What Causes Stress Laminitis

Laminitis is a disease that causes lameness in horses.

What causes stress laminitis.

Laminitis means inflammation of the laminae of the horse s hoof. It was once associated primarily with overweight ponies but it can affect any age or size of horse. A dramatic change in environment and or frequent travelling particularly for overweight animals can trigger laminitis. This can all occur before any symptoms are apparent and once the process has started it is extremely difficult to stop.

While the exact mechanisms by which the feet are damaged remain a mystery certain precipitating events can produce laminitis. Understand what laminitis is. It can often cause lameness in two or all four feet at one time but it is preventable. With this disease the laminae weaken which attach the pedal bone to the inside of the hoof.

Laminitis commonly known as founder is a painful disease that causes severe lameness in horses. These toxins provoke a response within the horse that is thought to disrupt blood flow which in the feet can cause laminitis. The horses pedal bone detaches from the inside of the hoof. The causes vary and may include the following.

Common causes of laminitis include. Stress induced equine laminitis there are many causes of equine stress and due to some stress laminitis in horses may be developed. Laminitis involves the failure of the bond between the hoof wall and the distal phalanx commonly called the coffin bone pedal bone or third phalanx p3. Mares are also at risk shortly after foaling because of the additional physical stress.

After a long journey due to the transportation of horses introduction to the new environment staying a long time in hard standing riding horses in the unknown trail and unfamiliar stablemates may also lead to. After infection for example a mare who has recently foaled and has retained the afterbirth. Before we get into what causes laminitis in horses let s quickly cover what is laminitis. In this post we ll go over what laminitis is what causes it and how to prevent it.