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Description
This is a common, yet often unrecognised problem, and often is not noticed by the donkey owner, especially mild, acute, frequently recurring episodes.
Predisposing factors:
- Pastures rich in soluble carbohydrate/fructans
- Overweight donkey
- Excessive feed amount, especially cereal type mixtures
- Trauma (poor/not appropriate farriery, overgrown hooves, lameness in contralateral limb)
- Systemic illness (eg. Pituitary pars intermedia disorder, toxaemia)
Diagnosis
Clinical Signs
- Reluctance to move, preference for soft surfaces, recumbency
- Foot pain, particularly middle coronary band area
- Pulse pressure and volume is increased in the digital arteries
- Shifting weight, frequent lifting of the front feet
- Weight-bearing on the heels
- Feet landing heel first
- Increased pulse and respiratory rate due to pain
Laminitis should be treated as an emergency. Any combination of feet may be affected and all should be assessed. Full clinical examination should be performed.
Treatment
- Remove inciting cause and treat precipitating condition
- Analgesia - i.v. first, continue by mouth e.g. phenylbutazone
- Acetylpromazine - monitor for excessive sedation
- Footpads - entire sole covered with thick soft dressing (N.B. frog supports are most likely inappropriate for donkeys)
- Deep shavings bed advantageous
- Minimise walking, rest - many weeks are necessary to regain lamellary stability
- Appropriate diet
- Limited meadow hay
- Feed straw
- High fibre, low carbohydrate feeds
- Do not starve
- Re-examine after 24 hours if possible
- Owner education
- Nursing duties
- Feeding
- Farriery
- Unresponsive cases should be radiographed
- Recurrent cases - consider blood sampling and urine testing
- Weight control strategy if appropriate
- Potential requirement of more frequent farriery if hoof growth accelerates after laminitis
References
- Crane, M. (2008) The donkey's foot In Svendsen, E.D., Duncan, J. and Hadrill, D. (2008) The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, 4th edition, Whittet Books, Chapter 10
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