World Horse Welfare launches laminitis resource
Laminitis may affect more than 4,000 horses in the UK every year.
A new educational resource has been launched by World Horse Welfare to provide horse owners with everything they need to know about laminitis.
The free leaflet has been developed following research which revealed that laminitis can strike at any time of the year and not just during spring and summer as often perceived.
Launched at the 2015 BEVA Congress, the publication sets out the different types of laminitis, explains how it affects the horse's hoof, key symptoms and the treatment options.
The leaflet also provides valuable advice on preventing the disease and covers the two major risk factors also identified by the research - hormonal disorders such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and an inflammatory response following either carbohydrate overload or an inflammatory disease like colic.
Sam Chubbock, head of UK support at World Horse Welfare, said: “Laminitis is an extremely painful condition that can affect any horse, pony, donkey or their hybrids and so we have developed a resource that would be accessible to all horse owners, providing them with valuable information on the disease in a straightforward and reader-friendly format.
“Whilst many people are aware of laminitis, there are still a lot of misconceptions that only certain types of horses are at risk or that it is more likely to occur in the spring time, so we wanted to address these myths in the leaflet and clearly set out the facts.”
Although laminitis is one of the most widely known equine diseases, a study undertaken by vet Dr Claire Wylie in conjunction with World Horse Welfare identified that it may affect more than 4,000 horses in the UK every year.
The research found that laminitis occurs throughout the year, with no prevalence during the spring time as commonly perceived. In fact, the study showed that there are more incidences during the winter, so owners should remain vigilant regardless of the time of year.
Sam Chubbock adds: “Claire Wylie’s research study marked an important step in identifying laminitis risk factors and World Horse Welfare is once again working with the Animal Health Trust to fund the CARE about Laminitis study which builds on Dr Wylie’s research."
"The CARE study needs horse owners to submit information about their equines in order to build up an extensive database which will be vital in learning more about laminitis risk factors so we can help prevent and treat future cases.
"The study is open to all horses, whether or not they have ever suffered from laminitis, so I’d urge everyone who hasn’t already done so to sign up and help join the fight against this painful and life-threatening disease.”
World Horse Welfare’s laminitis leaflet can be downloaded from: www.worldhorsewelfare.org/laminitis
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
