Treating Stress Laminitis

Treatment will depend on specific circumstances but may include the following.

Treating stress laminitis.

A dramatic change in environment and or frequent travelling particularly for overweight animals can trigger laminitis. Endurance riding driving or jumping on hard ground. It can also be caused by overenthusiastic hoof trimming. This could be considered a hormonal risk factor.

After a long journey due to the transportation of horses introduction to the new environment staying a long time in hard standing riding horses in the unknown trail and unfamiliar stablemates may also lead to. There are many causes of equine stress and due to some stress laminitis in horses may be developed. You might also see your horse pushing its feet forward to relieve the pain while standing. Traumatic laminitis is caused by repeated physical trauma to the feet during e g.

Many chronic laminitis horses lose weight due to the stress of walking in pain and actually need increased amounts of feed. To recognize and treat laminitis in a horse start by looking out for the initial signs of laminitis which include loss of appetite and pain while walking. The sooner treatment begins the better the chance for recovery. Higher levels of protein up to 14 and calories may be needed in the horses with weight loss problems.

These toxins provoke a response within the horse that is thought to disrupt blood flow which in the feet can cause laminitis. Diagnosing and treating the primary problem laminitis is often due to a systemic or general problem elsewhere in the horse s body. Mares are also at risk shortly after foaling because of the additional physical stress.