Incidence of Laminitis in Great Britain

Population survey studies of laminitis are rarely reported in the literature compared to papers that investigate the underlying pathology of the diseases and how to treat it. This prospective cohort study used a web-based reporting tool to enroll normal horses and ponies without laminitis whose owners then received monthly reminders to report the development of signs of laminitis among the enrolled animals over a 2-year period. The authors have previously published a paper demonstrating that owner reporting of laminitis is a reliable indicator of the disease event in the absence of confirmation by a veterinarian.

A total of 1,070 horses and ponies were followed over time identifying 123 episodes of laminitis among 97 animals. About half of the cases were confirmed by a veterinarian and most (75%) had a previous history of laminitis. The incidence of new cases among animals without a history of the disease was about 9.5% (9.6 episodes per 100 animals at risk for over 1 year) compared with about 11.5% including repeat episodes. No specific seasonal variation was identified, but Connemara and New Forest ponies were identified as at higher risk while draft and cobb breeds were at lower risk. Difficulty turning and lameness at a walk characterized by a short, stilted gait were the most common signs reported.

— Pollard D et al. 2019; 51:587-594

Insulin Resistance in Paso Finos and Thoroughbreds

Insulin resistance has been widely associated with laminitis. This study examined the effect of breed (12 moderate…