What Causes Winter Laminitis

Cold weather can cause laminitis in horses.

What causes winter laminitis.

The horse does not necessarily have a prior history of laminitis. Veterinarians working with many laminitic horses are well acquainted with the problem but others may be unfamiliar with it. The digital pulses may or may not be elevated. The pain is often severe but the feet aren t hot as they are in classical acute laminitis cases.

Every winter some owners and caretakers are faced with the onset of obvious foot pain in their horses for no apparent reason. It s a laminitis like syndrome triggered by cold weather. Are some horses more susceptible than others. Here s how to spot the warning signs and act fast to manage them.

Laminitis has become one of the most heavily researched aspects of lameness because it affects so many horses. Winter laminitis pain is a significant problem for some of these horses. Although laminitis occurs in the feet the underlying cause is often a disturbance elsewhere in the horse s body. Should you protect a laminitic horse when the weather is cold discover how you can help your horse and avoid laminitis due to the cold.

Winter laminitis can strike with no change in diet or management. Many horses seem to struggle with laminitis in winter. The causes vary and may include the following. Many questions need to be answered but significant headway has been made in understanding and controlling this issue.

Some horses have a history of winter laminitis that strikes the same time every year and is resistant to all efforts at treatment until one day in early spring it suddenly goes away. Many have a history of laminitis at other times of the year but some do not. Horses normally have a very high tolerance for cold. Winter laminitis strikes with n0 change in diet or management.

In all species cold causes a reflex shunting of blood away from the extremities and toward the core to.