Page 16 - Equine Matters Spring 2013

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EQUINE MATTERS
L AM I N I T I S
NURSING FEATURE...
Nursing the severe
Lucy Hindmarsh RVN,
Paragon Veterinary Group
Environment
Ensuring comfort for the severely laminitic horse
or pony is a priority. First we need to look at
the environment that the horse is going to be
kept in. Most severely laminitic horses need to
be kept in a stable on strict box rest. Take into
consideration the size of the horse and use a
stable that the horse can easily turn around in.
Turning around for a severely laminitic horse is
very painful and so the last thing they need is
a very tight place to do it in.
In an ideal world a rubber matted stable with
a deep bed and well banked sides would be
provided for extra cushioning and comfort.
The horse may well lie down for long periods
of time (depending how painful it is for them
to stand) and the deep bedding provides
cushioning for the feet. The bed should be
around the whole stable with no gap swept
back at the doorway. Shavings are preferable
to straw, they provide better foot support and
reduce the risk of bedding consumption and
the resultant problems of impaction colic and
dietary imbalances.
In order to minimise stress to the laminitic
horse, make sure that it has a companion
nearby. Stress can be a contributory factor to
laminitis so it is vital that your horse is placed
in an environment where he feels happy
and comfortable.
Nutrition
If the horse is very uncomfortable and is
spending a lot of its time lying down then food
and water will need to be offered frequently.
The best feeds for laminitic horses are highly
digestible fibre diets. These diets need to be
low in sugar and starch; look for the laminitis
trust approved logo. Vitamin and mineral
supplements or even a feed balancer should be
considered to prevent any dietary deficiencies.
Feeding little and often is advisable as it mimics
their natural eating behaviour.
If a horse has long periods without access to
feed/dry matter this can increase the risk of
developing stereotypical behaviour, colic and
gastric ulcers. Sometimes they are in so much
pain that they may even not want to eat.
In these cases medical treatment involving
anti-inflammatory and pain-killers will need to
be reviewed with your vet to make the horse
more comfortable.
Veterinary Nurse
Lucy Hindmarsh
XLVets Equine Practice
Paragon Veterinary
Group
laminitic
case
Laminitis hoof rings
Laminitis
is a very common and painful cause of lameness in horses and ponies.
It is important that treatment and nursing care is instigated immediately as the
disease has the potential to cause long term suffering. This article should provide
you with guidance on how you can provide the best care for your horse should
they suffer from laminitis.