ArizonaRealCountry.com 5 June 2019 Ask the Vet Arizona REAL COUNTRY the magazine Mike Barna Publisher ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com Erika Smith Royal Editor erika963realcountry@gmail.com Misty Voitovski Creative Director Contributing Writers Lee Anderson, Bethany Braley, Desiree’Byrne, Joe Camp, Charlie LeSueur, Jim Olson, Robert Piekow, Bill Roberts, Alan Rockman, Bob Roloff, Hank Sheffer, Buddy Uldrikson, Michele Wilson Arizona Real Country is owned and published by Barna Broadcasting LLC. No person, organization or party can copy or reproduce the content on our website and/or magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the editor’s panel and the author of the content, as applicable. The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. Follow Arizona Real Country for news, events, giveaways and more! 801 W. Wickenburg Way Wickenburg, AZ 85390 (602) 254-6644 ArizonaRealCountry.com WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACUTE LAMINITIS AND CHRONIC LAMINITIS, OR FOUNDER? IF MY HORSE HAS LAMINITIS, DOES THAT MEAN HE HAS FOUNDERED? Laminitis and founder are often used interchangeably in the equine world, but they shouldn't be. Though similar, they are not the same thing. For example, a horse can have laminitis but this doesn't mean he has foundered. Laminitis occurs first and if the cause is not addressed then the inflammation and laminar damage can become so severe that the laminae ‘let go’ and the connection breaks down to the point where the bone within the hoof suddenly loses all support. It can then rotate and drop in the hoof. This rotation signals that the horse has “foundered.” Laminitis is the condition that causes founder. Laminitis is when the soft laminae tissue in the hoof begins to die due to lack of blood flow. The laminae holds the coffin bone in place and attaches it to the hoof wall. Once the laminae dies, it can no longer do its job of holding the coffin bone in place. The laminae are the Velcro-like connections that attach the coffin bone to the inner hoof wall, holding the foot together. Laminitis can be classified as acute or chronic. When it becomes chronic, it can synonymously be called founder. In other words, laminitis can lead to founder but this is not always the case. Both illnesses do not discriminate against equine age, sex or season. Acute laminitis usually lasts for only a few days. Acute cases are easier to treat than chronic cases, but acute laminitis can recur after symptoms have gone away. Once the laminar bond has been weakened, it can be difficult to regain strength. Because of this, the faster the horse can receive treatment, the better its chances of a full recovery. Those cases often heal and don’t result in chronic laminitis. A horse can have laminitis, heal and not founder. Chronic inflammation over time, or a catastrophic laminitis episode, will lead to degeneration of the blood vessels that feed the laminae and necrosis of the laminae themselves. When the laminae in the foot become so inflamed and damaged that they no longer support the coffin bone, which then rotates and sinks, the condition is then called chronic laminitis or founder. That is when a long-term maintenance program provides the best possible outcome for the horse living with laminitis. In very advanced cases of founder, it is possible for the entire hoof to slough off, or the coffin bone to penetrate the sole. SIGNS & SYMPTOMS The signs can be subtle and confused for something else, like laziness, muscle soreness or arthritis. Signs of the early onset of laminitis might include hot feet, an increase in the digital pulse, lameness, circling or a change in gait. To check your horse’s digital pulse place two fingers in front of the sesamoid bones at the level of the fetlock and feel the pulse. A bounding digital pulse is a sign of inflammation and it is not just one single sign that indicates laminitis, it is a range or combination of symptoms that indicate the presence of the disease. An indicator for acute laminitis is the shifting of weight from left to right and signs of lameness when your horse is turned in small circles. You may not be able to see any signs when walking the horse in a straight line, but small turns put more pressure on the front feet enhancing the signs of possible lameness. Your horse is in severe pain when he is reluctant to move and looks like he is walking on eggshells. In cases where the front hooves are affected, horses generally try to lift pressure off their front toes by stretching their front legs to the front and position their hind feet under them to support the weight that their front feet cannot carry anymore. Laminitis is usually associated with the horse not wanting to bear weight on the front hooves and rocking his weight back on his haunches. Not only do the hooves hurt terribly, but this posture quickly becomes painful as well; the horse was designed to bear more standing weight on the forelimbs, and extended periods of weight bearing on the hindquarters stress the joints and create chronic muscle tension. A horse that would normally race out to pasture now walks or jogs. While many laminitic horses exhibit the classic signs of heat in the feet and a bounding digital pulse, there are some horses, and especially early stage laminitics, that don’t present these symptoms. The tests needed to confirm diagnosis include an endogenous ACTH, serum glucose and insulin levels, complete blood count, chemistry panel, bacterial and fungal culture, and packed cell volume (PCV). In addition, the veterinarian will need to get x-rays of the feet to check the alignment of the coffin bone and may do an ultrasound as well for a more detailed view. continued on page 7 LAMINITIS VS. FOUNDER