Exam 2: Lecture 16 - Equine Clinical nutrition case Flashcards
For a 10 yr old QH mare with a BSC of 9, what would an ideal BCS be
5 or 6
For a 10 yr old QH mare with a BSC of 9 and ideal BCS of 5-6…how much weight does she need to lose to reach her ideal bw?
150-200 lbs
on the 10 yr old QH, what are some of the problems we immediately ID for the mare?
laminitis, over weight, joint pain, possible lack of exercise
what are our differential diagnoses for the 10 yr old QH mare?
possibly metabolic syndrome, probably overfed
what bloodwork should we do for the 10 yr old QH mare
glucose, cbc/chem, T4, ACTH
how can we get a more accurate weight on the 10 yr old mare
scale, if no scale available then a weight tape
what can we do to confirm laminitis
radiographs (best option), lameness test, hoof testers
what are some feeding management strategies we can use for the 10 yr old QH mare with the BCS of 9
grazing muzzle, pasture restriction, dry lot turn out, limit time in pasture
what medication can we use for the 10 yr old QH mare
- phenylbutazone
- Thyro-L (helps with weight loss and can increase insulin sensitivity)
- pentoxifyline - inhibits matrix metalloproteinases (enzyme that becomes overactive in laminitis)
what strategies can we use to safely help the 10 yr old QH mare lose weight
- remove grain
- increase exercise
- feed poorer quality hay
- limit forage
what is the initial feeding program for the 10 yr old mare
buy a hay net and digital fish scale, soak hay in warm water for 30-60 mins, determine if owners can get a consistent source of hay and get it analyzed
- feed at 2% of current bw in hay for 2 weeks (23 lbs of hay)
- feed at 1.5% of current bw in hay for 2 weeks (17.25 lbs of hay)
- feed at 1.5% of desired bw in hay (14.25 lbs of hay)
how can we decide what type of hay to feed the 10 yr old QH mare
hay analysis/sample
between these 2 hay samples, which would be better to feed the 10 yr old QH mare and why?
mixed grass/legume hay because lower NSC tan grass hay, ESC is lower, NDF/ADF are lower but must make sure she still eats it
at maintenance a mares max DMI is 1.6% of bw. At her new bw of 950 lbs, how much DM will she be able to eat per day
15.2lbs of DM/d
(950 lbs x 0.016 = 15.2)
if the mare is able to eat 15.2 lbs DM/d, how much of the mixed grass hay will she eat on an as-fed basis (DM of hay is 90.7%)
16.8 lbs of hay
15.2 lbs / 0.907 = 16.8 lbs of hay
if we want to let the QH mare on pasture, what are the recommendations
- get analysis
- limit access to avoid frost, drought, late evening turnout on pasture
- grazing muzzle
- turn out only 1-2 hrs / day
if the hay doesnt meet the total daily energy needs, then what can we supplement the QH mare with
balancer pellet
why are balancer pellets good to supplement when the hay doesnt meet total daily energy needs
- higher protein
- usually 1 to 1.5 lbs as fed
- could ass a little corn oil to increase energy
- could meet extra needs with high fiber, low starch speciality pellet
how do we treat/manage hooves for laminitis
- need to coordinate rads with foot trim
- want easy break over (shorten toes, roll toe)
- may eventually need special shoeing
- use soft rides
what are the 7 things we should do to monitor the 10 yr old QH mare
- routine foot trims
- routine bloodwork
- routine weight checks
- routine BCS
- routine foot rads
- repeat forage analysis as hay sources change
- rebalance feed
