Treatment For Acute Laminitis

An affected horse may refuse to stand and have increased breathing and pulse rates in response to pain.

Treatment for acute laminitis.

Acute laminitis is in its acute phase during the first two or three days and at this point the coffin bone is unmoved. Many of the clinical signs are clearly apparent when the laminitis is acute subacute this refers to cases of laminitis that have extended to more than three days in length but the coffin bone is still unmoved. Consequently treatment regimens for both acute and chronic laminitis generally remain empiric and are based on the past experience of the attending clinician all treatments should however. A variety of medications to treat the acute and refractory forms have been used with a variable degree of success.

Stop feeding all grain based feeds and pasture. Diagnosing and treating the primary problem laminitis is often due to a systemic or general problem elsewhere in the horse s body. Treatments may include dietary modifications antibiotics fluid therapy or a variety of anti inflammatory medications. An acute laminitic episode is an emergency.

Feed only grass hay until advised by your veterinarian. They include dimethyl sulfoxide dmso acepromazine aspirin flunixin meglumine heparin isoxsuprine and warfarin. Make sure it s impossible. Hoof care prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot.

Acute laminitis occurs anywhere from 24 72 hours after the initial damage to the basement membrane and causes considerable pain. Jane manfredi and. Controlling pain and inflammation in acute laminitis icing the feet is often advocated. The easiest and surest way is to lock up your sweet feed behind a door with a lock.

Recommended treatments include intravenous fluids parenteral antimicrobials flunixin meglumine and hyperimmune serum or plasma. A case of acute laminitis in horses may take several days to weeks to respond. I ve seen horses open doors open the lid to the feed bin and perform miracle acts to get at that sweet feed. Some cases need trimming of the hoof.

How to manage horses during an acute laminitis episode.