Metabolic disorders including laminitis and Cushings disease cause chronic pain in horses and ponies. Early recognition and management dramatically improve welfare outcomes for affected animals.
Equine metabolic disorders cause some of the most severe chronic pain in companion and working horses, and yet both laminitis and Cushings disease are often managed suboptimally because of limited owner knowledge and the complexity of diet and metabolic management required. A horse with active laminitis experiences pain that equine veterinarians describe as equivalent to having all fingernails ripped off simultaneously; this is not a welfare compromise but a welfare emergency. Early recognition through proactive monitoring of high-risk animals, dietary management to prevent laminitis triggers, and prompt Cushings treatment with pergolide are the interventions that prevent this suffering. The resources for managing these conditions well are available; the barrier is owner knowledge and commitment.