Dermatologic Manifestations of Pulmonary Disease

Laminitis Or Founder In Horses And Ponies

VY-30

VY-30Animal Health Cooperative Extension ServicePurdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN 47907

E. H Page, D.V.M.School of Veterinary Medicine Purdue University

The normal horse or pony has a smooth, springy, regular gait moving freely, easily, and gracefully. Watching a fine horse move through its paces, it is not difficult to understand man's attraction to the horse as a pleasure animal.

One of the most common ailments which can change this picture rapidly is laminitis. Often called "founder," laminitis is caused by an alteration in the blood supply of the foot which results in damage to the sensitive laminae where the hoof is attached to the foot. The disease may be acute or chronic and may affect one or all four feet at any one time. The forefeet are affected more frequently.

There are many factors that can cause laminitis. Some of the more common are overfeeding, overweight animals lacking exercise, and cold water intake by an overheated animal (metabolic laminitis). Accidental overfeeding, such as a horse breaking into a grain sack, also may result in an attack of founder. Other factors such as metritis (parturient laminitis), local infections, excess weight bearing on one or more legs, running on hard surfaces (traumatic laminitis), and standing for long time periods in transport can cause the problem. Ponies appear to be more susceptible to laminitis than horses. Also, horses between the ages of four and ten years appear to be more susceptible than other horses.

Acute laminitis has a sudden onset. Horses apparently normal in their movement one night may be in severe pain and reluctant to move the following morning. The animal may be standing with all four feet close together, if all four feet are affected, with its head low and its back arched. If only the front feet are affected, the horse will shift the hind legs underneath it to try to put most of its weight on the back feet and vice versa. Also, the animal may be exhibiting an expression of pain and anxiety. In some cases, the pain may be so severe as to cause muscle spasms and profuse sweating. If the horse can be persuaded to move, the gait will be painful and stiff but may improve slightly as the horse "warms up." Acute laminitis is a medical emergency and when a horse shows these signs, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

In mildly acute cases, the horse may respond to treatment by a veterinarian if therapy is initiated early in the course of the disease. In severe cases, or in cases with improper or delayed treatment, chronic laminitis is likely to result. In chronic cases, your veterinarian may be able to obtain relief from pain but not effect an immediate cure of the laminitis. The chronic condition may result in the separation of the hoof wall from the sensitive laminae of the foot. When this happens the third phalanx (coffin bone) may rotate downward as in Figure 1. It is then possible for it to penetrate the sole of the hoof and/or produce overgrown feet such as illustrated in Figure 2.

You can help prevent laminitis (founder) if you:

Recognize and avoid the causes, such as overfeeding, overwatering after exercise, and unlimited grazing on lush pastures.

Get reliable information on proper feeding of horses.

Learn to recognize the early signs of laminitis, such as pain and reluctance to move.

Institute a routine foot care program with periodic inspection and trimming.

Support research on horses and ponies.

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Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, State of Indiana, Purdue University and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. H.A. Wadsworth, Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to our programs and facilities.

The Emotional Lives Of Horses And What They Need From Us

Horses are fascinating and deeply emotional beings. I often think of them as the definition of sentience—the ability to feel. In my limited close interactions with horses, I could feel their presence and feel that they know a lot about what is happening in my head and heart, and that is among the reasons I was pleased to learn of a new book titled Applied Equine Psychology: The Art and Science of Helping Horses by Felicity George, Marie-Louise Holmes, and Sharon Smith, all of whom are equine experts. Part of the book's description aptly summarizes what this landmark work is all about: "Applied Equine Psychology goes much deeper into the inner workings of the horse, drawing parallels from human psychology and looking at what is going on in the horse's brain leading to that behaviour."

Marc Bekoff: Why did you and your colleagues write Applied Equine Psychology?

Felicity George, Marie-Louise Holmes, and Sharon Smith: This book was many years in the making! Essentially, we recognised more similarity than difference in the emotional and psychological functioning of horses and humans. Trans-species psychology supported our thinking. Examining a wide range of approaches to helping horses with "behaviour problems," we saw a significant gap between the real needs of horses and standard approaches.

We saw strong parallels between horses and humans in physical healthcare, such as vets and doctors, equine and human dentists, and equine and human physiotherapists. However, in the realm of psychological healthcare, we saw horses being "helped" in much the same way as humans were over 70 years ago—primarily through behaviour modification. We wondered how core models and applied practice in human psychological healthcare would transfer to equines.

Within the equine behaviour affiliation, we explained these ideas through courses and webinars. We defined the role of "equine psychology specialist" with a professional practice model based on that of the clinical psychologist for humans and trained students to fulfill this role. We gained experience in real-world application, with multiple practitioners using this approach with hundreds of horses. Having validated and tested our approach, we wanted to make it available to a wider audience and help to shift the prevalent unhelpful narrative of horses as psychologically simple beings. We also wanted to stop endlessly explaining what we were doing, and just ask people to "read the book"!

MB: How does your book relate to your backgrounds and general areas of interest?

FG, M-L H, and SS: We all share a lifelong love of horses and have worked in a wide range of equestrian settings from riding instruction to the charity sector. We all became focused on wanting to help horses who were clearly struggling in domestic environments, and all had many concerns about the "solutions" that were offered.1

MB: Who do you hope to reach in your interesting and important book?

FG, M-L H, and SS: Those who feel dissatisfied with the approaches offered by the equestrian community and feel they are missing parts of the puzzle. Those who have their appreciation of their horse's sentience dismissed. Those who are interested in radically rethinking how equines and humans co-exist. Those who are interested in working to effect human behaviour change within the equestrian world.

MB: What are some of the major topics you consider?

FG, M-L H, and SS: The first part of the book examines why the approach we are describing is both valid and necessary—if we want the equines in our care to feel better rather than just "behave." We summarise relevant areas in the development of human psychological healthcare and discuss trans-species psychology in this context to support our approach.

We also describe trans-species systemic formulation, an extension of a well-established method of formulation used by clinical psychologists that supports working with multiple species. This methodology is not restricted to working with humans and equines but can be applied to any species.

We then go on to explore mental well-being for domestic equines in depth—the factors that influence mental well-being and the interplay between them, and the systemic issues of living in an environment your species did not evolve to cope with. Relationships and the meeting of social needs are a big factor influencing well-being; attachment theory and how it applies to domestic equines and all their relationships is discussed in detail with lots of examples. Trans-species psychology has been a foundation for approaches to working with trauma for many species; following in the footsteps of Gay Bradshaw and others, we explain the application of Judith Herman's phased approach to trauma treatment for equines.

Finally, we discuss the role of the equine psychology specialist in more depth; those working in the field of human psychological healthcare will see strong parallels in professional practice—for example, the approach to client conversations and the importance of clinical supervision and working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

All in all, the book provides a robustly evidenced professional practice framework for providing psychological healthcare to domestic equines. It also offers practical explanations of how to draw from the full breadth of psychological schools of thought to better help and understand equines.

MB: How does your book differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics?

FG, M-L H, and SS: This book acknowledges a much richer equine psychological landscape—one that we can seek to better understand in order to improve domestic equine well-being and provide enhanced care. We aim to provide a deeper understanding of equine needs and how these relate to domestic environments, bringing focus to changing the world—not the horse.

We believe that this is the first book to propose an integrated application of core models and practice from human psychological healthcare, supported by trans-species psychology and practice-based evidence over a number of years. The approach we describe empowers equine guardians to make good decisions for the lifetime of the horse and not just solve a "behaviour problem."

MB: Are you hopeful that as people learn more about these amazing animals they will treat them with more respect and compassion?

FG, M-L H, and SS: Yes. In recent years, we do see a shift in thinking. The vast majority of those involved with equines have a passion for them and want to do their best by them. Many feel discomfort about the many unhelpful narratives in traditional equestrian settings but lack the information to challenge these narratives either internally or externally. Researchers are considering broader measures of well-being than the purely physical. In the general population, there is also a shift in considering the emotional lives of animals and deeper consideration of how we co-exist with each other.

Everything You Need To Know About A Charley Horse

Charley horse is another name for a muscle spasm or muscle cramp. It's marked by involuntary, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful muscle contractions that may last a few minutes.

A charley horse is a muscle cramp that may cause involuntary spasms in:

a single muscle, such as the biceps

a group of muscles, such as the quadriceps

muscle fibers

They may last up to a few minutes and will typically go away on their own. It's common to feel a muscle knot in the affected area that may feel tight or tender. Muscle spasms are most common in the legs.

In some cases, severe charley horses may result in muscle soreness that lasts anywhere from a few hours to a day.

Keep reading to learn more about the causes, risk factors, and treatment for a charley horse.

However, researchers have identified several factors that may contribute to a charley horse, including:

dehydration

overuse of a specific muscle, such as during exercise

electrolyte imbalances, such as calcium, potassium, and sodium

sitting or lying down in the same position for a long period

inadequate blood flow to the muscle

exercising in excessive heat or cold

stress, most often in the neck muscles

not stretching before exercise

compressed nerves, such as in the spine

taking certain medications, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, and statins

Risk factors

Several risk factors may increase your risk of experiencing charley horses.

For instance, it's estimated that 37% of people ages 60 years and older in the United States experience leg cramps at night (nocturnal leg syndrome), most commonly in the calf muscle.

Athletes may experience charley horses more often because of muscle fatigue or overuse. Having overweight or being sick may also increase your risk.

Medical conditions

Several medical conditions may increase your risk of experiencing charley horse, including:

Many people experience charley horses during sleeping hours and are awakened because of them.

The occasional charley horse doesn't require an official medical diagnosis.

However, consider speaking with a healthcare professional if you experience frequent, recurrent muscle spasms, such as if a charley horse occurs more than once a week without an obvious reason.

A doctor will first ask about your medical history and perform a physical examination. This may involve pressing the affected area to check for a point of tension, like a muscle knot.

They may also order other tests to help determine the underlying cause, such as:

electromyography to help assess the health of the nerve cells that control your muscles

MRI scans to help determine whether you have nerve compression

blood tests to rule out electrolyte imbalances

When to worry about charley horses

Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if:

you experience frequent muscle cramps and spasms

they last longer than 10 minutes

they affect your sleep

you experience other symptoms, such as numbness and tingling

Treatment for a charley horse will depend on the severity, frequency, and underlying cause of the muscle spasms. In most cases, charley horses will heal on their own without any medical treatment.

Stretching the affected area or deeply massaging it is most often the best way to stop the muscle spasm.

During a charley horse, stretch the affected area and hold it until the muscle spasms stop. You can also try using both of your thumbs to apply pressure to the site of the cramp until the pain goes away.

Other home remedies that may help include:

If you experience recurring muscle spasms and these home remedies don't help, speak with a doctor. They may recommend doing physical therapy or taking over-the-counter or prescription medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or antispasmodic medication.

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