Use of ozone therapy to control chronic pain in equine laminitis. Case Report.

Purpose. Laminitis is the inflammation of the dermal and epidermal blades of the hull. The use of ozone has already demonstrated promising effects in horses, through postoperative analgesia, antioxidant effect in athletic animals and even chronic laminitis. Thus, the objective of this article is to describe the use of ozone therapy in different methodologies (intramuscular points, acupoints and footbath) in the aid of pain control in an equine with chronic laminitis. Methods. An equine male, 513 kg, English Thoroughbred, seven years old, was referred with severe claudication with 20 days of evolution, after transportation of approximately 780 km, after its acquisition. Upon clinical examination, the animal demonstrated degree 4 of claudication (scale from 1 to 4) and alternating support of the thoracic limbs. The radiographic examination showed rotation of the distal phalanx in all digits and the diagnosis was chronic laminitis. The initial therapeutic protocol was meloxican (0.6 mg/kg, SID, IM) for two days, flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg, SID, IM) for three days, followed by firocoxib (0.1 mg/kg, SID, PO) for more than 120 days. During all the treatment, the use of omeprazole (4 mg/kg, SID, PO) and acepromazine (0.01 mg/kg, BID, IM) was maintained, as well as corrective hoof trimming and bandaging with soft material on the sole. In order to promote better analgesia and greater patient comfort with minimal adverse effects, the use of firocoxib was interrupted and 20 ozone therapy sessions were instituted. The protocol consisted of bilateral administration of oxygen / ozone (40 ug/ml, IM) in pre-scapular, scapular, post-scapular and acupuncture points (LI11 POINT), as well as ozonized footbath for hoof cleaning. Results. Two months after the beginning of treatment the patient showed significant improvement of body condition and better walking with evolution to score 2 of claudication, without any side effect. Discussion. The pain control verified in this patient can be explained by the action of ozone in the inflammatory cascade, that is, altering the degradation of arachidonic acid and with it the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion. We concluded that the ozone therapy technique was satisfactory in controlling chronic laminitis pain.