Journal of Equine Veterinarian Science  

July 2000 • Volume 20 • Number 7

What's News
Treating laminitis with a Nitric Oxide enhancer

A 21-year-old mare had colic surgery and subsequently developed a Salmonella infection. To complicate things further, she developed a totally occluded thrombosed jugular vein due to the various intravenous injections given. As if that were not enough for the poor mare, she came down with acute laminitis three months later, and was unable to walk without being forced.

The mare was put on butazolidin, Accpromazine and Banamine. Ric Redden Ultimate Shoes were taped onto her fore feet. Laser therapy for stimulation of acupuncture points surrounding the coronary band was instigated by a veterinarian experienced in acupuncture. This was eventually continued with electrical stimulation of various acupuncture points with the purpose of increasing blood flow to the feet.

Over the course of several months of treatment, the mare improved, but she was not fully sound. She was able to do very light exercise, hand walking, hot walk, or turn out in very soft paddocks. Radiographs were negative for any abnormalities.

A year later (March of this year), swelling of the mare's head developed, due to edema. The thrombosed jugular vein was evidently the cause of the problem. Before long the head swelling became complicated with another bout of laminitis. The mare became Grade 3 lame, with a bounding digital pulse on both fore legs. A treatment regime similar to that used previously was begun.

The jugular vein was completely occluded, the head continued to swell, and the mare became very depressed. The treatment provided little, if any, relief for the mare. She was very reluctant to move her feet out of the cold water bath, which seemed to provide a little relief.

Then the owner decided to try a new nutritional supplement called NitrOxide, a nitric oxide enhancer. A dosage of 30 cc of NitrOxide powder together with 1 ounce of water mixed to the consistency of slurry in a 60 cc syringe, was administered orally on an empty stomach in the evening. All feed was held for approximately an hour after dosing. The owner said that at this stage the mare was barely able to move from her hay to her water.

The next morning the mare was found standing in her stall, her hind legs relaxed, and comfortably bearing her normal weight on her front legs. She walked up to her hay and walked around the stall almost normally. According to the owner, her feet were no longer warm and digital pulses were absent in both fore legs.

A second dosage was administered at that time on an empty stomach. No other therapy treatment was given that day or the next. Digital pulses were checked around the clock, and they were all normal. NitrOxide dosing was continued at 12-hour intervals.

Two days later the mare was so active that she knocked one of the Ric Redden Ultimate Shoes off her foot. This caused a mild digital pulse for a while, therefore acupuncture therapy was administered with laser stimulation.

“Due to the mare's fiery disposition she is not a quiet patient when she is feeling well,” the owner says. “While still confined to her bedded stall she is a weaver and pacer and has been bucking in place. Her activities have caused her to tear off her Ric Redden Ultimate shoes numerous times, sometimes with mild pulses returning. However, with the administration of NitrOxide and simple laser therapy, 20-minutes post-dosage of NitrOxide, pulsing has diminished completely.

“Prior to using NitrOxide, I was beginning to feel like we were losing the battle. Therapies that had worked so well during my mare's previous attack of laminitis were not effective enough. This time she was in such great pain and so depressed, I began to feel nothing but euthanasia would stop her suffering.”

The attending veterinarian noted that after the NitrOxide treatment and some therapeutic ultrasound treatments, the occluded jugular vein opened up enough that the head swelling diminished.

Of course, this is a single case report—a testimonial. But, the results are quite spectacular, causing everyone involved to consider taking a closer look at the therapeutic value of the nitric oxide enhancer supplements.