Buckeye Nutrition

Purpose:
1. To become familiar with common nutritionally related equine diseases
Laminitis/Founder
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Mild to severe lameness seen at the walk
    1. Shift weight to the hind feet
    2. Front feet appear to be walking on egg shells
  2. Palpable digital pulse
  3. +/- heat
  4. Fever
2. Etiologic Events
  1. Carbohydrate overload
  2. Concussion
  3. Endotoxemia – secondary to retained placenta, acute gastro-intestinal disease etc.
  4. Corticosteroid overdose
3. Treatment
  1. Remove the cause
  2. Support remaining intact laminae
  3. Reduce inflammation
  4. Promote circulation
4. Recommended Feeding Program for the Horse Afflicted with Laminitis
  1. Low carbohydrate
  2. Calories from fat
  3. Reduce grain intakes
Colic – Abdominal Pain
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Off feed
  2. Pawing
  3. Looking at their side
  4. Rolling
  5. Change in mucous membrane color
  6. Elevated heart rate
  7. Abnormal rectal examination findings
  8. Decreased abdominal Borborygmi
2. Etiology
  1. Impaction – sand, feed, parasites
    1. stomach
    2. small intestine
    3. large intestine
    4. cecum
  2. Volvulus/torsion – twist
  3. Enteritis – inflammation of bowel lining causing gastric reflux, intestinal distention, diarrhea
  4. Enteroliths
    1. California, Florida, and Indiana have a higher incidence than other states
    2. stones that form in the large colon and cause obstruction
    3. recent study suggests that dietary modifications promoting acidification of colonic contents and dilution of minerals may be beneficial (i.e. grass hay instead of alfalfa)
  5. Non-strangulating intestinal infarction
    1. fourth and fifth stage larvae of Strongylus Vulgaris
  6. Ileus – section of bowel that has lost peristaltic motion
3. Predisposing Etiological Events
  1. Change in feed
  2. Change in water consumption
  3. Weather changes
    1. changes in temperature and barometric pressure affect eating and drinking
  4. Any stress in the horse’s life that can change feed and water consumption
    1. Illness
    2. Training
    3. Showing
    4. Trailering
4. Treatments
  1. Clinical exam
  2. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  3. Sedatives – Xylaxine
  4. Passage of nasogastric tube – removal of trapped fluid or administer mineral oil
  5. Intravenous fluids – 20 – 30 L
  6. Surgery
5. Recommendation for Feeding the Horse that Colics
  1. Increase fiber in diet
  2. Increase frequency of feedings
  3. Cecal impactions – reduce hay intake
  4. Reduce grain intakes
“Heaves” – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Exercise intolerance
  2. Increased abdominal effort during expiration
    1. difficult for these horses to exhale
    2. heave line – hypertrophy of abdominal muscles along rib cage
  3. Flared nostrils
  4. Persistent cough
2. Etiological Factors
  1. Dust
  2. Mold
  3. Air pollution
  4. Allergies
  5. Bacterial and viral infections
  6. Ammonia
3. Treatment
  1. Antihistamines
  2. Steriodal anti-inflammatories
  3. Bronchodilators
  4. Inhalers – no systemic side effects the steroids or bronchodilators
  5. Allergy testing
    1. Serum Elisa – test for IgE antibody against food protein and inhaled pollens
    2. skin test – measure skin reaction to injected allergen
  6. Desensitization Injections
    1. work better for allergies that manifest themselves as a skin problem not COPD
    2. can not desensitize to food allergies, can only remove them
4. Management Program
  1. Remove the cause – if too dusty inside feed outside etc.
  2. Reduce dust and molds in hay, grain and bedding (i.e. soak with water)
  3. Improve ventilation
  4. Use complete feeds
“Tying Up” – Exertional Rhabdomolysis
1. Clinical Symptoms
  1. Muscular stiffness associated with an increase in exercise
  2. Wide range – mild gait abnormalities to inability to move to prolonged recumbence
  3. Anxiety
  4. Profuse sweating
  5. Muscles are tense and hard to palpate
2. Etiological Factors
  1. Receiving large amounts of grain
  2. Training ceases for a day or two then resumes
  3. Sudden increases in training
  4. Thyroid dysfunction
  5. Once affected predisposed to repeat episodes
  6. Pathophysiology – Dysfunction on the cellular level which results in an influx of calcium into the muscle cell. This causes the muscle to contract and then it is broken down to myoglobin. The myoglobin is excreted by the kidney and makes the urine look bloody.
3. Treatment
  1. Anti-inflammatories
  2. Intravenous fluids – 20 – 30 L to restore kidney function
  3. DMSO – Anti-inflammatory, diuretic, free oxygen radical scavenger
  4. Prophylactic Management
  5. Maintain a uniform exercise schedule
4. Dietary Management
  1. Reduce carbohydrate intakes
  2. Increase the fat content of diet
  3. Increase Vitamin E/Se intakes
Osteochondrosis Dessicans (OCD)/Subchondral Bone Cysts
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Lameness that can occur in multiple joints often bilateral
  2. Localized swelling and joint effusion
  3. Radiology – cystic lesions seen just beneath the articular cartilage
2. Etiology
  1. Genetics
  2. Nutrition
  3. Direct mechanical trauma to the Subchondral bone
3. Treatment
  1. Conservative therapy hoping for osseous resolution
  2. Intra-articular curettage via arthroscopic surgery with or without cancellous bone graft
4. Dietary Management
  1. Balance the ration
  2. Examine nutritional intakes from hay and grain
  3. Monitor growth rates
  4. Reduce caloric intakes
  5. Improve mineral status
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS)
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Adults – Affect 90% of race horses
    1. decreased performance
    2. poor appetite
    3. weight loss
    4. low grade colic
  2. Foals – 25% - 50% incidence rate
    1. intermittent nursing
    2. colic – laying on their backs
    3. teeth grinding
    4. salivation
2. Etiology
  1. The horse’s digestive tract is designed for continuous consumption of forage, therefore ulcers are rarely seen in horses maintained on pasture
  2. Grains and pelleted feeds can increase the production of Gastrin in a hormone that stimulates gastric acid production
  3. Extended periods of fasting without acid neutralization can cause the lining of the upper portion of the stomach to ulcerate
3. Treatment
  1. Decrease acid production
4. Dietary Management
  1. Alfalfa hay – due to its high protein content and calcium concentrations may act as a dietary antacid and have a protective effect on the non-glandular gastric mucosa in horses.
  2. Multiple feedings of a complete feed – since acid is produced even when the stomach is empty pH can fall to below 2.0 when nothing is in the stomach to neutralize the acid.
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HyPP)
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Sporadic attack of muscle tremors along rib cage and flank
  2. Dog sitting or complete collapse
  3. Symptoms are similar to Tying Up
  4. Third eyelid may invert
  5. Death can occur
2. Etiology
  1. Incompletely dominant single autosomal gene disorder
  2. The gene codes for a protein called the sodium ion channel
  3. When this gene is defective, as it is in the Impressive bred horses, the muscle cell is unable to hold potassium in the cell
  4. Causing electrical charges within the muscle cell to signal continuous muscle contraction
  5. Leakage of potassium from the muscle cell to the bloodstream raises serum potassium from 3-4mEq/L to 12mEq/L in severe episodes
3. Treatment
  1. Diuretic that causes urinary excretion of potassium
4. Dietary Management
  1. Examine Potassium Status.
    1. Soybean Meal 2.22%
    2. Cane Molasses 4.01%
    3. Alfalfa Hay (early bloom) 2.65%
    4. Timothy hay 1.67%
    5. Beet pulp 0.22%
  2. 2. Maintain HyPP positive horses on diets that contain 1% or less total potassium
Geriatrics
1. Pituitary Adenoma
  1. Clinical Signs
    1. Hirsutism – long hair that does not shed
    2. Polydipsia – increased water consumption
    3. Polyuria – increased urination
    4. Chronic Laminitis
    5. Chronic Infections
  2. Etiology – A tumor of the pituitary gland in the brain that cause excess ACTH release which stimulates a hyperactive adrenal gland to release excess cortisol. This is confirmed with laboratory testing.
  3. Treatment
    1. Pergolide and cyproheptadine
2. Arthritis/Navicular Disease
  1. Clinical Signs
    1. Severe lameness from chronic pain
    2. Loss of appetite from pain or from anti-inflammatory therapy
    3. Weight loss due to increased effort required for normal activity
3. Dentistry
  1. Sharp points or hooks
  2. Missing teeth – causing the corresponding tooth on the opposite arcade to grow into the gum line
  3. Teeth worn down to the gum line – quidding results when the horse cannot chew hay and partially chewn balls of hay are dropped from the mouth
4. Nutritional Recommendations
  1. Low carbohydrate
  2. Highly digestible source of fiber
  3. Complete feed
“Choke” – Esophageal Disease
1. Clinical Signs
  1. Regurgitation of food, water and saliva through the mouth and nostrils
  2. Coughing
  3. Excessive salivation
  4. Extended head and neck
  5. Distress and agitation
  6. Secondary aspiration pneumonia
  7. Repeated episodes predispose to esophageal enlargement or diverticulum formation and chronic choking
2. Etiology
  1. Food or foreign body obstruction of the esophagus causing food and saliva to be regurgitated out the mouth and the nose not swallowed
3. Treatment
  1. Sedation to lower the head
  2. Esophageal lavage via nasogastric intubation
  3. Broad spectrum antiiotics to prevent secondary aspiration pneumonia
  4. NSAIDS
4. Feeding Recommendations
  1. Complete feed soaked with water
  2. Prevent bolting of feed (salt blocks in feed tub)

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