Lecture 14: Equine Nutrition 2 (Exam 2) Flashcards
What are the predisposing factors or Cribbing
- Stall weaning v. pasture weaning
- Stall housing following weaning
- Feeding concentrates
- Lack of time @ posture
- Lack of straw bedding stall
What are some ways to treat/prevent cribbing
- Increase dietary fiber
- Remove ledges
- Electric fence
- Dog collar
- Cribbing collar
Who most commonly gets gastric ulcers? Where do gastric ulcers commonly occur on the stomach
- Perfomance horses & foals
- In the non glandular stratified squamous mucosa
What are the risk factors of gastric factors
- Intense exercise
- Increased stall time
- Meal feeding
- Not having hay ava ad libitum
What are ways to prevent/treat gastric ulcers
- Feeding alfalfa can be a protective measure (has protein & calcium to buffer gastric pH)
- Feeding aloe vera juice for protection & treatment
- Corn oil to increase the pH
- Can use antacids but not very effective
- Have roughage continuously ava to stimulate saliva
- Avoid large grain meals
- Reduce stress & increase turnout
- Over the counter or prescribed for treatment
What is heaves
- An allergic respiratory dx of horses
- Recurrent airway obstruction
What should be done when feeding horses w/ heaves
- Avoid dusty moldy hay
- Feed cubes
- Soak hay (leaches out nutrients, decreases the sugar content by 30% & potassium w/ >50% reduction)
- Avoid hay storage above horses in the barn
- Pasture the horse
- Use hay gain systems
Describe vitamin E deficiency
- Can be an issue w/ poor quality hay & grain (may be devoid of vitamin)
- Can cause equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy or equine lower motor neuron dx
What happens in equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy
- Can be hereditary
- Intracellular damage via oxidation
- Ataxia & spasticity of all four limbs w/ the hind limbs often most infected
Describe Equine lower motor neuron dx
- Older horses deficient in vitamin E for 18 M or longer (risk peaks @ 16 yo)
- Neurodegenerative disorder of the horse
- Progressive weakness, muscle wasting, & weight loss
Describe esophageal obstruction/choke
- Food is stuck in the esophagus around the thoracic inlets or behind the base of the heart
- Not uncommon if horse doesn’t chew properly
- sx: extended neck & nasal discharge
- Commonly seen w/ pelleted feed stuffs, cubs, beet pulp, older horses w/ poor dentition
Describe Leukoencephalomalacia (moldy corne disease)
- Fumonisin toxicity (mycotoxin) causes neuro signs
- Liquefactive necrosis of the cerebral white matter
- Causes disruption of BV, progressive ataxia, depression, anorexia, delirium, coma, & death
- Death can occur 12 H to 1 W after onset of signs
What are some problems associated w/ bermuda pastures
- Can rapidly become fibrous & cause impaction colic
- Coastal bermuda can cause ileal impactions in horses
What are problems associated w/ endophyte fungus in endophyte infected fescue
- Poor growth
- Increased foal mortality
- Prolonged gestation or thickened placenta
What pasture grass is linked to dev of liver disease in horses
Alsike clover
What produce slaframine
Red clover that is contaminated w/ rhizoctonia leguminicola
How does high concentrate diet/grain overload cause laminitis
- High levels of NSC in forages (sugars, fructans, & starch)
- Up to 30 to 50% of NSC reaches the LI where they are rapidly fermented (AKA to march starch in the LI)
What can high starch fermentation lead to
- Diarrhea
- Colic
- Laminitis
- Release of endotoxins which damage the mucosa in the intestines
How is laminitis caused by high concentrate diets prevented
By limiting concentrate feed to a max of 0.5% of BW
How do large amounts of starch reaching the LI change the local gastric envi
- Lowers intestinal pH
- Lowers pH (more gram neg bacteria dies while gram pos grow & produce lactic acid)
What occurs when there is excessive NSC in the LI
- Overgrowth of bacteria that ferment starch & fructans (produces lactic acid & lowers pH)
- Destruction & inflammation of the gut wall
- Damages allows absorption of toxins
- Causes laminitis
What should ESC & WSC be when a horse has laminitis
- ESC: should be low
- WSC: Should be low
- ESC + starch: Be below 10%
What are fructans
Storage carbs in growing grasses
When do fructans accumulate
When the rate of photosynthesis exceeds use of energy for growth in plants
