Spring laminitis case videos: What’s new for prevention and hoof management?

It's spring, that annual stock-taking time when horse owners should be taking serious care of their horses' feet and examining them for signs of changes brought on by the shift of seasons and feeding as brown grass turns green. It's time for owners to talk to vets and farriers about their horses' overall condition and to look at age and lifestyle factors that might be increasing a horse's risk of laminitis-related lameness or a serious episode of the debilitating disease.

Grass Laminitis: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You (and Your Horse) and Surprise the Researchers

New ad promo and publicity from Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica perhaps oversimplifies grass laminitis. But it might get the attention of horse owners.

When it comes to laminitis, I feel like a whirling dervish: what’s going on in Australia, what’s going on in Europe? what’s going on here in the USA? (whirl)

AAEP Statement on FDA Withdrawal of Pergolide for Human Use: Will It Still Be Available for Horses?

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has issued this statement to its members about the potential crisis of pergolide's removal from the drug market.

"As you may be aware, the FDA has withdrawn the drug pergolide from the market for use in humans. In order for the drug to continue to be available for use in veterinary medicine, the FDA must approve an exception for pergolide to be used by veterinarians and to be compounded in bulk quantities.

"The AAEP, through its Drug Compounding Task Force, has been in contact with the FDA, and they are aware of the significant impact of pergolide’s withdrawal from the market on equine medicine. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine is working with its counterpart for human medicine, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, to allow importation of pergolide for use by compounding pharmacies. The FDA expects to have an official announcement by the end of this week.

"The AAEP will continue to communicate with the FDA on this issue."

Note to blog readers: Pergolide is a drug that has been found to have some problems in human use; it is often prescribed for Parkinson's disease. Pergolide has been very helpful to some older horses suffering from problems like Cushings disease or insulin resistance that may have laminitis as a side effect. Many horse owners are concerned about a shortage of the medication for their horses.

Please read my original post from March 30 for more information.