Tillfrisknande och användning av hästar med fång
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. Lateromedial x-rays are taken and the farrier performs a
dorsal hoof wall resection when appropriate. Resection of the dorsal hoof wall is a
technique used with favorable results in several countries (Peremans et al 1991,
Eustace & Caldwell 1989). It has however not been used in Sweden to a greater
extent. Between the first two visits the horse is kept in strict confinement. If
necessary the horse is hospitalized and analgesics are used whenever called for. The
horses included were declared sound at least six months prior a telephone interview
was conducted. During the interview notes were taken on how the convalescence
work had proceeded and whether the horse had been able to return to its previous
workload. Of the 71 animals 39 had recovered completely. 47% of the ponies
regained full soundness and so did 75% of the horses. Significance for prognosis
was tested with a binary regression laminitis, cause, number of feet involved,
body condition, radiographic findings and two types of clinical scoring.
Significance was proven for age insofar as the outcome was worse the older the
horse. Distribution according to sex was even among the patients, but the maresran a higher risk of non-recovery. Horses and ponies in good body condition were
well represented among the patients. They regained full soundness to a greater
extent than animals in normal body condition. No statistical significance could be
proven for the clinical evaluation systems. A certain misinterpretation of the
clinical notes could have happened in the adaptation, but this probably illustrates
the owner?s big part in the outcome. Motivation, patience and economical
possibilities seem to matter as much as the clinical picture. Horses with a previous
history of laminitis do not recover to a lesser extent, but are retired or put down
more frequently.