Dr. Getty,

We have an 18 year old Saddlebred who is in the early stages of renal failure. He is hypothyroid and a good candidate for Cushings.

He is currently on an herbal regimen for kidney function, herbs which we hope may keep Cushings away, and probiotics. His diet consists of grass hay and frequent, small amounts of rolled oats (less than 2 lb./day). He has free access to salt.

We're having a very hard time finding a feed (grain or pellet) low enough in calcium, potassium, and protein. What can you recommend for a 'kidney horse'?

Where are you from? IL

How did you locate this forum? Google

Hi Monica,

Is your horse overweight? If so, the first thing I would recommend is that you completely remove the oats from his diet. Horses with pituitary and thyroid problems should be fed diets with reduced starch. Both types of problems lead to glucose intolerance. Consequently, glucose and insulin levels become abnormally high after a starchy meal.

Horses with kidney failure have the potential for calcium to build up to high levels in the bloodstream. Ane you're right -- Horses with kidney failure need to be placed on a low calcium diet (less than 0.45% of the overall ration), and protein and phosphorus also should be reduced. But, more important than the percentage of protein would be the quality of the protein. If you feed a poor quality protein, there will be more nitrogenous wastes that the kidney will have to contend with.

So, to meet these requirements, go ahead and continue feeding grass hay. You can also feed a small amount of low starch, pelleted feed that is designed for adult horses (not senior feeds). Nutrena’s Safe Choice is good feed. Avoid legumes (alfalfa) and beet pulp since they are high in calcium. Also, avoid bran (wheat or rice) because they are high in phosphorus.

There are pharmaceuticals available to treat hypothyroidism that you may wish to consider. Herbal preparations may be too weak to overcome this condition, depending on its severity.

Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thank you so much for your reply.

The horse is not overweight. In fact, he has become a picky eater, which I'm told is due to his declining kidney function. Some days he eats a lot of hay, the next day he won't touch it.

He is on Thyro-L for his hypothyroidism, and fortunately we are able to keep that in check.

Would you prefer the Nutrena to Buckeye's Gro N' Win? I ask because Buckeye claims a 6% starch content in Gro N' Win, and I believe Nutrena was a bit higher?

Again - thank you! I wish you were in Illinois; we have a barn full that could use you!

Where are you from? IL

How did you locate this forum? Google

Hi Monica,

Buckeye’s Gro N’ Win would be a wonderful choice if Cushings were the only problem. But, since it is very high in protein (32%), I am reluctant to recommend it for a horse that has kidney problems.

True – I’m not in Illinois, but most of my clients are out of state, and many are out of the country. We communicate via phone, live chat, and emails. And, it works very well. So, if you need my assistance with your other horses, let me know.
I have all the details on the home page – click on “Talk to Dr. Getty.”

All the best,

Dr. Getty