructans are storage carbohydrates composed of one molecule of glucose with more than one fructose molecule. They are found in temperate pasture grasses and also in other plants such as dandelions. Horses do not have the enzymes needed to digest fructans in the small intestine. So the fructans pass into the hindgut unchanged. There, they are fermented rapidly, releasing large amounts of lactic acid, which makes the gut contents more acidic and disturbs the balance of bacteria and micro-organisms.
This change in the environment within the large intestine leads to the accumulation of various factors, which may be responsible for triggering laminitis. The overgrowth of organisms such as Streptococcus bovis leads to the release of MMP activators; while those bacteria that cannot survive the acidic conditions release endotoxins. The high lactic acid concentration damages the lining of the intestine, making it easier for these toxins to be absorbed.
The fructan content of the pasture is affected by a number of factors. Fructans are found in significantly greater amounts in the stem than in the leaves. They are present in highest concentration at times of restricted growth but continued photosynthesis, such as during a drought. The amount of fructan present in the grass also varies during the day. Generally there is less at night and early in the morning. Certain grasses, such as timothy have larger fructan molecules. These may be broken down more slowly in the hindgut and may therefore be safer than other grasses that contain smaller molecules. Levels of 14-20% fructan in fresh grass are not uncommon. Haylage is likely to contain less fructan than grass because it has already started to ferment. Hay is likely to have levels between those of grass and haylage.
So, to reduce the risk of fructan-induced laminitis, measures that could be taken including:
Choose pasture that is regularly grazed or cut (the grass stems tend to have high fructan content) and contains species such as timothy that produce low levels of fructans.
Turn horses onto pasture late at night and bring them in before mid-morning, so they are grazing when the fructan content is lowest.
Restrict grazing in spring and autumn when the fructan and water soluble carbohydrate levels are high.
Don't use stubble grazing (i.e. after it has been cut for hay - because the stems will have a high fructan content.
Don't turn horses onto pasture that has been exposed to frost and bright sunlight. (The sunlight produces energy, which the grass cannot use for growth because of the cold, and so it is stored as fructan).
Just more useful information ).
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Tricia
Date : 12.10.04 9:41:00 PM
Yes our small Thelwell type mare came down with it last week. She is fine now, but had to be kept of the grass and was just on hay for 5/6 days. Autumn flush caught me off guard!
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 13.10.04 7:47:00 AM
thanks for posting this, i will print it out for the tact room wall.
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Friendly Native
Date : 13.10.04 9:19:00 AM
Yes my 'Boy' has it he is Cushingoid and is in Hospital awaiting an Operation on his Annular ligaments in both hinds. He had the EDSS system fitted last week to try and stabilize his fronts for the Op. For him this attack of Lammi was caused by the severe pain from his back legs ie the pain and stress from it all. He has a 50/50 chance of success from the Op but the stress of this may create a huge attack which unfortunately would mean he would have to be PTS. He is only 9 so we have to give him that chance. FN*
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 13.10.04 3:11:00 PM
uppity up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Nikki W>
Date : 13.10.04 4:10:00 PM
Very sadly my lovely little girlie has come down with laminitis. She is in a very small pen that is pretty much just docks.
I tried my best to get the weight off I really I did (can't tell you how sick I feel right now).
Where can I get some oat straw from? I've got some of last years old hay to give her in the meantime (its not mouldy or anything).
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Old Bay mare
Date : 13.10.04 4:52:00 PM
I've got 2 laminitics who after a bad attack this spring are now fit and well. To get to this point I stabled them on thick shavings, rations include last year's hay in limited quantities, Dengie hi fi lite, aloe vera juice and Formula 4 feet supplement twice a day. No turnout for at leats 30 days after they became sound. I followed most of this from the advice from Laminitis clinic. new research is changing the management of laminitics - starvation pastures are bad as grass is under stress so produces fructose. Incidentally, the unmolassed sugar beet can be fed to replce any high energy grains. This is such an awful disease. My boys have always lived out but I've come to realisation that they now have to be inside with turnout for about an hour twice a day, morning and night (to avoid fructose concentrations). It is alot of hard work for me as I work full time but to keep my boys healthy and sound, I've had to change the way they (and me!) live. The boys are the happiest they've been in years. It is very complicated disease but the pain and suffering it caused my ponies was plain to see. I'd advise everyone to really research as each equine's cause or trigger can be different as a couple of the above people have said. Older ponies are always suspect diabetic (insulin intolerance) or Cushings trigger. Worth checking. The main thing with pasture is land has been planted for dairy cows - way too rich for equines. If you can graze on old meadow, the fructan levels are much lower but not much left in this country! Another case of people interfering with the environment! Sorry for going on but I'm sure anyone with a laminitic knows how terrible it is to see them in such pain. Management seems to be the key with the environment we have to deal with.
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 13.10.04 4:59:00 PM
I realise you were not being a know it all Annlz - I just didn't have time for a more sociable post. You will often not see the effects of rising insulin, and oil has a 'background' effect on hormone levels over time, not a 'day to day' effect.
A small amount of linseed oil is beneficial though, though I prefer to feed linseed.
Jackie
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Ted
Date : 13.10.04 5:45:00 PM
For what it's worth , the treatment we have given Ellie's pony - who managed to get himself seriously overweight on nothing at all on and is now recovering from a laminitic attack - is :
Weight reduction programme . No foods other than one apple per day and straw "seeded" with a little hay .
He is kept in the stable block , and his stable has a 30cm deep bed of straw which is cleaned / changed twice daily .
He has so far had 3 injections to reduce the blood pressure and so the painful "pulses" and which are also antiinflammatory . If necessary he can have up to five of these .
For the first fortnight , to help constrict the blood vessels his feet were sprayed with running cold water for 15 minutes each foot .
He has also had bute as an analgesic each day .
We have just finished the fourth week .
He is now able to walk much more freely , and does not rock back before turning or starting to move .He has lost weight and is halfway to the target which the vet has set for him .
The loss of weight has also obviously taken a fair chunk of the pressure off his legs . We have also been able to halve the amount of bute that he is being given .
Now that we have had some rain and the ground is softer Ellie will start taking him for short exercise walks each day . Another 3 weeks and we should be able to let him out .
Luckily for us the other animals have helped him with the boredom problem . The donkeys seem to be taking it in turns to keep him company , and Francesca's horse seems to visit him on a regular basis .
Ted .
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From :
Date : 13.10.04 7:18:00 PM
hi my pony is just getting over laminitis he was on bute for ten days he is still in box rest until he as his xray very worried at the moment i just hope he will be ok .got to move yard to get him closer to home .let you know how xray goes bye for now .
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Nikki W.
Date : 13.10.04 7:32:00 PM
Well as Zephie's attack isn't too bad and I have a patch of docks in my field, I decided that the pen was a better option for her. Besides which, she doesn't stable well. She is ok for a day or two but then starts trying to bust out. I might think about putting her in the field shelter overnight if need be but their is only straw in there at the moment and I'd rather get a shavings bed in there first.
I seem to remember that last year the general advice was to keep them outside if possible so that they have enough room to move around and keep the blood flowing through the feet. Has this changed?
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Sue, Tee & Fly
Date : 13.10.04 7:42:00 PM
Ted...
You said:
"For the first fortnight , to help constrict the blood vessels his feet were sprayed with running cold water for 15 minutes each foot "
Is that correct?
My vet & farrier suggested we used ACP to dilate the blood vessels to increase blood flow to the foot for the first 5 days. Your statement would imply that you wanted to reduce blood flow?
Will ask my farrier next time I see him.
Sue, Tee & Fly
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Ted
Date : 13.10.04 8:12:00 PM
Yes , our vet said that if we were to do this it would help to constrict the blood vessesls and help to stop the blood pulses which contribute considerably to the pain that the horse feels . This was used in conjunction with the injections to reduce the blood pressure .
For whatever reason it did appear to work . Riz always seemed to find moving less painful after each water session , and Ellie was able to lift his front feet to pick them out .
It is no longer necessary to use the water treatment ,as his reduced weight and the injections have helped him to start his recovery .
The next step is to see what he is like without the assistance of an analgesic .
Ted .
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Sue, Tee & Fly
Date : 13.10.04 8:17:00 PM
Mm.. thanks Ted, intersting, maybe a different approach in France.
Good luck with him, my little arab seemed a bit "footy" last week, & had heat in one foot. My farrier sid to keep him stabled for 48 hours & he seems OK now.
He had a bout 2 years ago, but with the help of a superb farrier he pulled him round for me.
Horrible condition ;-(
Sue, Tee & Fly
Subject : re:- LAMINITIS
From : Ted
Date : 13.10.04 8:25:00 PM
Slightly differently Sue , we have to use the water treatment regularly during the Summer months for Francesca's Camargue . Being a swamp horse she needs to have water to keep her feet in good nick .
As soon as I can find the loot I'm going to have a stream that runs through the farm widened to give her a pool she can stand in . Can't use a non - running pond as that could cause it's own problems .
As you can imagine it's all good fun . Trying to keep some feet damp , and others completely dry . Another week and I'll have a 25 metre by 4 metre winter hardstanding for the donkeys completed and that'll be one worry out of the way .
Ted .