A new weapon in the fight against laminitis

Exciting developments are being made in the battle against the potentially life-threatening but common condition

PROGRESS is being made in the battle against laminitis, with the potential release of a vaccine as well as a study providing insight into preventing the condition.

Equine surgeon David Wilson and his team at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Canada have developed a vaccine that targets the gastrointestinal upset caused by eating too much carbohydrate in grass, which can be a trigger for laminitis.

Dr Wilson plans to develop a product suitable for vets across the world to use.

Mark Bowen, immediate past president of BEVA (the British Equine Veterinary Association), said Dr Wilson’s work provides “valuable insight” into understanding the link between the intestine and the foot, when horses develop laminitis.

“The performance of this vaccine, which targets bacterial toxins produced by the bacteria within the colon, has only yet been evaluated in experimental models,” he told H&H. “How the vaccine functions in naturally occurring disease remains to be demonstrated, but potentially offers a valuable method for preventing this disease.”

Mr Bowen added that in many ways, the vaccine’s mechanism of action is similar to that of FounderGuard, an antibiotic previously used in susceptible horses, but which can no longer be obtained due to concerns over antibiotic resistance.

A separate research project carried out by a team from North Carolina State University has confirmed regular mowing of pastures can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance and associated laminitis.

The researchers found decreasing grass height reduced carbohydrate concentrations, and the insulin response of horses who had grazed the pasture.

UK vet Karen Coumbe welcomed the US research.

“Pasture management is so important and many horses and ponies live on lush grazing,” she said. “There is always a spate of cases at this time of year with a combination of rain and warmth and this year is no exception.

“Many horses and ponies are a little chunkier than they should be and are high risk candidates — owners need to be vigilant.”

But it appears that there has not been a significant increase of cases year-on-year.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Talk About Laminitis (TAL) awareness initiative started on 1 June.

A spokesman said preliminary figures do not suggest a significant increase in the number of horses being tested for laminitis compared to previous years.

“This will not necessarily reflect the full picture when we review the data at the end of the campaign, in October,” he added.

The British Horse Society reminded owners to remain vigilant for signs of laminitis.

“As with all conditions and diseases, prevention is better than cure,” said a spokesman.