The recent deaths of 21 polo horses has undoubtedly received the most interest in horses nationally since Eight Belles was euthanized at the Kentucky Derby almost one year ago.  The unfortunate event pushed current compounding laws into the spotlight.  It has been reported in an Argentinian newspaper (where most of the horses originated from) that a toxic dose of selenium was added to the vitamin mixture given to the horses.  The vitamin mixture was supposed to resemble Biodyl, which is not FDA approved in the US.  Biodyl, which is a popular injectible vitamin/mineral supplement in other countries, was never FDA approved simply because the company did not submit an application for approval.  However, in this instance, the prescribing veterinarian felt that the horses needed to have this drug, and therefore chose to have it compounded.  Compounding is a common practice in veterinary medicine as there are many drugs that are not suitable to give to animal patients as they are.  In some instances, flavoring is added, like chicken or fish, so that a cat likes it better, or two drugs are added together so that you only need to give one shot instead of two.  Compounding is a legal practice in the US, but in light of current events, companies that compound will be under heavy scrutiny.  It is our opinion that the FDA will be re-examining the compounding laws and the rules and regulations therein.  It is also our opinion that mistakes like this, although tragic, are the exception rather than the rule.  We applaud Franck’s for owning up to the error as soon as it was discovered.

One year ago today, Barbaro was sadly euthanized after a long battle with a shattered limb and laminitis.  While there are now many reports of the announcement of Barbaro’s ashes being returned to the spot of his spectacular victory in the Kentucky Derby, I feel that it would be an apt time to revisit the subject of laminitis.  While even a few years ago, a horse sustaining an injury like Barbaro did in the Preakness would have led to immediate euthanasia, great progress in veterinary medicine allowed Barbaro the fighting chance he deserved.  However, even with the amazing work of Barbaro’s surgeons in repairing the fractures, his life was cut short by the enigma that is laminitis. 

Laminitis is a disease of the hoof that causes separation of the hoof wall from its underlying attachments.  At best, laminitis is a short-term painful condition for a horse, while at worst, the entire hoof can come apart and the horse can literally step out of its hoof!  Ouch!  The main problem with this disease is that there is very little understood about how laminitis actually happens.  Researchers are hard at work identifying the underlying mechanisms and clinicians are busily experimenting with ways to treat laminitis once it starts.  Once the “pathogenesis” (how it happens) of laminitis is found, then the focus can move to preventing the disease.  As we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!  There are also many ways in which laminitis is initiated.  In ponies, it can be as simple as eating too much spring grass, or in horses, eating too much grain.  Sometimes diseases lead to laminitis or administration of certain drugs.  Barbaro got laminitis from putting too much weight on his left hind leg, in an effort to keep weight off of his broken right hind leg.  In short, there are so many ways in which a horse develops laminitis that it is extremely difficult to prevent.

 Fortunately, Barbaro’s legacy lives on, in the form of public interest and funding for research in laminitis.  The movement that he spurred brings hope for horses battling this debilitating disease.  While his ashes may be at Churchill Downs, his spirit will be with the horses helped by this new research and for the people that love them.