Hello Dr. Getty. Thanks for such a wonderful forum. I was reading the posts about overweight horses as I have an MFT in that category. He gets only coastal bermuda hay; a cup of dry mix grain mixed with a cup of beet bulp twice a day; 2 tsp of blue-green algae a day; and probiotics several times a week. When I was competing him in long-distance trail riding earlier this year, he became anemic. Is it possible that a horse can be overweight and yet have poor blood? What is a good supplement for an overweight horse that is ridden 15-20 miles a week? I saw your reference to Quiessence. Can this be safely combined with the algae? Is it a full-spectrum supplement, or only magnesium? In order to reduce his starch intake more, I can cut out the dry mix. Is the molasses in the beet pulp a problem. I'm worried about this. Sorry for all the questions! Linda

Where are you from? Magnolia, TX

How did you locate this forum? a search on Yahoo about Cocosoya oil

Hi Linda,

Thanks for your patience -- I'm away for the holidays, so my responses have been slowed down a bit.

Here's the likely reason for your horse's anemia -- he probably has an ulcer. Most working horses do have ulcers and they bleed, leading to blood loss, and hence, anemia.

So, let me address this issue, and then I'll answer your other questions... You will want to help him heal by offering him hay all of the time. Horses' stomach secrete acid constantly, even when empty. So, it is very important to give them something to chew. Chewing produces saliva, which neutalizes stomach acid.

So, I would have him checked and also, give him a double dose of Ration Plus to help his ulcer heal. Have his blood drawn in a couple of months to see if he needs an iron supplement. Generally, I do not recommend iron supplementation, especially if the reason for the anemia is internal blood loss.

OK, now about his being overweight. Quiessence can be safely given with algae. It is not a full-spectrum supplement, so it can safely be given with a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement. I would recommend giving him Accel to balance out his diet.

Yes, I would reduce his starch intake. The amount of molasses in the shredded beet pulp is very, very small, so this is not a concern. So, you could, for example, give him beet pulp, along with some flaxseed meal (for the omega 3 fatty acids to help his joints), and Accel to provide a well-rounded diet. This, of course, with quality grass hay, 24/7.

I hope this is helpful. Please keep me posted.

Happy New Year!
Dr. Getty

Thank you Dr. Getty. I had not considered ulcers before, nor had my vet, but it is worth exploring. When he was first diagnosed as anemic the vet ran a CBC and full serum profile. Everything was normal except the red blood cells. That was in May. A high-quality supplement was recommended by the vet, but of course since the horse is overweight, there was no discussion about having hay available 24x7. Three months later I had another CBC run and his red cell count was improving and was near normal levels. He is slated to go back to the vet in January for normal stuff, and I will have another CBC done. The horse is now on free-choice hay, and I will start the Quiessence. He already gets Fastrak probiotics, which appears to be the same as Ration Plus. Right? I'll keep you posted on the weight management.

Where are you from? Magnolia, TX

How did you locate this forum? a search on Yahoo about Cocosoya oil

Hi Linda,

It would be a good idea to have your vet assess the possibility of an ulcer. An accurate diagnosis generally cannot be done without an endoscopy, which is something I know you'd rather avoid. So, the easiest route is to watch his diet and keep track of his blood work, as you are doing.

I prefer Ration Plus over a probiotic for this type of situation. Ration Plus does not contain any live microbials. Instead, it boosts the health of the existing bacteria, thereby allowing them to digest his hay more efficiently, as well as produce very important B vitamins. The entire gastrointestinal tract benefits from this overall improvement.

You mentioned that the vet suggested a supplement -- what supplement are you giving him in addition to the items you mentioned?

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thanks. The vet recommended Platinum Performance. I used that while we were competing, but stopped in November when ride season was over and I ran out.

Where are you from? Magnolia, TX

How did you locate this forum? a search on Yahoo about Cocosoya oil

Hi Linda,

Platinum Performance is an excellent supplement. It is very expensive, however, and I find that the balance of ingredients in Accel is more favorable. So, this is my preference and the reason I offer it on my site (I only choose products that I find most valuable).

You ought to consider giving a vitamin/mineral supplement every day since it fills in the gaps that exist in his diet. You can cut back on the amount you give. For example, with Accel, I recommend 2 ounces/day for horses that are working or stressed and 1 ounce/day for maintenance.

I'll look forward to hearing more about his bloodwork.

Best regards,

Dr. Getty

Thanks again Dr. Getty - have I told you lately how valuable this site and your expertise is?! :-) Yes, Platinum was VERY expensive so I appreciate the information on Accel. It looks very good. I am going to approach this thing like a scientific experiment, and only add one thing at a time so I can assess the impact. I'll start with the Quiessence, see where we're at, and then go from there.
I'm probably going to get myself in trouble by saying that I feel the algae is providing a good amount of nutrition, so I think I can wait a bit before adding another supplement. What are your thoughts on offering free-choice loose minerals? I don't think I've seen anyone post on that topic.

Thanks again,
Linda

Where are you from? Magnolia, TX

How did you locate this forum? a search on Yahoo about Cocosoya oil

Hi Linda,

Certainly, your plan to do one thing at a time would make sense. However, you will still want to consider offering a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement at some point. And, this would give you a more clear idea of how much of individual minerals your horse is getting, rather than relying on free choice (which may or may not be reliable). Keep me posted on how it goes.

Dr. Getty

Hello Dr. Getty. Here is the update on my horse after our visit to the vet. His red cell count is still slightly low. Vet thinks this may just be normal for this horse. He doesn't suspect ulcers as there are no other physical symptoms. I started using Quiessence in early January and am definitely seeing results. It also seems to be curbing his appetite for hay. There is always some left in the feeders now, where before every last blade was cleaned up. Good product! The vet doesn't think the horse is fat...which speaks to the weight he has lost. :-)

Thank you for your help!
Linda

Where are you from? Magnolia, TX

How did you locate this forum? a search on Yahoo about Cocosoya oil

Hi Linda,

Great news! Thanks for the update. Continue to have his blood tested periodically to see how his red blood cell count is doing.

Best regards,

Dr. Getty