What are the signs of Laminitis?
There can be many signs that include;
- Inflammation in the hooves
- Increased temperature in the hooves
- Inability or reluctance to walk
- looking for softer ground to stand or walk on
- Swaying from foot to foot
- Lying down more than usual
- Flintching when the hoof is touched
- Laziness
- Groaning when walking
What are the causes of Laminitis?
Causes of lamanitis include;
- Overeating
- Sugar
- Infections
- Injury to another leg
- Previous illness
- Some medications
- ECD
- Cushings
- Concussion
How to treat Laminitis
Laminitis can be treated by;
- Weight loss
- Medication
- Box rest
- Farriery
- Frog supports
- Most importantly seek medical advice from a vet.
Laminitis is one of the most common causes of lameness and disability of horses and ponies in this country.
The key to preventing Laminitis is weight control, being overweight carries the highest risk factor for developing Laminitis.
There are conflicting views on how long hay should be soaked for to help with Laminitis, anything from 20 minutes to 12 hours depending on what sources you read. Our advice is to speak to your vet and read some of the reports and articles below.
Below are two reputable reports on hay soaking, looking at the amount of time soaked, the amount of sugars and other minerals & vitamins lost and the water temperature.
A report funded by the animal health foundation in the United States concluded that on average a soaking of 1 hour in cold water reduced the sugars by 31%.
In an educational paper for the University of Minnesota ,several PhD students reported on the amount of sugars and dry matter being lost during soaking, they concluded that soaking for a short duration (15- 60 minutes) is an acceptable management method, but soaking for longer than 12 hours resulted in very low NSC content, high Ca:P ratios, shortage of P in the diet and high DM losses.
The general consensuses is soaking for short amounts of time will reduce sugars and will keep most of the nutrients, while soaking for extended periods of anything up to 16 hours can have a negative effect as the hay will lose valuable nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals. If the hay needs to be soaked for extended periods we suggest you speak to your vet.
For further reading on Laminitis you can visit the following reputable sources
The Laminitis Trust
The British Equine Veterinary Association
The British Horse Society
Or you can also download and print the following PDF guides from:
The British Equine Veterinary Association - Equine Laminitis Leaflet
The British Horse Foundation - Prevention and Management of Laminitis
Blue Cross Charity for Pets - Laminitis Leaflet
Online Forum question relating to hay soaking times
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