Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    Dr David Marlin
    Header image
    • News
      1. News
      2. Blog
      Featured
      11 May 2023

      OPEN Survey – Fly Masks – What do you think?

      Recent
      26 May 2023

      FEI launch a New Horse Welfare hub on FEI Campus

      25 May 2023

      15 Nations qualified for Paris 2024

      24 May 2023

      Glove Testers – Time to review

    • Resources
      • Articles
      • Product Reviews
      • How To
      • Feed Materials In Focus
      • Research/Papers
        • Research Reviewed
      • References
      • Glossary
    • Webinars
      • Coming Up LIVE Webinars
      • Webinar Replays
    • Podcasts/Videos
      • Podcasts
      • Videos
    • What’s On
    • Website Guide
      • Guide to the Site
      • Why Join?
      • Become a Member
      • About Dr David Marlin
      • Our Team
      • FAQs
      • Services & Contact
    • Members Area
      • Join Now
      • Your Membership
        • Manage Your Subscriptions
        • Edit Your Details
        • Renew Here
      • Member Offers
      • Member’s Questions
    • Log In
    Header image
    You are at:Home»News»RSPCA Officer’s plea for more care of laminitic horses

    RSPCA Officer’s plea for more care of laminitic horses

    0
    By Helen Stock on 30 May 2022 News

    Every year we see the same problem: equines with symptoms which are consistent with laminitis – not only with inexperienced owners, often with horse owners who have had horses for years and would therefore consider themselves to be experienced, who identify laminitis in their equine, but their knowledge of the condition may have been passed on through generations or learnt years ago, and they have not re-educated themselves with more up-to-date science of the condition. In turn they then fail to understand the needs of the animal once it has the condition. 
    It is important to remember only a vet can diagnose, and in turn treat, any condition.
    To try to be as simple as possible about the condition, if laminitis is suspected there are two principles that owners need to understand:

    1. Laminitis is PAINFUL, therefore it needs a vet to diagnose and in turn medicate correctly to ensure the pain levels are managed and the equine is given the best chance of a successful outcome. Bute is a POM-V and therefore must be prescribed by a vet for the individual horse.  
    2. The internal structures of the hoof are unstable, which is why they NEED a farrier who understands the foot and what support it needs.  

    These two experts are who an owner needs to consult when laminitis is suspected. We understand even the best of owners can get caught out with the condition, it’s what that owner does once their equine has it that I find needs highlighting and more education. 

    The other reason veterinary intervention is needed is due to the causation of the condition: a large proportion of diagnosed cases are caused by an endocrine disorder, therefore an owner needs a vet to diagnose and successfully treat to try to prevent it recurring. 
    That all said, prevention is better than cure, and sadly today’s society has become too accustomed to seeing fat as normal. I often get called to thin dogs, cats and horses only to arrive and find an animal which is actually in lovely fit condition. Overweight horses are far more likely to get laminitis than those kept in a fit body condition.  We also often fail to recognise a true reflection of our own animals’ body conditions due to wearing rose-coloured spectacles. There are many websites with guidance on how to body condition score your horse, and Glasgow University has an interactive body condition scoring app that horse owners can download to use to identify and correctly body score their equines to help keep our horses healthy.

    Suzanne Smith
    Inspector & Equine Officer West Mercia
    RSPCA


    The RSPA Veterinary Team sent us this to highlight the issue:

    “Laminitis is an issue that our officers deal with every year and we want to raise awareness and understanding, not just in relation to identifying the condition, but also what owners need to be doing to meet their animal’s needs once it’s been diagnosed.

    “When equines have symptoms consistent with laminitis, or when laminitis is suspected, it’s extremely important that a vet is called to make a diagnosis and administer appropriate treatment.

    “Laminitis is an extremely painful condition and veterinary intervention is crucial to ensure pain levels are managed and the condition is treated for the best chance of a successful outcome. A large proportion of cases can be caused by a hormonal disorder, which again, requires diagnosis and treatment by a vet to try to prevent reoccurence. 

    “The internal structures of a horse’s hoof are unstable, so it’s also vitally important when dealing with laminitis that owners consult a farrier who understands the foot and what support it needs. 

    “It’s also important to recognise that overweight horses are far more likely to get laminitis than those kept in a fit body condition. There are many websites with guidance on how to score your horse’s body condition, including a Glasgow University app that owners can download to help them keep their horses healthy.”


    If you have any concerns about your horse and suspect they may have or be prone to laminitis you must CALL YOUR VET! We cannot stress that highly enough. Only a vet can diagnosis a horse’s illness.
    To learn more about laminitis, click here to watch a webinar by one of our vets, Dr Kirstie Pickles – it is very informative and after the webinar Kirstie goes on to answer lots of our members’ questions – which are printed at the bottom.

    To watch RSPCA Inspector and Equine Officer, Suzanne Smith’s video to Dr David Marlin click here.

    Loading

    Related posts:

    1. Marlin Scientific References to 2020
    2. A plea from RSPCA Officer to Dr David Marlin to help educate the owners of laminitic equines
    3. Feed Materials In Focus – Why and How to Feed Oil to Horses
    4. Research Paper PrePrint – An investigation into the daily level of voluntary activity of stabled riding school horses. 
    laminitic Laminitis nutrition obesity RSPCA Vet
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Helen Stock Head of Operations
    Helen Stock

    Helen is Head of Operations. Making sure the website and membership runs smoothly, whilst developing new ideas and initiatives.

    Related Posts

    A plea from RSPCA Officer to Dr David Marlin to help educate the owners of laminitic equines

    Feed Materials In Focus – Why and How to Feed Oil to Horses

    Marlin Scientific References to 2020

    Introduction from David
    https://vimeo.com/478007186?loop=0
    Popular Posts
    • 5 Top Tips for Dealing with the Heat5 top tips for dealing with the heat
      In News
      10 August 2021
    • Webinar – The Equine Liver by Dr Kirstie Pickles
      In Webinars
      18 June 2022
    • University Nottingham research project on equine end of life decisions
      In News
      3 March 2022
    • Can biotin worsen hyperkeratosis in “Sallenders and Mallenders”?
      In Articles, Feed Materials In Focus
      28 November 2020
    • Disease report now available
      In News
      8 August 2022
    • Horse sleeping in the grassPodcast – Horses get headaches too by Dr Gillian Tabor
      In Podcasts
      2 March 2023
    Join Now Banner
    About

    The drdavidmarlin.com site is an independent information resource for all equestrians. A source of unbiased, science-based research, we deliver news, and product reviews, with webinars, podcasts and articles covering the full breadth of the equine world.

    David Marlin has been involved with horses all his life and is an experienced equine scientist. He has always been passionate about equine welfare and as a result has been involved in many campaigns. You can read more about David in the About Page.

    Become a member today to get access to all this site has to offer!

    Become a Member

      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
      Copyright © 2022 Dr David Marlin
      • How To Join
      • Website User Guide
      • FAQs
      • Services & Contact
      • Legal – Disclaimers, Terms, and Policies
      • Sitemap

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

      We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

      You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

      Dr David Marlin
      Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

      Strictly Necessary Cookies

      Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

      If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.