Horse Illustrated Magazine

Laminitis season is well underway, and some anxious owners are scrambling to find out what to do after they discover their horses have hot, tender feet from consuming too much grass.

Proper treatment at the onset can prevent a mild case of laminitis from turning into crippling founder, so Donald Walsh, DVM, and Kathryn Watts, B.S., of Rocky Mountain Research & Consulting, Inc., have teamed up to author an extensive article for horse owners titled, “Laminitis Attack: The First Line of Defense.” The article includes information on first aid, treatments, diagnosis and dietary management for horses suffering from laminitis.

Walsh is the owner of Homestead Veterinary Hospital in Pacific, Mo. He has been in practice for more than 40 years, and in 1984 he formed the Animal Health Foundation and started raising money to fund research on laminitis. You can read more about the Foundation at www.animalhealthfoundation.com.

Watts is a private contract agricultural researcher and consultant. She began her study and research on carbohydrate content of grass after her ponies foundered on hay in mid-winter. Her findings are offered at www.safergrass.org.

To view “Laminitis Attack: The First Line of Defense” in its entirety, click here >>