Ozonetherapy for equine laminitis [abstract]
Authors: Eduardo Flores-Colin, S. Gayon-Amaro
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Ozonetherapy for Equine Chronic Laminitis Chronic laminitis represents one of the most challenging conditions in equine practice, particularly in severe cases where horses become non-weight-bearing and conventional therapies yield limited results. Flores-Colin and Gayon-Amaro investigated two ozone therapy techniques—ozonised saline hyperperfusion and major autohemotherapy—in six severely lame horses (grades 4/5–5/5) treated via cephalic vein injection with oxygen-ozone mixtures at concentrations of 23–85 mcg/mL. Four horses receiving the full weekly protocol over four sessions showed marked improvement, with lameness reducing to grades 1/5–2/5 (a 90–95% improvement rate), whilst two horses treated once without protocol adherence showed negligible progress. The authors report superior outcomes in both speed and quality of recovery compared to conventional treatments, though the small sample size and lack of control group limit definitive conclusions about efficacy. For practitioners managing refractory chronic laminitis cases, these results warrant further investigation and controlled trials, particularly given the dramatic functional improvement observed in compliant cases; however, ozone therapy should currently be considered an adjunctive or experimental approach rather than a first-line alternative to evidence-based farriery, anti-inflammatory therapy, and metabolic management.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Ozonetherapy via hyperperfusion (ozonized saline or autohemotherapy) showed substantial lameness reduction in severely affected chronic laminitis cases when administered as a weekly protocol over 4 weeks
- •Single-session treatments were ineffective; commitment to a 4-week treatment schedule appears necessary for clinical benefit
- •This small case series suggests ozonetherapy may be worth investigating further as an adjunct or alternative to conventional chronic laminitis management, though larger controlled trials are needed before drawing firm conclusions
Key Findings
- •Four horses treated with weekly ozonetherapy sessions (4 weeks) improved from 4-5/5 lameness to 1-2/5 lameness (90-95% improvement)
- •Two horses receiving single ozonetherapy treatment showed minimal improvement, suggesting protocol adherence is critical
- •Ozonetherapy reportedly produced faster recovery with better outcomes compared to conventional laminitis treatments in this case series