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REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Obesity and insulin resistance are risk factors for laminitis in equids and supplements containing chromium and magnesium might improve insulin sensitivity. HYPOTHESIS: A supplement containing chromium, magnesium and other nutraceuticals would alter morphometric measurements, blood variables, and insulin sensitivity in laminitic obese horses. METHODS: Twelve previously laminitic obese (body condition score ≥ 7/9) horses were randomly allocated to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups and 2 obese horses with clinical laminitis were included in the treatment group. Treated animals received 56 g supplement with 0.25 kg oats once daily for 16 weeks. The supplement contained chromium (5 mg/day as yeast), magnesium (8.8 g/day as oxide/proteinate), and other nutraceuticals. Insulin-modified frequently sampled i.v. glucose tolerance tests were performed with hay provided at 0, 8 and 16 weeks, and insulin sensitivity was estimated by minimal model analysis. Physical measurements were collected at the same points. Horses were not exercised. RESULTS: Hyperinsulinaemia (>30 µu/ml) was detected in 12 of 14 horses prior to treatment. Glucose and insulin data from one mare with clinical laminitis were excluded because of persistent pain. Mean ± s.d. insulin sensitivity was 0.64 ± 0.62 × 10(-4) l/min/mu prior to treatment for the remaining 13 horses. Time and treatment × time effects were not significant for any of the variables examined, with the exception of resting insulin concentrations, which significantly increased over time (P = 0.018). Health status remained the same. CONCLUSIONS: The supplement containing chromium and magnesium evaluated in this study did not alter morphometric measurements, blood variables, resting insulin concentrations or insulin sensitivity in laminitic obese horses. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Additional research is required to determine the appropriate use of chromium and magnesium supplements in horses.

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Presentamos el caso de una paciente obesa de 65 años con un cuadro clínico e histopatológico de pápulas piezogénicas dolorosas del pie derecho, haciendo especial énfasis en la confusión terminológica del proceso, así como en su etiopatogenia y las posibles soluciones terapéuticas (AU)

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This article deals with treatment of the chronically foundered horse. The first section of this article is focused on aspects of the traditional pharmacologic approaches to management of digital pain and sepsis, dietary management, and thyroid supplementation. A second section introduces the concepts, principles, and agents that are used in homeopathic treatments for laminitis. Lastly, a third section of this article reviews the use of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine approaches to treatment of chronic laminitis.

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Cutaneous larva migrans is the result of infestation of human skin by helminth larvae, which burrow through the epidermis. This route of infestation makes the foot a typical site for origination of this infection. Children, who frequently play barefoot in locations where the most common the helminth larvae, the dog and cat hookworms, are endemic, are at particular risk of this disorder. This article reviews the differential diagnosis of cutaneous larva migrans and current concepts in management. Two cases of related children who presented to their pediatricians with this condition are reported(AU)

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Farrier's Formula feed supplement was added to the diet of 18 horses with two types of hoof horn defects. The first group of horses showed sand cracks and crumbling horn around the nail holes; the second group suffered frequent bruising and had flat feet with collapsed heels. Hoof clippings from both groups were studied in the transmission and scanning electron microscopes. All the horses showed a progressive improvement in the gross and microscopic structure of the hoof horn, starting six weeks after the supplementation began. Once good quality hoof horn had grown there was no relapse during the two year period of the study.

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Sixteen sows with induced biotin deficiency were divided into groups of four and fed an egg-white-free barley-wheat based diet without added biotin (control) or supplemented with one of three levels of synthetic d-biotin (100, 200 or 400 micrograms kg-1) for two parities in order to determine the optimal level required to reverse symptoms of the deficiency and to evaluate the relationship among dietary biotin levels, stage of recovery and serum biotin concentrations. Biotin supplementation significantly reduced (P less than 0.05) the incidence of lesions (on the foot pads, above the dew claws and on the skin) and also dry skin, but had no effect (P greater than 0.05) on hoof cracks, hair score or hair density. Time after supplementation had significant effects on reversal of most biotin deficiency symptoms. Interactions between biotin supplementation and time after supplementation suggested that these symptoms were reversed more quickly when higher levels of biotin were fed. Serum biotin concentrations of biotin-supplemented sows were increased with time and exceeded 600 ng litre-1 after 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 months following biotin supplementation of the basal diet with 400, 200 and 100 micrograms kg-1. In contrast, serum biotin concentrations of the control sows remained low and peaked at 411 ng litre-1 after 2.5 months. The data suggested that supplementation of a barley-wheat diet to provide 147 to 217 micrograms available biotin kg-1 might be adequate to restore healthy feet, legs and skin and concurrently maintain high serum biotin concentrations.

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