ONLINE ARTICLES Laminitis - The Second Largest Killer of Horses - September Online Extra Causes of Laminitis Dr. Philip Johnson of the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine lists several possible trigger events that have been known to lead to laminitis within Dr. David Ramey's book, Concise Guide to Equine Laminitis. These include: Digestive Issues Vascular Causes Bacterial Toxins Black Walnut Shavings Molds and Fungal Toxins Endophyte-Infested Fescue Kidney Failure Rhabdomyolysis (Tying Up) Drug Reactions Corticosteroid-Associated Laminitis Cushing's Syndrome Obesitey-Associated Laminitis Other Hormones and Stress Glucose Problems Mechanical Causes What does NOT cause laminitis? Hypothyroidism Ingestion of cold water Excess Protein Endotoxin Feeding the Laminitic Horse There are several things to be aware of when feeding a horse that has recently suffered from laminitis or seems susceptible to the condition because of recurring bouts. Such horses should be fed feeds that have a relatively low "glycemic index." High glycemic index feeds result in high levels of blood glucose and elevated blood insulin concentrations. Unfortunately, adequate procedures for testing horse feeds for glycemic index have not yet been fully developed and tested. Some work has been done that indicates which feeds result in elevated index levels, but there is considerable variation in results of the testing. "We do know that we need to reduce the intake of highly processed concentrate feeds for such horses. Starches from any of the grains such as oats, corn, barley, wheat that have been rolled, steamed or micronized (broken into very small, soluble pieces), for example, should be fed at reduced levels and in smaller amounts at any one time," says Dr. John Burton, a professor of animal nutrition at the University of Guelph. "Feeds with lower glycemic indexes tend to be forages and feeds containing soluble fibre. But even forages, if they are of high quality and contain high levels of soluble (non-structural) carbohydrates (such as young, rapidly growing grasses and legumes) can cause problems. These soluble carbohydrates are readily fermented in the horsešs intestinal tract and can cause more problems for the laminitic horse. This is the main reason to be careful with young, high quality pastures ­ forages should be on the mature side for such horses and grains should be fed sparingly and in small amounts, depending on the requirements of the horse." Feeds such as beet pulp and breweršs grains can be quite useful when feeding problem horses with high energy requirements. These feeds are good quality feeds, but have low levels of starch, simple sugars or similar carbohydrates. They do contain soluble fibre (also a carbohydrate), which the horse can digest well, but more slowly, than starches. __