Dear Dr. Getty,

OH MY! MY HORSE HAD A SEIZURE! This happened Saturday morning and my husband was witness to it. It was very scary. We think it might not be his first one due to an injury he sustained in his stall last week. The only thing we have done differently is added ground flax seeds to his diet. The vet has drawn blood and is going to check his liver for proper functioning. Also later on that day it appeared that he was on the verge of colic. He had some gas and we walked him a bit. Temp was good and he eventually started to graze and act normal. We kept a good eye on him all weekend and by Monday he was back to normal. What can you tell me about seizures in horses and what relation they may have to diet.

I only just started to give the flax 2 weeks ago. I was feeding about 2oz a day and I grind and refridgerate my seeds however, I am concerned that the seeds might have been bad prior to my attaining them. I do not believe they were refridgerated at the feed store where they were purchased. There is a mare that is also supplemented with the same batch of seeds however her owner is not griding them. She has had no bad issues. Could this somehow be related?

I am very worried about my horse. Please let me know what you think.

Sue

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? Surfing the web

Hi Sue,

Seizures can be caused by many reasons, including low blood sugar, low levels of calcium and/or magnesium, liver disease, kidney dysfunction, infections, and poisonings.

Flaxseeds that may have gone rancid could definitely induce colic. However, I would expect that you would have to feed a lot of them, for a while, for it to cause a seizure.

Please caution your friend who feeds flaxseeds whole. This is not only a waste of flaxseeds, but is also very dangerous. The outer hull of the flaxseed in not digestible in the early part of the digestive tract, so the horse does not benefit from the inside the the seed, where the omega 3 fatty acids and protein are located. So, it is a waste to feed them whole. But, in addition to this, the whole seed enters the hind gut where the bacteria can digest the fibrous hull and also the inside meal. This can lead to excessive fermentation, which can result in excessive acid production, leading to bacterial destruction. The result is often laminitis.

It really is best to feed a stabilized flaxseed meal that is resistant to rancidity. Eating a rancid meal means that he is eating large amounts of free radicals, which can cause colic, liver damage, and more.

I hope he is doing better. Please keep me posted.

Dr. Getty

Dear Dr. Getty,

Well, I am happy to say that his liver is just fine. The results came back saying that his red and white cells are both low and he is high in potassium. Some of the terms that were mentioned were "anemia" and "immune surpressed". He explained that very high levels of potassium could result in seizure and that I should keep him off the flax and anything else that has higher levels of potassium (including molassis). Also switch him from tifton to T/A. He reccommended Red Cell to help boost his blood and for me to add non iodized salt to his feed everyday.

What is your opinion on all of this and could you reccommend a feed that does not contain molassis? Any other advise you may have would be greatly appreciated as I truely value your opinion.

Sue
P.S. I don't know if it matters but he is currently getting Grand Complete and I may want to give rice bran oil since I can't do the flax for his coat.

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? Surfing the web

Hi Sue,

Does your horse have a gene for HYPP from the Impressive line? His symptoms sounds very much like those of an HYPP horse.

The product Red Cell contains potassium, so I am surpirsed that your vet recommened it. I offer MaxPlus by Vita Flex, which is also a blood builder, which has no added potassium. I do not have it directly on my website because I generally do not recommend iron supplements except when medical conditions warrant it. Even then, it would be best to have his blood tested in 6 months to make sure he does not have too much iron in his blood. Horses store iron like it's gold -- and toxic levels can build up very easily.

So, if you're interested in this product, let me know and I'll send it to you.

Flaxseed meal is not appropriate for your horse, and so Grand Complete may or may not be ok. It does not contain added potassium. However, since he has had a seizure, you may wish to avoid it.

Has your vet prescribed acetazolamide? This is a diruetic which helps him eliminate excess potassium.
Generally, the best diet you can feed him would be plain oats, along with a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement that has less than 1% potassium. This, plus pasture, would be best. Of course, this time of year, pasture is poor, so have your hay tested for its potassium level.

And, rice oil would be an excellent idea. Instead of plain rice oil, I would suggest rice oil extract, called Body Builder. This will help him maintain good muscle mass as well as improve his overall body condition.

I hope this is helpful.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Dear Dr. Getty,

My vet also asked about my horse having Impressive in his line. Unfortunately I did not have the chance to dig out his papers last night but I honestly do not think so as I am familiar with the Impressive name and I would probably know it if he did.

I am surprised my vet suggested Red Cell as well. I will have to mention this to him. I am very interested in the Max Plus. Please send me info as to where I can buy it. My e-mail is Mypaintedheart@aol.com. I do plan on having his blood tested again in the future. I was thinking in about 3 months or so.

He did not prescribe acetazolamide.

What type of oats should I feed? I know they come in different ways. Am I to understand I should switch vitamins as well? Can you reccommend one that is low in potassium as you suggested? My vet has reccommended I switch to T/A from coastal and tifton because they are both higher in potassium as well.

Lastly, where can I find Body Builder?

Thank you so very much for your help.

Sue

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? Surfing the web

Hi Sue,

I answered you directly, to give you information about the products. But, for my readers, I want to make it clear that alfalfa is not recommended for an HYPP horse since it is quite high in potassium.

And, HYPP horses can generally benefit from a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement. Most supplements do contain potassium. However, if the horse is on the diruetic, acetazolamide, this will often protect against the additional potassium. Nevertheless, I recommend "Antioxidant Concentrate by Vita Key" which does not have added potassium and is an excellent supplement.

Oats are best fed in the rolled version, rather than whole, since the outside hull is broken open, making digestion easier.

All the best,

Dr. Getty