Ethical considerations in treating the horse with laminitis

Clinicians treating a horse with laminitis face a difficult set of ethical considerations in trying to decide where to draw the line. Not only do they have to grapple with their own professional, ethical and personal judgments, but they have to balance these with the wishes and interests of the animal’s owner, their employer. This balancing of moral considerations is extremely complex. By looking at the perspectives of both the clinician and bioethicist, the issues are clarified by discussing the competing ethical considerations felt by the practicing equine veterinarian.