Nutrition Flashcards
What is the stomach capacity of the horse?
5-15L
Where does enzymatic digestion of CHO, protein, and fats occur?
Duodenum and jejunum
What is the main site of fermentation in the digestive tract?
Caecum and large colon
Hindgut fermentation
Large hindgut to accommodate fermentation of digesta by microorganisms
Volatile fatty acids produced by fermentation
VFA used for energy or converted to glucose or fat
What behaviour is a high concentrate diet associated with?
Inappropriate eating (bedding, faeces, wood)
Increased aggression/nervous behaviour when conc increase and roughage decreases
What behaviour is a high starch diet associated with?
Severe fluctuations in glucose and insulin - ?fizzy horses
What is the effect of high concentrate diet on saliva production?
Less saliva produced with concentrates compared to forage
Cresty neck scoring
0 - no palpable crest
1- no visible crest, but filling on palpation
2- noticible crest, even fat distribution. Can be cupped in one hand and moved.
3- Crest enlarged and thickened, more fat in middle. Fills hand and difficult to move from side to side.
4- Grossly enlarged and thickened, may have creases and wrinkles perpendicular to topline.
5- crest droops to one side.
How much of a horses diet should be forage?
At least 50% of total equine ration by weight
What weight of forage should horses be fed?
At least 1.5-2% BW in forage or forage substitutes (hay cubes)
Average max daily DMI
2.5-3% BW
Maintenance daily energy requirements
33.3kcal/kg BW (30.3 - 36.3)
Protein ration needed for horses at different times in their life
Growing horses have a higher need for protein 14-16% total ration
Mature 8-10%
Geriatric similar to young, as long as liver and kidney function adequate
Pregnancy 10-11%
Lactation 12-14%
What are the most useful amino acid supplements?
Lysine and leucine
Which oils can be used to supplement diet?
Avoid clear plastic containers-light oxidised-air and light causes degradation - loss of vits, palatability and production f pro-inflammatory compounds
Linseed oil thought to be best based on profile, palatability, and price. Readily available
Avoid those high in omega 6 and low in omega 3-corn, oat, wheat, soya
Coconut oil expensive, no omega 3, high in omega 6 (inflammatory)
Minimum daily maintenance water intake
5L/100kg BW/day
Increases with diet
Calcium and phosphorus requirements
Mature animals have lowest requirement
Greatest need during growth, last third of pregnancy and lactation
Maintain ratio Ca:P >1.1 (1.5:1)
Avoid excess Ca> 1% total ration if renal function issue
Salt requirements
Requirements vary significantly with exercise/sweating
Usually 1.6-1.8g salt/kg feed DM
Heavy sweating can lead to losses >30g in 1-2hr
‘nutritional wisdom’ - voluntary seek out salt when needed
Salt blocks provided in stables/at pasture
Rarely consume in excess
‘water buffet’ in diarrhoea patients
Potassium requirements
RDI 0.5g/kg BW
Most roughages contain >1% K, usually sufficient
Lactation, sweating etc increases needs x 1.8
Most horses in work benefit from balanced electrolyte solution
Iron requirements
Thought that most horses over supplemented
Maintenance 40mg/kg feed DM
Higher 50mg/kg DM in growth, pregnancy/lactation
Rarely need supplementation - low PCV alone is not an indication for supplementation. Extra iron does not increase RBC production. Only given when significant blood loss
Difficult to excrete
Toxic to young foals
May interfere with absorption of other minerals (Zn and Cu - poor coat and hoof quality)
Sub-clinical toxicity though to be more common than deficiency (extremely rare)
?link to EMS and obesity reduction in normal response to insulin
Most common problem in geriatric horses
Weight loss
Geriatric diet
Higher CP (12-16% cf 10-12% adult)
High quality protein sources - soybean
Treated grains to improve starch digestibility
Added vegetable oil (4-7% fat)
Often additional fibre (at least 12%) so that can be fed as a complete feed
Calcium, no more than 1%
Avoid legumes, high in calcium as older horses may have reduced P absorption
Vitimins for geriatrics
Vitamin C supplementation recommended
10-25g BID
? Use in horses with chronic infections
Vit E supplementation, esp. if oil is added to diet
Serum protein - albumin test (reflecting nutrition)
Reflects protein status and intake.
Usually low in severe inflammation as it is an acute phase protein.
Synthesised in liver, so low in liver disease, also in protein losing enteropathy’s, severe parasitism, blood loss, or protein losing nephropathy
Abnormally elevated in dehydration
Must resolve disease process first before albumin levels improve, regardless of diet
