Why is so little known/understood about laminitis?

Supertrooper

Supertrooper

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Just been reading the article in this weeks H+H on new research into laminitis, having had personal experience in this awful disease (I lost my cob in 2008) it suprises me that there is still so much that isn't known and also so much conflicting advice even by the experts.

I know the first aid advice is pretty standard but it is more how to protect your horse and managing pasture.

Does anyone agree/disagree?
 
I think it's because laminitis is a symptom (such as a cough etc) rather than a disease. So, for example, to treat a cough you need to know the underlying cause and the same is true of laminitis, there is no point treating lung cancer with an antibiotic and there is no point restricting grazing in a horse with a severe cushings - cos you're not treating the same thing.

I may be wrong I'm not a vet but this is my understanding of it.

BnBx
 
I think the fact that laminitis has so many different risk factors may make it complex to explain and to understand. I also think that some people don't understand how serious it is - until you have seen the agony a horse with acute laminitis goes through, it can be hard to get your head around how serious it can be.

This is an interesting video: http://www.youtube.com/user/horsecharity#p/u/4/xQvbCsvVxAw

And a well-respected speaker, well I certainly rate him for whatever that's worth!:)
 
I'd say there is quite a lot of knowledge around about laminitis. Haven't seen the H&H article so can't comment on that but I know there has been a lot of research into laminitis done. Look up some of the work done by Derek Knottenbelt for instance. There are books written on the subject and owners and feed companies are a lot more knowledgable about what can trigger it now than they used to be. Obviously it's not just triggered by feed and other risk factors can be harder to avoid. But I do think people are a lot more aware of it now than they used to be. (though this may just be the people I know!)
 
I think a lot is known about laminitis and it's causes. This information may not be well communicated though.

There is both ignorance and conflict about the management/treatment of laminitis though and sadly this leads to unnecessary pain and premature death for too many equines.
 
Suspect its a case of, the more we know, the more we realise we still have to learn about.

Are you refering to the findings that pasture restriction isn't good for laminitics? If so that's not conflicting advice if you read into the for and against arguements: they both say reducing intake of fructans is the key, its just that one (simplistic IMO) opinion is to do that you just give the horse less area of field to graze, the newer one says hang on a minute, the new shoots that come through are packed with fructans, so its not a good idea.

I think that one method which would be hard to disagree with would be to feed a measured amount of old stalky hay in a dirt paddock. :)

...providing your horse does not eat the dirt. ;)
 
Bark chipping paddocks are great - inedible (theoretically ;)) and also supportive to sore tootsies, and then of course you can ration fodder. Although they are a bit of a specialist provision, they are good for laminitics:)
 
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