Clinical Equine Nutrition Flashcards
If you have your horses in a herd, that are fed together and some are really fat and others are skinny, what is occurring?
Competition
How can you reduce competition?
Feed in compatible groups
In group feeding, spread out or feed in piles or feeders for each
What are the adverse effects of feed competition?
Horses are over or under conditioned
Trauma from fighting
Esophageal obstruction “choke” - bolting feed
Dysphasia
Watery feed tinged nasal discharge
Gagging
Stretching of the neck
What is this
Esophageal obstruction
How do you treat and manage esophageal obstruction
Sedation
Naso-gastic tube
Management
- often repeat offenders
- slow down eating
- separate “bully”
- soaked feed
What are vices associated with feed management ?
Crib-biting
Wind-sucking
Wood chewing
What are vices that are NOT associated with feed management
Weaving
Stall walking
Headshaking
Usually a result of confined spaces
–> weight loss
What are concerns for a cribbing horse?
Poor performance Weight loss Incisor wear Flatulent colic Epiploic foramen entrapment Destruction of property Annoying to owner
What are treatments for cribbing? What would be the best method?
Surgery-> cut the strap muscles–> take away the ability to crib but not the desire
Drug -> tricyclics antidepressant-> more preventative (but expensive)
Address by diet-> addition of fiber
T/F: wind sucking horses often become crabbers
True
74% of wind suckers become cribbers
What is the difference between cribbing and wood chewing
Cribbing - grasp onto object with mouth and suck in air
Wood chewing- just chewing, no air sucking
What are signs that your horse may have dental issues
Weight loss
Dropping feed
Difficulty eating
Quidding
What are some dental abnormalities seen in horses
Enamel points
Molar hooks
-> ulceration
What is the treatment for dental abnormalities
Float - smooth the surface
What problems can alfalfa cause in foals?
Ca/P ratio is very high
Increase Ca may interfere with other e-lyte absorption
Increase P may promote osteochrondrosis
What problems are associated with alfalfa
Blister beetle
Cantharidin toxicosis -> to GIT and kidney
Horse with
Colic Anorexia Depression GIT erosions Frequent urination Colitis
Blister beetle -cantharidin toxicosis
How can blister beetle toxicosis be prevented?
No crimping
Inspect the feed
No specific treatment
Supportive care with fluids and NSAIDS
What are problems associated with fescue?
Contamination with endophyte fungus - ergot alkaloid
Dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin form AP
Horse with..
Prolonged gestation Premature separation of the placenta Dystocia Retained placenta Agalactia
Fescue toxicosis
How can fescue toxicosis be prevented?
Most late gestating mares off pasture
Cut grass (fungus lives in seed)
Fungus free variety
Re seeding
What is associated with increased salivation in horses?
Red clover infected with Rhizoctonia leguminicola
Usually not a significant issue
-some dehydration in very severe cases
What are the 3 main issues with concentrate feed
Grain overload
Ionophore toxicity
Moldy corn poisoning
Clinical signs of grain overload?
Colic - looking at flank, pawing, and rolling
Colitis
Gastric rupture
Laminitis
How do non-structural carbohydrates lead to colic?
Rapid fermentation in the hind gut => gas distention
What is the treatment for colic?
NSAIDS - flunixin
Rectal examination
NG incubation -reflux and mineral oil
What condition is associated with grain overload and NSAIDS
Laminitis
What is the pathogenesis of grain overload leading to laminitis?
NSC (non-structural carbohydrate)
- > rapid fermention increases the gram (+) and decreases the gram (-)
- > increased lactate, acidosis
- > destruction of basement membrane, digital ischemia, and leukocyte infiltration
What is the treatment of laminitis ?
NSAIDS DMSO iv (scavenge free radicals) Vasodilator Shoeing Sole support SX Diet - no carbs (sad day )
Horse with..
Trembling, sweating, and cardiac arrhythmia s
Ionophore toxicity (cardio toxic)
What is the treatment of ionophore toxicity?
Supportive
Lavage GI - mineral oil or activated charcoal
Moldy corn poisoning is associated with what disease
Leukoencephalomalacia
-myotoxic equine encecphlomalacia
What is the fungus responsible for moldy corn poisoning ?
Fusarium moniliforme
Clinical signs on moldy corn poisoning?
Liquefaction of cerebral white matter
Incoordination Depression Blindness Sweating Head pressing Seizures Coma Death
Will a performance horse consume enough dry feed to meet its energy needs?
No - only consume 2-2.5% of BW in dry feeds
Use grain (33-40% of feed)
T/F: performance horse are fed high roughage and low grains diets?
False!
High grain, low roughage
Why use vegetable, corn or flaxseed oils in performance horse feeds?
Energy density
1cup of oil replaces 3-4cups of concentrate
What minerals should be supplemented to performance horses?
Na
Cl
K
Mg
All lost in sweat
Also water
In aged horses a BCS of ______ should be maintained prior to winter
4-6
Will digestion and absorption of protein, fiber, and phosphorus increase or decrease with age
Decrease
What are common health problems in aging horses?
Dental issues
Parasitism
Arthritic conditions
What are general recommendations for feeding aging horses?
Give them what they will eat!
Very palatable
Easily digested and masticated
Fat up to 1-2cups/horse/day
What should you avoid when feeding a starved horse?
AVOID- immediately starting of high quality diet
->Refeeding syndrome = fatal increase in blood insulin
Lead to cardiac and respiratory failure
How should you feed a starved horse?
Start on feed with low glycemic index
Roughage only - alfalfa
Introduced 50-70% of maintenance based on BW
Gradually build up to maintenance over 10days
Increase to 125% maintenance then gradually introduce grain after 10 days
What additional things should you consider besides feed when dealing with a starved horse?
Reduce nutrient drains
- deworm
- balanced for warmth
- reduced exercise
- no food competition
Dental issues
Hoof care
Underlying dz?
Equine metabolic syndrome affects what horses?
Adults <15yrs (middle aged)
Obesity
Intermittent laminitis (founder rings)
PPID negative
Persistent hyperinsuliemia
Signs of?
Equine metabolic syndrome
How do you treat equine metabolic syndrome?
Low glycemic index diet
- late cut hay
- no grass pasture (grazing muzzle)
Exercise
Levothyroxine sodium (increase metabolic rate)
In ponies, donkey, and miniature horses, a sudden and severe breakdown of body fat stores leads to?
Hyperlipemia
- life threatening *
What are predisposing factors of hyperlipidemia?
Obesity
Insulin resistance
Female- pregnant or lactating
What factors can cause a hyperlipidemia?
Inadequate feed intake
Stress
Pain
Disease
-> neuroendocrine response -> lipolysis
Anorexia Dysphagia Colic Pyrexia Encephalopathy Depression Weakness Abortion Rapid weight loss
Hyperlipidemia
What is the treatment for hyperlipidemia?
Treat precipitating factors (Eg decrease stress)
Treat secondary problems
-dehydration and hypoglycemia
Reduced LDLs feeds
What are key factors thought to be involved in developmental orthopedic disease?
Rapid growth Diet imbalance (hypernutrition or poor Ca/P ratio)
Biomechanical stress or trauma
Hormonal factors
Genetic predisposition
What is the most common developmental orthopedic disease in horses?
Physistis/epiphysitis
Can lead to angular deformities in severe cases
Physitis/epiphysitis is most common in what joints?
Distal radius and distal MCIII or MTIII
What is the treatment of physitis?
Decrease the nutritional plane -roughage only
Rest
+/- NSIADs and Mineral supplement
What do you call and DOD where there is deviation of the limb in the sagittal plane?
Angular limb deformities
What are the most common angular limb deformities?
Carpal valgus (lateral) Fetlock varus (medial)
Treatment of angular limb deformities?
Trimming/shoeing
Stall confinement
Surgical
- hemi-circumferential periosteal transection and elevation
- transphyseal bridging
What is a flexural limb deformity?
Either flexion or extension of the joint
Congenital -> infection
Acquired -> rapidly growing foal, excessive energy intake after previous inadequate energy may trigger
What are treatments for federal limb deformities ?
Exercise
Shoeing
Oxytetracyline
Surgery
- desmotomy (cut lig)
- tenotomy
What do you call a disease where there is disturbance in endochondrial differentiation, proliferation, maturation, and ossification of fast growing animals
Osteochondrosis
High incidence in Standardbred and Warmblood breeds -> nutritional and genetic factors
What are clinical signs associated with osteochrondrosis and OCD?
Joint effusion and lameness
Are cervical vertebral malformations more common in males or females
Male
When do we see cervical vertebral malformations in horses?/
Rapid growing due to hypernutrition -> compression of SC
Normal newborn foals have a high metabolic rate and low haptic glycogen reserves which requires them to frequently ingest colostrum then milk
This is just a fun fact
Can goats milk or cows milk be used to feed an orphan foal?
Yes
Goat - close to mare but can cause some constipation
Cow- has less fat more surgar so add 2% dextrose
What are problems that can arise from hand rearing a foal
Behaviour issues -> avoid humanization
Labor intensive
