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Equine Laminitis Current Concepts

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Equine Laminitis Current Concepts Equine Laminitis Current Concepts by Chris Pollitt 08/062 RIRDCInnovation for rural Australia 08-062 Covers.indd 1 9/05/2008 4:30:30 PM Equine Laminitis Current Concepts by Christopher C. Pollitt May 2008 RIRDC Publication No 08/062 RIRDC UQ-118A © 2008 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 1 74151 651 X ISSN 1440-6845 Equine laminitis – Current Concepts Publication No. 08/062 Project No. RIRDC UQ-118A. The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. However, wide dissemination is encouraged. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165. Researcher Contact Details Professor Chris Pollitt Professor of Equine Medicine School of Veterinary Science The University of Queensland St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland AUSTRALIA Email: [email protected] Web: www.laminitisresearch.org Mobile: 0419 721 682 Fax: 07 3365 2351 In submitting this report, the researcher has agreed to RIRDC publishing this material in its edited form. RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 2, 15 National Circuit BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6271 4100 Fax: 02 6271 4199 Email: [email protected]. Web: http://www.rirdc.gov.au Published in May 2008 Printed by Union Offset, Canberra ii Foreword The horse industry makes a significant economic and cultural contribution to Australia, and the maintenance of horse health and welfare is a primary concern of owners, trainers and veterinarians alike. Laminitis is a painful and devastating disease that can cripple a horse and end its productive life. There has been a considerable amount of research over recent years to try to understand laminitis, but scientists have struggled to reconcile the wide range of apparently unrelated factors which can trigger the condition. This report describes four research projects that initially focussed on the developmental and acute stages of laminitis. The research teams involved in these projects included microbiologists, molecular biologists, pathologists, electron microscopists, physiologists and endocrinologists, and this unique critical mass has enabled significant contributions to the understanding of laminitis. As new knowledge accrued a successful preventive strategy, employing distal limb cryotherapy, was developed that is now the only scientifically proven laminitis preventive. The importance of this report is that it provides an overview of laminitis for horse owners, veterinarians and scientists. It describes the anatomy, physiology and ultrastructure of the horse’s foot to form a basis for understanding the complex pathology that underpins the disease. It describes the radiology of the horse’s foot and introduces the new technique of retrograde venography. This report, an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 1800 research publications, forms part of our Horse R&D Program, which aims to assist in developing the Australian horse industry and enhancing its export potential. Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online through our website: • downloads at www.rirdc.gov.au/fullreports/index.html • purchases at www.rirdc.gov.au/eshop Peter O’Brien Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation iii Acknowledgments The author gratefully acknowledges the hard work and cheerful collaboration of the post graduate students and colleagues whose names appear in the following list of laminitis research publications and whose research has thus contributed to the production of this book. iv Contents Foreword............................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................. iv Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. x 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The Problem of Laminitis.............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Laminitis Research ........................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Key Points ..................................................................................................................................... 2 2. The Horse’s Foot ............................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Foot structure and function............................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Hoof growth .................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 Hoof wall tubules .......................................................................................................................... 7 2.4 The corium .................................................................................................................................... 8 2.4.1 The coronary corium .............................................................................................................. 9 2.4.2 The lamellar corium - distal phalanx attachment apparatus ................................................... 9 2.5 Key Points ................................................................................................................................... 10 3. Lamellar Anatomy .......................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 The lamellae of the inner hoof wall............................................................................................. 11 3.2 Secondary epidermal lamellae..................................................................................................... 12 3.3 The basement membrane............................................................................................................. 12 3.4 Hemidesmosomes........................................................................................................................ 13 3.5 Basal cell cytoskeleton ................................................................................................................ 14 3.6 Hoof wall growth ........................................................................................................................ 15 3.7 Lamellar remodeling enzymes .................................................................................................... 17 3.8 Lamellar metabolism................................................................................................................... 18 3.9 Key Points ................................................................................................................................... 18 4. Laminitis in Perspective.................................................................................................................. 19 4.1 The laminitis literature ................................................................................................................ 19 4.2 The developmental phase ............................................................................................................ 19 4.3 The acute phase ........................................................................................................................... 19 4.4 The chronic phase........................................................................................................................ 20 4.5 The Obel grades of lameness....................................................................................................... 21 4.6 Laminitis is a sequel to an event remote from the foot ............................................................... 21 4.7 Grass founder .............................................................................................................................
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