Equine Clinical Nutrition Case

Lecture 16

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis. What are this horse’s major problems?

overweight

lame

potential for laminitis

over nutrition

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis.What is this horse’s ideal BCS?

5/9

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis. Ideal BCS would be 5/9. How much weight would this horse need to lose to be at an ideal BCS?

1 BCS point = 50lbs

9 - 5 = 4 points over

4×50 =200 lbs

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis. Ideal BCS would be 5/9. What is this horse’s target body weight?

Horse needs to lose 200 pounds

Target BW = 1150 - 200 = 950lbs

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis. Ideal BCS would be 5/9 at a target BW of 950lbs. Owner reports horse is being given free choice pasture, small grain feedings twice daily, and seasonal hay supplementation. What concerns do you have about this feeding program?

What type of grain is being fed?

What is a “small” amount of grain?

What type of hay is the horse getting?

What season is it currently?

What type of pasture is it?

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis. Ideal BCS would be 5/9 at a target BW of 950lbs. Owner reports horse is being given free choice pasture, small grain feedings twice daily, and seasonal hay supplementation. What is your list of differental diagnoses?

equine metabolic syndrome

nutritional excess

laminitis

10YO QH mare. Current BW 1150lb, BCS 9/9. Presenting complaint of lameness with a concern for laminitis. Ideal BCS would be 5/9 at a target BW of 950lbs. Owner reports horse is being given free choice pasture, small grain feedings twice daily, and seasonal hay supplementation. You list of differential diagnoses includes equine metabolic syndrome, nutritional excess, and laminitis. What are your next steps?

bloodwork —> insulin, glucose, ACTH

weight —> scale or weight tape

laminitis —> clinical signs and radiographs

What are factors that may put a horse at risk for hyperinsulinemia, and thus laminitis?

PPID

corticosteroids

genetic disposition

obesity

lack of exercise

high NSC or ESC + starch diet

What drug can be used for pain and inflammation in early stages when horse shows lameness but no systemic signs of disease?

Phenylbutazone

What drug can be used to increase metabolic rate via thyroid hormone production to stimulate weight loss and increase insulin sensitivity?

Thyro-L

What drug has vascular effects by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinases which are the enzymes that become overactive in laminitis?

Pentoxifylline

What factors are major considerations in choosing an appropriate hay for a horse?

ADF and NDF —> related to maturity of hay

Amount of fiber

Starch

What are conditions to allow pasture for an overweight horse at risk for laminitis?

only after stabilization of laminitis

limited time on pasture to 1-2 hours

grazing muzzle

avoid high risk times such as frost, drought, and evenings due to NSC content (fructans) being higher at these times

What supplements can be used when restricting calories for an overweight horse?

balancer pellet (protein, vitamin, minerals)

low NSC feeds (high fiber, low starch specialty pellet that is high protein and high fat)

fat supplementation

What can be used for hoof management in laminitis cases?

coordinate radiographs and trimming

shorten toe, ease breakover

consider therapeutic shoeing

soft rider boots