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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition

   Welcome to my forum. 

Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

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I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

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 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

I have an old pony who suffered from laminitis quite a long time ago, since then I have kept her on little grass, but now she is definetly too thin. I don't want her getting very fat again and getting laminitis again. What could I feed her to keep her looking healthy?

Where are you from? Ireland

How did you locate this forum? from the website

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Hello Leila,

Even though she is on a small amount of grass, she should have access to grass hay at all times. And, I would add some alfalfa hay, as well. This will provide extra calories that will help her gain some weight, but not too much, and will not put her at risk of developing laminitis.

I would also recommend giving her a good vitamin/mineral supplement to balance out her nutrients. You can give her a meal of alfalfa cubes or haylage, in order to mix in the supplements.

There are other safe energy sources such as beet pulp and flaxseed meal. I don’t know if you have access to these in Ireland, so if there is a particular brand of feed that you’d like for me to look at, let me know.

Hope this is helpful!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Thanks, I normally feed her Red Mills cool'n'cooked. It's the only brand of horse food I know is sold locally but hopefully some of the other feed companies will reply and let me know if they sell in Ireland. So oats and barley would be a big no no? WOuld stud cubes be a good idea, because someone told me I should feed her that, but I'm not so convinced?
Leila

Where are you from? Ireland

How did you locate this forum? from the website

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Hi Leila,

This feed is made from barley, oats, and corn. If your horse suffered an attack of laminitis due to too much grain or pasture, you should eliminate grain from the diet. Allen and Page makes a product “Sugar and Cereal Intolerance Diet” that would be a good choice for your pony. I believe Allen and Page is available in Ireland.

I looked at the Stud Cubes and the ingredients are not listed. However, the description does not indicate that it is low in starch, so it likely is not a good choice, as well.

So, your goal is low starch, which means avoid feeds that are made from grain.

Dr. Getty

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

I've been checking around and a few brands have some feeds for old horses and one brand has a mix especially for laminitic horses, I still have to find out do they supply in ireland. But I've been told that beet pulp would be god to feed to my pony....do you think so too, it should be low in carbohydrates and high in calories!?

Leila

Where are you from? Ireland

How did you locate this forum? from the website

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

I've been told beet pulp is a good idea, is it? ANd would it be good if I added cod liver oil or linseed oil to her feed?

Leila

Where are you from? Ireland

How did you locate this forum? from the website

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Hi Leila,

Yes, beet pulp is an excellent choice. The feed that I mentioned is made with beet pulp.
So, see what you can find that is low in starch. Most senior feeds are not necessarily low in grains.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Hi Leila,

Just saw you second post. Linseed oil is fine – actually I prefer the ground flaxseeds – I believe it is referred to as “linseed meal” in the UK. I do not like using animal oils, such as cod liver oil since horses do not eat fish. So, adding linseed meal is fine (make sure it still contains the fat – some linseed meals are defatted) or you can also offer the oil. This will help with weight gain.

Dr. Getty

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Thank you for your last information. The vet came and her teeth were sharp. I'm not sure what exactly he said because I wasn't there, but he said something about where two of her teeth were sharp there were cuts and one was slightly infected. But the thign is she still managed to eat her food, she was slow eating but she ate it. I have to worm her (again, 3rd time) and see does she put on weight. If not then it's possible she has Cushing's Disease or cancer (or is cushing's a form of cancer?). Any advice or anything would be appreciated.

Leila

Where are you from? Ireland

How did you locate this forum? from the website

Re: What to feed my pony who suffered from laminitis?

Hi Leila,

Problems with teeth can definitely lead to weight loss, so it is good that you had them checked. Worm infestations can also lead to weight loss – are you using a wormer that also takes care of tapeworms?

Cushings syndrome is not cancer. Cushings syndrome is a hormonal disorder where the level of cortisol is elevated in the blood (either due to a adrenal gland or pituitary gland disorder). Elevated cortisol levels make it difficult for the body to utilized glucose (the main blood sugar) and this can lead to a variety of problems, including laminitis, and internal organ failure. Your vet can do a diagnostic test to determine if she has cushings.

All the best,

Dr. Getty