Laminitis is a common but devastating condition, and affected horses are often euthanized or influenced a very long time. Many horses never return to their original capacity. Laminitis is often associated with severe pain and a long time of convalescence. Symthoms includes lameness, hoof hyperthermia, strenghthened digital pulse and pain. The horse often tries to move the body weight away from the forelegs which are often more severly affected than the hindlimbs.

Obese horses with insulin resistance are often also afflicted with Laminitis. Horses with these symptoms are given the diagnosis equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Signs of insulin resistance are excessive accumulation of adipose tissue on the neck, around the withers and on the dorsal area of the hindquarters. Insulin resistance means that the function of insulin is defective and does not stimulate glucose uptake by the cells in the body in the correct way. This will result in an increased insulin release.

Laminitis is a debilitating disease causing much suffering to horses and ponies all over the world. It is manifested in the hooves as a mechanical failure of the suspensory apparatus between the hoof capsule and the distal phalanx. Due to the weight of the horse the disease may result in a dislocation of third phalanx. Six healthy standardbred trotters were used in this study on whether standardbreds tolerate forced recumbency as well as Shetland ponies. Recumbency was induced pharmacologically but maintained only by lowering the ceiling height of the box to a height of approximately 125 ? 140 % of the horse´s thoracic height.

Laminitis has crippled horses through times and many cures have been used to treat it. Since the mechanism of the disease is yet not fully understood, treatments are only ways to alleviate the pain and at best, slow down the pathological process enough to make time for improvement. This paper is a retrospective study of 71 horses treated by a protocol at Hästsjukhuset Strömsholm. The protocol implies three visits at zero, five and fifteen weeks. At each the horse is evaluated and treated by a veterinarian.

Dairy cows transform grass to milk with help from ruminal microorganisms that can digest indigestible fiber in their feed. The digestive system of the cow is adapted to a diet consisting of forage and disorders like acidosis, Laminitis and abomasal displacement can occur if the feed contains too much starch. To achieve the highest production possible the cow has to be given a high amount of concentrate or grain as the difference in milk yield is significant, approximately 1000 kg energy corrected milk per cow and year between conventional and organic cows that are fed a lower versus a higher share of forage. If the cow shall be able to eat the same amount of energy from forage as from grain or concentrate the eating- and rumination time gets longer and she might not be able to eat enough, which will result in a lower milk yield and will make it harder for the cow to recover from the negative energy balance that originate from the beginning of the lactation. Fat and in a sense protein content differs also depending on if the cow is given a high or low share of forage..

Cows are ruminants and they need fibers in their feed and sufficient eating time to function psychologically and physiologically. Many of our cows don?t get enough forage and too much concentrates, which given in the wrong way may cause health and behavior problems. Too much concentrates at once makes the pH in the rumen sink and this may cause decreased fiber utilization since the microbes in the rumen are negatively affected by this. The cow may also get serious problems such as Laminitis and abomasal dislocation.

60 million years ago the horse was the size of a small dog, and walked on four toes. Today it can weigh up to 500-1000 kg and has evolved to walking on only one phalanx. The anatomy of the horses? legs and hooves allow them to run at high speeds, and at the same time enables them to bear the extremely high concussions applied to the foot at high speeds or jumps. Every horse owner has his or her own opinion on how to manage their horses? hooves, and whether the horse should be shod or unshod. The knowledge, commitment and attention of the owner determine the quality of the hoof care, but also the time between the arising of symptoms of abnormalities of the hoof until care is sought with a farrier or veterinarian. New laws will be applied at the beginning of 2015 which bring on changes in authorization for farriers.

Metabolic diseases in dairy cows are considered to increase the risk for claw lesions, most of all Laminitis, sole haemorrhages and sole ulcers, but also to increase the risk for environmental claw lesions. The aim of this study was to compare claw health in 27 Swedish dairy farms, 18 with high incidence of metabolic diseases and 9 with low incidence. Data on claw health status was retrieved from recordings at routine claw trimmings and analysed on herd level regarding the prevalence of: any lesion, interdigital dermatitis, heel-horn erosion, sole haemorrhages, sole ulcer, lameness, abnormal claw shape, and other diseases (abscess in the white line, limb disorders, double sole, laminitic groove, white line disease, interdigital phlegmon, interdigital hyperplasia, toe abscess and verucose dermatitis). Mean prevalence of any lesion for herds with low incidence of metabolic diseases was 48 % and in herds with high incidence 41 %, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups. Mean prevalence for interdigital dermatitis was 2,0 % and 6.4 % in the low and high incidence groups, respectively (p.

Fång är ett ökande problem i hästpopulationen och ett samband mellan fetma, insulinresistens och en förhöjd risk för fång har setts i ett flertal studier. Fältdiagnostiken för påvisande av insulinresistens är idag mycket begränsad och de metoder som framför allt används, mätning av fasteinsulin- och fasteglukoskoncentrationer via blodprov, har visat sig ha låg tillförlitlighet och reproducerbarhet. Behovet av en enkel och pålitlig fältdiagnostisk metod för utvärdering av insulinkänslighet hos hästar är därför stort. Studien syftade till att utvärdera ett oralt glukostoleranstest (OGT) som alternativ till dagens fältdiagnostiska metoder för detektion av insulinresistens hos häst. Genom att diagnosticera insulinresistenta hästar, samt de hästar som befinner sig i riskzonen för att utveckla insulinresistens, kan förebyggande åtgärder vidtas och en uppföljning av dessa åtgärder göras med hjälp av OGT, vilket kan leda till att hästarna på så sätt fortsättningsvis kan hållas friska. 14 kliniskt friska varmblodiga travare användes i försöket. Samtliga hästar genomgick, förutom det orala glukostoleranstestet, en euglykemisk hyperinsulinemisk clamp (EHC) för kvantifiering av deras insulinkänslighet. I det orala glukostoleranstestet gavs försökshästarna glukossirap oralt i en dos på 0,2 ml/kg kroppsvikt och deras insulin- och glukossvar följdes därefter under tre timmar med provtagning varje halvtimme.

The top selection of Swedish beef bulls are evaluated yearly by Svensk Köttrasprövning AB at Gismestad. The bulls are selected from six different breeds; Angus, Blonde d´Aquitaine, Charolais, Hereford, Limousin and Simmental, and are kept on straw bedding apart from a concrete alley in front of the feeding area during the six months of evaluation period. The bulls are evaluated according to their fertility scores, growth, exterior and temperament and the exterior, body posture and claw conformation reflect important qualities for their longevity. In spite of good values for fertility, it has been noticed in the last years that the fertility results and longevity have been unsatisfactory and claw and/or bone disorders have been suspected as a contributory cause. Persson et al. (2007) studied breeding bulls from Gismestad and other places, which had been slaughtered due to poor fertility (no pregnancies in the herd during their last year in service).

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) it?s a clinical condition that includes obesity, regional adiposity, insulin resistance (IR) and Laminitis. A similar syndrome exists in human medi-cine, the metabolic syndrome (MS), were systemic hypertension also is a prominent fea-ture. The systemic hypertension seen in humans with MS is partly due to a vascular endo-thelial dysfunction with an enhanced endothelin-1 (ET-1) mediated vasoconstriction. There are indications that systemic hypertension might be a feature in EMS as well but if ET-1 is involved in the development of the systemic hypertension in horses is not known.

Syftet med detta arbete är att ge en översikt om vad som publicerats avseende patogenes, symptom och diagnosticering av PPID samt översiktligt korrelera PPID till patogenes och behandling vid fång. Hypofysen delas in i neurohypofysen och adenohypofysen, som i sin tur är uppdelad i pars distalis, pars intermedia och pars tuberalis. Hypotalamus reglerar en del av hypofysens hormonproduktion, genom frisättning av corticotropin releasing homone (CRH) och dopamin som transporteras via hypofysstjälk och blodkärl. I Hypofysen initieras respektive hämmas syntesen av hormon som ACTH. ACTH stimulerar i sin tur frisättning av kortisol från endokrina celler i binjurebarken. Kortisol fungerar sedan som en negativ feedback signal som inhiberar både sekretionen av CRH och ACTH. Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, ofta inkorrekt kallat Cushing?s Syndrome) är rapporterat hos hästar över 12 år, med ökad incidens hos hästar över 20 år.

I takt med ökande mjölkproduktion hos dagens mjölkkor ökar också energibehovet vilket ställer stora krav på utfodringen. En stor andel kraftfoder i foderstaten kan ge upphov till en pH-sänkning i vommen och subakut vomacidos (SARA) kan uppkomma. Syftet med den här litteraturstudien var att ge en översikt över vad SARA är, vilka orsakerna är, vilka följder det kan få med särskilt fokus på fång, samt hur man kan förebygga utvecklingen av SARA. Vid utfodring med en hög andel kraftfoder bildas stora mängder flyktiga fettsyror, VFA, som kan ge upphov till en pH-sänkning om bildandet av VFA överstiger absorptionen från vommen, och SARA kan därigenom uppkomma. Vid utfodring med en högre andel kraftfoder anpassas vommens slemhinna och blir större och får därmed en större absorptiv förmåga. Vid ett snabbt byte går denna anpassning dock inte alltid tillräckligt snabbt vilket kan ge upphov till att pH sänks. Även vommens mikroflora förändras vid utfodring med en större andel kraftfoder. I samband med SARA kan olika kliniska symptom ses.

Horse owner?s knowledge about horse feeding and nutrition is directly linked to the horse?s health and welfare. According to several studies, both Swedish and foreign, horse owners generally have inadequate knowledge about horse feeding. The housing systems and feeding routines of today differs in many ways from what horses have adapted to through evolution. Wild horses live in harem herds and roam on large open fields, spending about 60 % of the day grazing, mainly grass and herbs.

Ekvint metabolt syndrom är ett relativt nytt begrepp där drabbade hästar kan karaktäriseras av ökad generell och regional fettansättning, rubbningar i glukos- och fettmetabolismen, insulinresistens samt ibland klinisk eller subklinisk fång. Just insulinresistens är av intresse då det i flera studier visats att fång kan framkallas ensamt av höga insulinnivåer. Möjligheterna att diagnosticera insulinresistens i fält ? och därmed kunna förebygga fång eller följa behandlingen av en redan drabbad häst ? har varit begränsade då fasteglukos och -insulin ej är tillförlitliga metoder och övriga tester kräver en mer avancerad utrustning. År 2013 presenterades en ny variant av oralt glukostoleranstest (OGT) där djurägaren ger hästen sockersirap i munnen varpå ett blodprov tas efter 60-90 minuter av en veterinär.