Home care for horses with chronic laminitis.
Authors: Orsini, Wrigley, Riley
Journal: The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Home Care for Horses with Chronic Laminitis Whilst veterinary literature has extensively documented the medical and farriery management of acute laminitis, the practical realities of long-term home-based care for chronic cases remain largely unaddressed despite most practitioners managing at least one such horse at any given time. Orsini, Wrigley and Riley's 2010 review synthesises evidence and clinical experience to examine the multifaceted challenges owners face when caring for chronically laminitic horses—moving beyond pharmacological protocols and trimming strategies to address the medical, ethical, financial, and emotional dimensions that determine whether these cases succeed or fail. Their framework acknowledges that owner compliance and psychological wellbeing are inseparable from clinical outcomes, yet receive minimal attention in standard treatment guidelines. For equine professionals involved in chronic laminitis management, recognising these broader contextual factors is essential; directing owners solely through medical protocols without addressing financial constraints, emotional burden, or realistic prognosis may undermine even technically sound veterinary recommendations. This perspective shift is particularly valuable for farriers and physiotherapists collaborating on cases, as successful rehabilitation depends not only on precise therapeutic intervention but on sustainable owner engagement throughout what is often a prolonged, costly recovery period.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Recognize that home management of chronic laminitis involves more than medical/farriery protocols—veterinarians must address owner education, financial constraints, and emotional burden to optimize outcomes
- •Develop individualized home care plans that integrate medical management, trimming/shoeing strategies, and practical support systems tailored to each owner's capabilities and resources
- •Acknowledge the psychological and financial toll of chronic laminitis management on owners and provide appropriate guidance and realistic expectations to improve compliance and horse welfare
Key Findings
- •Home care management of chronic laminitis is rarely discussed in veterinary literature despite being commonly encountered in practice
- •Medical and farriery management strategies for chronic laminitis have been extensively documented, but non-medical challenges receive limited attention
- •Home care for chronic laminitis presents multifaceted challenges including medical, ethical, financial, and emotional dimensions that require individualized approaches