Radiographic Analysis of the Dorsal Hoof Wall Thickness in Clinically Normal Draft Horses

Radiographic Analysis of the Dorsal Hoof Wall Thickness in Clinically Normal Draft Horses

Objective. To evaluate the radiographic thickness of the dorsal hoof wall in normal draft horse feet.Animals. Thirty-three adult draft horses with no history of laminitis, no clinically obvious lameness, and visibly unremarkable front feet were included.Procedures. Prospective, descriptive study of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Larsen, Casey D
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2023
Subjects:
Animal sciences
Veterinary services
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective. To evaluate the radiographic thickness of the dorsal hoof wall in normal draft horse feet.Animals. Thirty-three adult draft horses with no history of laminitis, no clinically obvious lameness, and visibly unremarkable front feet were included.Procedures. Prospective, descriptive study of clinically normal draft horses’ front feet. Lateromedial radiographs were acquired of the front feet. A ratio of the dorsal hoof wall thickness to the length of the distal phalanx (DHWP3 ratio) was calculated.Results. The dorsal hoof wall thickness to length of the distal phalanx was calculated as 0.33 +/- 0.03 in this population of draft horses.Clinical Relevance. Previously published, maximal dorsal hoof wall ratios in lighter breeds are <0.30. The majority of draft horses in this study have DHWP3 ratios larger than previously published values in lighter breeds. These results may help the equine practitioner avoid a false positive diagnosis of laminitis when evaluating draft horse feet.
ISBN:9798380377416