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.
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hi Randi,
Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), commonly called moon blindness, is one of the most common eye problems in horses. The symptoms come and go, but over time, can lead to blindness. It is considered an immune response disease where the antibodies attack bacteria or parasites. And, even after the organism is no longer present, the antibodies can attack the eye tissue, leading to inflammation.
Because of this, controlling inflammation is the main goal in dietary management. There are several anti-inflammatory nutrients that can be very helpful. Antioxidants should be supplemented in high amounts to remove the free radicals that are caused as a result of this inflammation. I highly suggestion PreOx at 2 ounces per day to provide adequate amounts of vitamins E, C, along with grape seed extract, and supporting nutrients. This supplement should not be given with another vitamin/mineral supplement, so if you are already providing a supplement, you'll want to discontinue its use, if you decide to go with PreOx.
If your horse is over 15 years old, you will want to add even more vitamin C, because he is not able to produce as much as he used to. Pure C is easy to use and economical.
I also recommend adding MSM to his diet as an additional anti-inflammatory agent.
And, finally, flaxseed meal will add additional omega 3 fatty acids to the diet, which will reduce inflammation. Go with Nutra Flax since it is of excellent quality.
Avoid adding oils such as soybean, corn, or wheat germ oils to the diet since they are high in omega 6 fatty acids, which increase inflammation.
So, along with medical treatment, an aggressive nutritional intervention would be warranted. The supplements I've recommended are what I would use if he were my horse in this situation. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Keep me posted!
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Randi,
I'll look forward to updates.
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, Colorado