Horses

Laminitis – The most common cause of lameness in the UK

 

Laminitis - The most common cause of lameness in the UK

Laminitis is an inflammation of the laminae (the inner layer of the hoof wall) and it is one the most common causes of lameness in horses in the UK. Horses of any size, age and breed can suffer from this painful condition, although people usually associate it with overweight ponies.

There are several factors that contribute to this debilitating disease. Heavy breeds and obese horses tend to be more susceptible as well as horses that are fed diets containing high carbohydrate content (like grain). Since obesity is a growing problem, laminitis is becoming more and more common.

Laminitis can also occur following sudden changes in their diet like consuming excessive amounts of fresh grass (pasture induced laminitis), intense exercise on hard surfaces or following other diseases like metritis, colic, Cushing’s disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome and severe infections. Horses that are supporting most of their weight on one leg due to injury to the other leg may develop this condition as well.

There are two forms of laminitis: acute laminitis and chronic laminitis. In the acute form of laminitis the animal is uncomfortable and shows the firsts signs of this disease. In the chronic form of laminitis (founder) there are already structural changes in the internal anatomy of the hoof: the pedal bone sinks and rotates.

Clinical signs include lameness, warm hoof walls, increased digital pulse, pain in their feet, abnormal gait (heel before toe), an altered stance (with their weight shifted to the hind limbs with the forelimbs stretched out in front (to ease the weight off their feet), reluctance to move and in severe cases, panting, sweating and trying to lie down (which can be confused with colic).

If you notice any of these signs please call your vet as soon as possible. Early treatment is critical to reduce the chances of chronic laminitis (founder) and it is very important to treat any other underlying disease that may contributing to the onset of this condition!

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Dogs

Unbelievable sniffers!

The Pet Professionals - Unbelievable sniffers
Dogs are known for their incredible sense of smell but most people are not fully aware of how powerful those noses really are. A dog’s sense of smell is somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more sensitive than a human’s, depending on the breed.

Our canine friends can smell tiny scent particles and in an environment filled with many different odours they can distinguish those particles with amazing precision! A dog’s nose can detect things that are up to 40 feet underground and scents that can be several days old.

This ability allows them to know a lot about another dog or even a human. When a dog smells you he knows what you have touched, what you ate and because they can also smell pheromones they will know if you are male or female, if you have recently given birth, what mood are you in and even if you are sick!

For many years this incredible sense of smell has been used to our advantage and nowadays dogs are trained to detect several specific odours. Our canine friends are used to look for missing explosives, narcotics, contraband and missing people!

Recent studies have shown that dogs are capable of detecting different types of cancer with an accuracy that is just as good or even better than modern advanced scanning techniques. The latest item in the long record of canine sniffing achievements comes from diabetes alert dogs. These dogs are trained to warn diabetes patients whenever their blood sugar levels are below or above the normal range, making a great difference in these patients’ level of independence.

Dogs are definitely our best friends!

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Dogs, Horses, The Pet Professionals

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