Equine Laminitis : A Review

The failure of the attachment between the distal phalanx (coffin bone) and the inner hoof wall is a major cause of laminitis. To minimize the pain in its feet, a characteristic stance and gait is adopted by the horse. Early clinical signs of laminitis include shifting weight from one foot to the other, high hoof temperatures for a prolonged time and bounding pulses in the digital arteries. Different hypothesis for pathophysiology exist, but MMP activation plays a key role in lamellar separation. For diagnosis of condition, radiographic and venographic examination of the feet should be performed as soon as clinical signs of laminitis appear and during the course of treatment. Specialist intervention is required in the treatment of laminitis, but the response to therapy can be unpredictable. Preventive treatment should be used to avert the development of laminitis. Recovery from laminitis is unpredictable, but generally the prognosis is directly proportional to the extent of displacement of the distal phalanx and the resultant lamellar pathology that occurs.