WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT LAMINITIS

Even as you wait for your veterinarian, take steps to stop the progress of the laminitis and set the stage for your horse’s treatment and recovery:

• Ice the affected feet. Researchers have found that placing the horse’s feet in ice at the earliest sign of trouble reduces the severity of laminitis. This treatment can even prevent the disease entirely if, for example, your horse has broken into the grain bin and you suspect laminitis may develop. You’ll want to stand the horse in a tub filled with ice and cold water deep enough to reach the middle of the cannon bone.

• Keep the horse still. You don’t want to walk a horse with laminitis because the stresses on his feet may damage the weakened laminae. If he really can’t be left where you found him until the veterinarian arrives, choose the shortest route over the softest footing that is possible. It may be worthwhile to bring a trailer to the horse and let him ride to the barn.

• Take the horse’s vital signs. A fever might indicate that your horse has an underlying illness you hadn’t noticed, and data such as his pulse and rate of breathing offer insights into the severity of his pain. Make notes of your findings, and the time you recorded them, to share with your veterinarian.