Testing Diagnosing Equine Laminitis

A hoof that s hot for hours.

Testing diagnosing equine laminitis.

A strong digital pulse can indicate other foot pain as well but a bounding digital pulse in both feet is a major clue that laminitis is to blame. Catching and diagnosing equine lameness early when you first notice something is not quite right gives your horse a better chance for a quick recovery. Radiographic changes also vary with the severity and chronicity of the primary cause. Diagnosis of ppid should be made on the history clinical signs and blood tests.

Many of the clinical signs are clearly apparent when the laminitis is acute. If your horse has had laminitis ask your veterinarian to make sure the situation has been resolved and then investigate why it may have happened. In acute laminitis it often presents as a bounding pulse making it a universally recognised diagnostic criterion. Rule out sepsis associated laminitis sal or very sick horse laminitis and supporting limb laminitis sll or very lame horse laminitis then decide whether the cause is equine metabolic syndrome or ppid cushing s disease 90 of laminitis and all pasture associated laminitis is thought to be due to ems or ppid or corticosteroid use.

In acute laminitis diagnosis is usually straightforward and is based on the history eg grain overload and posture of the horse increased temperature of the hooves a hard pulse in the digital arteries and reluctance to move. Blood tests will help reach a diagnosis. In some cases however the cause is never found. A diagnosis of laminitis is based on clinical signs of lameness bounding digital pulses and radiographic findings.

Diagnosing and treating the primary problem laminitis is often due to a systemic or general problem elsewhere in the horse s body. Whilst radiography and venogram methods are current diagnostic possibilities for laminitis both veterinarians and horse owners would benefit from the identification of reliable non invasive methods of laminitis recognition. Stop feeding all grain based feeds and pasture.