Clinical Equine nutrition Flashcards
What are the three major (broad spectrum) issues associated with horse nutrition?
Feeding management
Roughage associated
Grain associated
What are some examples of feeding management issues in horses?
Competition
Vices
Dental problems
What problems may arise when you feed horses in a herd?
Competition and aggression over food. may note some horses getting skinny while others gain weight
orTrauma - fighting/biting/kicking wounds
esophageal obstruction aka choke
What is “choke”?
Referrers to an esophageal obstruction (the horse is able to breath)
This typically happens when eating a pelleted diet - when animals eat very fast (often due to competition)
What are the clinical signs of acute onset “choke”?
**watery feed tinged nasal discharge Dysphagia Gagging Repeated attempts to swallow Stretching of the neck Anxious
What are the three most common feeds that horses will “choke” on?
Pelleted feeds
hay cubes
beet pulp
What is the first thing you need to do to a horse with an esophageal obstruction?
SEDATE
then pass a naso-gastric tube, using lavage to break up the obstruction as needed
What is the biggest complication noted with “choke”?
Aspiration pneumonia
most horses that obstruct will do so again Must take action to prevent: like soaking pellets, separate feeding, slow feeding buckets
What are some abnormal oral behaviors associated with feed management and decrease in roughage? What do these result in?
Cribbing
wind sucking
wood chewing
all cause weight loss
What are the abnormal locomotor behaviors that are associated with weight loss?
Weaving
Stall walking
head shaking
What are equine vices associated with?
Boredom
Low roughage diets
prolonged confinement
(owners tend to think these are learned behaviors but research proves otherwise)
What is cribbing?
A horse puts his teeth on a fence or post and then sucks wind in throw the esophagus
T/F: Cribbing is only observed in domesticated or captive animals?
TRUE
What are come concerns with cribbing?
Poor performance weight loss incisor wear flatulent colic epiploic foramen entrapment destruction of property annoying to the owner
What are some forms of cribbing management?
Cribbing collars/masks
hog rings between the incisors
Surgery - cutting the “strap” muscles
***it is best to target the reason why the horse is performing this behavior - rather then preventing them from doing it – medical options like prozac etc.
What abnormal oral condition is highly associated with wind sucking
Cribbing
74% of wind suckers become cribbers
What is wind sucking?
Similar to cribbing, but without biting down on anything
What is wood chewing?
Just chewing, no air sucking. It is destructive and can lead to splinters and or foreign bodies
What clinical signs will you see in a horse with dental issues?
Weight loss
Dropping feed
Difficulty eating
Quidding
Where will enamel points be seen?
Buccal - maxillary arcade
Where will molar hooks be seen?
Front edge of the 1st cheek tooth
What are some problems associated with alfalfa in foals?
High calcium can interfere with other electrolyte absorption and it may promote osteochrondrosis
In what plant fields do you find blister beetles? What problems do they cause?
Found in alfalfa fields after cutting and crimping at the same time
Cause cantharidin toxicosis - affects GI tract and kidney
What is the tx for blister beetle toxicosis?
Supportive care only
fluids, NSAIDs prn
**prevention is key
What clinical signs may you see in a horse with blister beetle toxicosis?
Colic anorexia depression GI tract erosions (may note these in the mouth) Frequent urination (kd dz) Colitis
What can contaminated fescue cause in horses?
What is the contaminant?
prolonged gestation premature separation of the placenta (red bag) Dystocia Retained placenta Agalactia
Caused by endophyte contamination (acermonium ceonophilum) aka ergot alkaloids
What is a downside to fungus free fescue strains?
Not as hardy
How do you prevent fescue toxicosis?
Cut the grass before it seeds
fungus lives in the seeds
What grass can get contaminated with “the slobber toxin”? What is the toxin?
Red clover aka drool weed
Slaframine is the toxin from mold
What are feed concentrate issues that you may see in horses?
Grain overload
ionophore toxicity
moldy corn poisoning
What clinical signs are associated with grain overload?
Colic
Colitis
Gastric rupture
Laminitis
Why would a grain overload cause laminitis?
Rapid fermentation in the large intestine will increase gram neg endotoxins, plus cause an acidosis which will increase the permeability of the mucosa –> leading to increase absorption of endotoxins –> destroy the basement membrane, cause digital ischemia, and leukocyte infiltration = laminitis
What can be used to tx laminitis?
NSAIDs DMSO IV Vasodilators Shoeing and sole support Sometimes sx intervention - tenotomy
What should be removed from the diet of a horse with laminitis or recovering from laminitis?
NO CARBS
In what animals, are ionophore antibiotics used?
Ruminants
swine
poultry
Horses are ______X more sensitive to ionophores than poultry
200
Can ionophore toxicity be treated in a horse?
Typically not, unless you catch the horse in the act of eating it. Supportive care is all that can be offered - but generally it is not enough
What clinical signs are seen with ionophore toxicity?
Trembling
sweating
cardiac arrhythmias
DEATH
cardiotoxic
What does moldy corn poisoning in horses cause?
Leukoencephalomalacia
aka blind staggers
aka Mycotoxic Equine Encephalomalacia
What are the clinical signs associated with “blind staggers”?
Rapid progression of: Incoordination depression blindness sweating head pressing sz, coma, death
