Hi Dr. Getty,
I have a quandary here with my 8 yr old mini. The last 2 weeks he's suddenly started drinking and peeing a lot but only about 2 or 3 times (I can only track it during the night) in that time period. My vet has requested a urine sample (yeah, right!) and said there are several horses in the area doing the same thing. My question is, until we get this figured out, should I take him off alfalfa and leave him on just bermuda and beet pulp? Somewhere in the back of my mind I think I've heard that alfalfa is hard on the kidneys. Just a thought so wanted to see what you might have to say.

Thank you so much for taking time to answer all these questions put to you. Your answers to all your readers are interesting.
Pam

Where are you from? Arizona

How did you locate this forum? Been here before

Greetings Pam!

Thank you for your patience and your kind words. The symptoms you describe sound like Cushings syndrome. Did he shed out his winter coat completely this past spring? Does his haircoat look and feel different?

It could be his kidneys and a simple blood test (not urine test) would reveal this as a problem. So, until you know for certain, yes, I would eliminate alfalfa from his diet.

If several horses in the same area are having this problem, then it could be environmental -- perhaps a weed that is growing in the area or sensitivity to an insect that is more prevalent this year.

Keep me posted!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thank you for answering, Dr. Getty. I got the lab results back on the mini. His BUN & Creatinine are good, but he is high in Calcium..13.0mg/dl, and a little anemic. My vet isn't worried at this point. What is the effect of too much calcium and should I try to lower it? How would I do that? Thanks for being there for all of us.

To answer your question, he shed out well this spring and continues to have a great coat.

Pam

Where are you from? AZ

How did you locate this forum? Been here before

Hello Pam,

Well, the kidney function is good news. And high calcium should be balanced out with enough phosphorus and magnesium in the diet. So, in order to best assist you, I would suggest that I visit with you privately and crunch some numbers for you on the entire diet.

The anemia is also a concern that should be handled but adding iron is not always the answer since anemia can be caused by a vitamin B12, Folic Acid, or Vitamin B6 deficiency. So, please consider setting up an appointment. Here is the link to more info on phone consultations: http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/talktodrgetty.htm

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO