Evaluation of coagulation and fibrinolysis during the prodromal stages of carbohydrate-induced acute laminitis in horses.
Authors: Prasse, Allen, Moore, Duncan
Journal: American journal of veterinary research
Summary
Carbohydrate-induced laminitis remains a significant clinical concern, yet the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood; this study examined whether disruption of the delicate balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis contributes to disease onset by sampling blood from 15 horses during controlled carbohydrate overload protocols, with samples taken at predetermined clinical endpoints (either 12–24 hours before lameness or at lameness onset). Despite comprehensive haemostasis evaluation including platelet parameters, coagulation times, fibrinogen and plasminogen levels, inhibitor proteins, and fibrin degradation products, no significant alterations were detected in any measured parameters, suggesting that systemic coagulation abnormalities are not primary drivers of acute laminitis development in this model. The negative findings are reassuring for practitioners as they indicate laminitis pathogenesis likely involves mechanisms beyond gross haemostatic imbalance—such as local digital vascular dysfunction, endothelial permeability changes, or inflammatory mediator cascades—warranting investigation of alternative biochemical pathways. Additionally, the study established reference ranges for several haemostasis assays in healthy adult horses, providing valuable baseline data for future research and clinical applications. Whilst this research narrows the aetiological focus away from systemic coagulation defects, practitioners should continue exploring other therapeutic avenues and remain alert to subtle microvascular or tissue-specific mechanisms that standard blood tests may not capture.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Coagulation/fibrinolysis testing is unlikely to be diagnostically useful for early laminitis detection, despite theoretical involvement in pathogenesis
- •Laminitis prevention and management should focus on other pathogenic mechanisms rather than anticoagulation strategies
- •Standard hemostasis panels do not show clinically useful changes in the prodromal stages of carbohydrate-induced laminitis
Key Findings
- •No significant changes detected in platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, or fibrin degradation products during prodromal laminitis
- •Coagulation and fibrinolysis imbalance is not pathogenic in the onset of experimentally induced equine acute laminitis
- •Reference values for hemostasis parameters were established in 34 healthy adult horses