Because laminitis compromises the equine foot so drastically, horses with the disease are more prone to foot infections and abscesses. During the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Bob Agne, DVM, an equine podiatrist at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., discussed how to diagnose and treat such infections.
The structural damage that results from laminitis restricts blood flow to the foot, which makes infection more difficult to fight. Agne said that the stretched and scarred white line in laminitic horses is particularly susceptible to infection.
"The scar tissue is moist and lacks normal blood flow, and consequently is a prime medium for bacterial growth and infection," Agne said.
Hoof infections threaten normal horses as well and usually present with the typical signs of inflammation, Agne said, which include lameness, swelling, heat, draining tracts, increased digital pulse, and/or possible evidence of hoof injuries.
When diagnosing foot infections, Agne stressed, it's essential to determine whether they are superficial or also involve deeper structures. That allows a veterinarian to prescribe the best treatment plan and give an accurate prognosis. If the infection involves the coffin and/or navicular bone, coffin joint, tendon sheath, collateral cartilages, and/or navicular bursa, the prognosis will be more guarded.
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