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.
Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought.
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.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hi Trina,
You're doing fine by not feeding her any starchy grain. She would benefit, however, from a comprehensive vitamin/mineral supplement because there are gaps in her diet. In particular, she needs antioxidants to help repair tissue and prevent future attacks. And, magnesium is also very helpful. The product I generally recommend to my clients is Laminex since it is intended for this problem.
Regarding pasture -- depending on the cause of her laminitis, she may be sensitive to the fructan (sugar) levels in spring grasses. The safest time of day to let her graze is at night and early morning. By afternoon, the grass has built up high levels of fructans as it is exposed to sunlight. But, by morning, the levels have been consumed by the plant since it is dark.
Hope this is helpful. Please keep me posted.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 
Hi Trina,
Is your mare currently experiencing an attack of laminitis? If so, is she is currently in severe pain? What have you done so far to relieve her symptoms?
Laminex is not a pain killer. But, it will help her recover more quickly. This, of course, depends on the extent of rotation, number of attacks, etc. So, there's no exact number of weeks that I can give you for Laminex to work. Once a horse has suffered from laminitis, the chances of another attack are quite high, as you know. There is no cure for chronic laminitis, only reduction of attacks and prevention is the key. Laminex will help prevent another attack by keeping the circulation to the foot more open as well as ward off damage from free radicals.
Dr. Getty
Hi Trina,
As we spoke of on the phone yesterday, Laminex will help her heal faster and certainly will help prevent another attack. As you know, you cannot cure chronic laminitis, but you can lessen the severity of an attack, and even significantly reduce their numbers.
We also talked about the possibility of "road founder" rather than "grass founder" since she was able to tolerate pasture well in the past. Road founder can occur when excessive pressure is placed on the foot. So, in an attempt to reduce the strain to her suspensory ligament, there may have been some rotation on the coffin bone. If you talk to your vet about this, I'll be interested in his/her response.
Thank you for your kind words about my mare. I lost her almost 2 weeks ago. She has many good years left -- it's such a pity that a broken leg is a death sentence.
Take care and keep me posted on how things are going. Your Laminex is on its way.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Recieved the laminex today, thank you. Stalled her up to givr it to her and she did not eat it. What do you suggest to do to get her to eat it. uuuggghhh This is too much for her to refuse. And this orse normally eats anything.
Where are you from? Trenton
How did you locate this forum? friend
Hi Trina and Vicky,
Normally, unsweetened apple sauce would be a fine suggestion, but in the case of laminitis, I prefer to avoid sugar (apples are high in sugar).
So, one thing that works very well is to add a small amount of saccharin (the artificial sweetener in the pink package -- Sweet and Low is a common brand name). Avoid the blue package -- Equal or Nutra Sweet -- that's aspartame and is potentially harmful.
You can also add a small amount of water to the feed to moisten it so the Laminex sticks to the rest of the feed. That, along with the sweetener, should make things taste better.
Let me know!
All the best,
Dr. Getty
P.S. Thanks Vicky for the lovely compliment! 
Hi Trina,
No problem -- I understood what you meant! 
I'm so pleased to hear that it all worked out! Great job!
Dr. Getty