Laminitis can originate from hormonal conditions like equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), or equine Cushing’s disease. The condition occurs gradually over months or years, resulting in a permanent structural change to the hoof capsule. It is a slow, quiet change, often going unnoticed until lameness occurs.
Signs To Look For:
– Lameness
– Unexplained weight gain
– Cresty neck
– Fat pads (behind the shoulders and around the tail base)
– Sunken tail base
Changes in Hoof:
– Widing of grooves in the hoof
– Flaring or twist of the dorsal hoof wall
– Flat Soles
– Widening of the white line area