2017 Miniature Horse World April E-Magazine | Page 30

Laminitis Treatment
from a
Natural Medicine Perspective – PART II
By Joyce C. Harman DVM, MRCVS
Part I of this informative article was featured in the SPRING issue of Miniature Horse World.
There are many tools
in the alternative
medicine toolbox to
treat the laminitic
Mini. The joy and the
frustration of holistic
practice is that each
animal is an individual
and will respond
differently.
Also, additional antioxidants are
beneficial when treating laminitis.
Vitamin C (about 1 to gm per day for
a Mini) is an excellent antioxidant
and nutrient for collagen support,
as well as organ and immune system
healing. Coenzyme Q 10 seems
to one of the best antioxidants for
use in the horse, especially in cases
of laminitis. The therapeutic dose
for Minis is 200-300 mg per day
for the first week or two, then the
dose can be decreased slowly to a
maintenance of about 50-100 mg
per day.
I
n treating these complex cases, it
is important to proceed one step
at a time.
Probiotics
The integrity of the
gastrointestinal system is important
to prevent the formation and
release of exotoxins into the
circulation as discussed above.
The gastro-intestinal tract is also
responsible for the breakdown and
assimilation of nutrients needed
to maintain and restore health.
The most important first step
is to stabilize the intestinal wall
and restore the beneficial flora.
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria
that actually do most of the work
of digestion. Supplementation with
high quality probiotics is one of the
most important things you can do.
Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are very
important in the treatment of
laminitis, and the related IR. They
are easy to add to the diet by using
28 Miniature Horse World
April 2017
flax seed (whole works fine if the
teeth are in good shape), chia seeds
or hemp. Even Minis that are just
overweight and at possible risk
for laminitis will benefit from the
addition of 2 oz. of these seeds
twice a day. In a serious laminitis, it
is safe to go to 3 oz. twice per day.
Antioxidants
The ideal way to enhance
antioxidant status is to feed whole
foods and whole food extracts.
There is evidence that the synergy of
multiple antioxidants far surpasses
the feeding of a single compound.
Whole food supplements are
available from some companies to
complement the other supplements
you might need.
Natural treatments for
laminitis
Homeopathy is important to the
success of treatment in many cases.
If homeopathy is used, it is advisable
to work with an experienced
homeopath to determine the
constitutional remedy that fits best.
Chinese medicine, with acupuncture
and Chinese herbs, can be also used
to help Cushing’s horses. Herbal
formulas are tailored to address the
imbalance in each individual horse,
so there are no generalizations. It
is best to work with a veterinarian
experienced in either Chinese herbs
or acupuncture.
Continued on page 30