Clinical Equine nutrition

Question 1

What are the three major (broad spectrum) issues associated with horse nutrition?

Answer 1

Feeding management
Roughage associated
Grain associated

Question 2

What are some examples of feeding management issues in horses?

Answer 2

Competition
Vices
Dental problems

Question 3

What problems may arise when you feed horses in a herd?

Answer 3

Competition and aggression over food. may note some horses getting skinny while others gain weight
orTrauma - fighting/biting/kicking wounds

esophageal obstruction aka choke

Question 4

What is “choke”?

Answer 4

Referrers to an esophageal obstruction (the horse is able to breath)

This typically happens when eating a pelleted diet - when animals eat very fast (often due to competition)

Question 5

What are the clinical signs of acute onset “choke”?

Answer 5

**watery feed tinged nasal discharge
Dysphagia
Gagging
Repeated attempts to swallow
Stretching of the neck
Anxious

Question 6

What are the three most common feeds that horses will “choke” on?

Answer 6

Pelleted feeds
hay cubes
beet pulp

Question 7

What is the first thing you need to do to a horse with an esophageal obstruction?

Answer 7

SEDATE

then pass a naso-gastric tube, using lavage to break up the obstruction as needed

Question 8

What is the biggest complication noted with “choke”?

Answer 8

Aspiration pneumonia

most horses that obstruct will do so again Must take action to prevent: like soaking pellets, separate feeding, slow feeding buckets

Question 9

What are some abnormal oral behaviors associated with feed management and decrease in roughage? What do these result in?

Answer 9

Cribbing
wind sucking
wood chewing

all cause weight loss

Question 10

What are the abnormal locomotor behaviors that are associated with weight loss?

Answer 10

Weaving
Stall walking
head shaking

Question 11

What are equine vices associated with?

Answer 11

Boredom
Low roughage diets
prolonged confinement

(owners tend to think these are learned behaviors but research proves otherwise)

Question 12

What is cribbing?

Answer 12

A horse puts his teeth on a fence or post and then sucks wind in throw the esophagus

Question 13

T/F: Cribbing is only observed in domesticated or captive animals?

Answer 13

TRUE

Question 14

What are come concerns with cribbing?

Answer 14

Poor performance
weight loss
incisor wear
flatulent colic
epiploic foramen entrapment
destruction of property
annoying to the owner

Question 15

What are some forms of cribbing management?

Answer 15

Cribbing collars/masks
hog rings between the incisors
Surgery - cutting the “strap” muscles

***it is best to target the reason why the horse is performing this behavior - rather then preventing them from doing it – medical options like prozac etc.

Question 16

What abnormal oral condition is highly associated with wind sucking

Answer 16

Cribbing

74% of wind suckers become cribbers

Question 17

What is wind sucking?

Answer 17

Similar to cribbing, but without biting down on anything

Question 18

What is wood chewing?

Answer 18

Just chewing, no air sucking. It is destructive and can lead to splinters and or foreign bodies

Question 19

What clinical signs will you see in a horse with dental issues?

Answer 19

Weight loss
Dropping feed
Difficulty eating
Quidding

Question 20

Where will enamel points be seen?

Answer 20

Buccal - maxillary arcade

Question 21

Where will molar hooks be seen?

Answer 21

Front edge of the 1st cheek tooth

Question 22

What are some problems associated with alfalfa in foals?

Answer 22

High calcium can interfere with other electrolyte absorption and it may promote osteochrondrosis

Question 23

In what plant fields do you find blister beetles? What problems do they cause?

Answer 23

Found in alfalfa fields after cutting and crimping at the same time

Cause cantharidin toxicosis - affects GI tract and kidney

Question 24

What is the tx for blister beetle toxicosis?

Answer 24

Supportive care only

fluids, NSAIDs prn

**prevention is key

Question 25

What clinical signs may you see in a horse with blister beetle toxicosis?

Answer 25

``` Colic anorexia depression GI tract erosions (may note these in the mouth) Frequent urination (kd dz) Colitis ```

Question 26

What can contaminated fescue cause in horses? | What is the contaminant?

Answer 26

``` prolonged gestation premature separation of the placenta (red bag) Dystocia Retained placenta Agalactia ``` Caused by endophyte contamination (acermonium ceonophilum) aka ergot alkaloids

Question 27

What is a downside to fungus free fescue strains?

Answer 27

Not as hardy

Question 28

How do you prevent fescue toxicosis?

Answer 28

Cut the grass before it seeds | fungus lives in the seeds

Question 29

What grass can get contaminated with "the slobber toxin"? What is the toxin?

Answer 29

Red clover aka drool weed Slaframine is the toxin from mold

Question 30

What are feed concentrate issues that you may see in horses?

Answer 30

Grain overload ionophore toxicity moldy corn poisoning

Question 31

What clinical signs are associated with grain overload?

Answer 31

Colic Colitis Gastric rupture Laminitis

Question 32

Why would a grain overload cause laminitis?

Answer 32

Rapid fermentation in the large intestine will increase gram neg endotoxins, plus cause an acidosis which will increase the permeability of the mucosa --> leading to increase absorption of endotoxins --> destroy the basement membrane, cause digital ischemia, and leukocyte infiltration = laminitis

Question 33

What can be used to tx laminitis?

Answer 33

``` NSAIDs DMSO IV Vasodilators Shoeing and sole support Sometimes sx intervention - tenotomy ```

Question 34

What should be removed from the diet of a horse with laminitis or recovering from laminitis?

Answer 34

NO CARBS

Question 35

In what animals, are ionophore antibiotics used?

Answer 35

Ruminants swine poultry

Question 36

Horses are ______X more sensitive to ionophores than poultry

Answer 36

200

Question 37

Can ionophore toxicity be treated in a horse?

Answer 37

Typically not, unless you catch the horse in the act of eating it. Supportive care is all that can be offered - but generally it is not enough

Question 38

What clinical signs are seen with ionophore toxicity?

Answer 38

Trembling sweating cardiac arrhythmias DEATH **cardiotoxic**

Question 39

What does moldy corn poisoning in horses cause?

Answer 39

Leukoencephalomalacia aka blind staggers aka Mycotoxic Equine Encephalomalacia

Question 40

What are the clinical signs associated with "blind staggers"?

Answer 40

``` Rapid progression of: Incoordination depression blindness sweating head pressing sz, coma, death ```