Recognizing the Symptoms of Laminitis
While taking precautionary measures will help to reduce the risk of your horse developing laminitis, it is still important to know how to recognize the symptoms of this condition. By recognizing the symptoms as early as possible, you will give your horse the best chance for recovery.
Acute Laminitis Symptoms
With acute laminitis, the symptoms come on quickly and are often quite severe. Symptoms of acute laminitis include:
- Inability or reluctance to walk or move
- Tendency to lie down with an unwillingness to get up
- Visibly appearing lam when moving
- Increased digital pulse in the foot
- Leaning on hind feet when standing
- Placing heels down first when walking
Many times, the symptoms associated with acute laminitis are similar to those that are associated with colic.
Symptoms of Chronic Laminitis
With chronic laminitis, your horse will show ongoing symptoms that may even be a relapse from a previous attack. Some symptoms associated with chronic laminitis include:
- Growth rings around the hood wall (not to be confused with hoof rings, which are associated with changes to nutrition)
- Heel growth at a faster rate than toe growth
- Widening of the white line in the hoof
- Large crest along the neckline
If you notice any of these symptoms in your horse, it is important to begin treatment right away in order to minimize the damage and to give your horse the best chance for recovery.