Clinical Equine Nutrition Flashcards by Corinne Perra

If you have your horses in a herd, that are fed together and some are really fat and others are skinny, what is occurring?

Competition

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How can you reduce competition?

Feed in compatible groups

In group feeding, spread out or feed in piles or feeders for each

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What are the adverse effects of feed competition?

Horses are over or under conditioned

Trauma from fighting

Esophageal obstruction “choke” - bolting feed

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Dysphasia
Watery feed tinged nasal discharge
Gagging
Stretching of the neck

What is this

Esophageal obstruction

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How do you treat and manage esophageal obstruction

Sedation
Naso-gastic tube

Management

often repeat offenders
slow down eating
separate “bully”
soaked feed

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What are vices associated with feed management ?

Crib-biting
Wind-sucking
Wood chewing

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What are vices that are NOT associated with feed management

Weaving
Stall walking
Headshaking

Usually a result of confined spaces
–> weight loss

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What are concerns for a cribbing horse?

Poor performance 
Weight loss
 Incisor wear 
Flatulent colic 
Epiploic foramen entrapment 
Destruction of property 
Annoying to owner

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What are treatments for cribbing? What would be the best method?

Surgery-> cut the strap muscles–> take away the ability to crib but not the desire

Drug -> tricyclics antidepressant-> more preventative (but expensive)

Address by diet-> addition of fiber

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T/F: wind sucking horses often become crabbers

True

74% of wind suckers become cribbers

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What is the difference between cribbing and wood chewing

Cribbing - grasp onto object with mouth and suck in air

Wood chewing- just chewing, no air sucking

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What are signs that your horse may have dental issues

Weight loss
Dropping feed
Difficulty eating
Quidding

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What are some dental abnormalities seen in horses

Enamel points
Molar hooks

-> ulceration

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What is the treatment for dental abnormalities

Float - smooth the surface

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What problems can alfalfa cause in foals?

Ca/P ratio is very high

Increase Ca may interfere with other e-lyte absorption

Increase P may promote osteochrondrosis

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What problems are associated with alfalfa

Blister beetle

Cantharidin toxicosis -> to GIT and kidney

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Horse with

Colic 
Anorexia 
Depression 
GIT erosions 
Frequent urination 
Colitis

Blister beetle -cantharidin toxicosis

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How can blister beetle toxicosis be prevented?

No crimping
Inspect the feed

No specific treatment
Supportive care with fluids and NSAIDS

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What are problems associated with fescue?

Contamination with endophyte fungus - ergot alkaloid

Dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin form AP

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Horse with..

Prolonged gestation 
Premature separation of the placenta
Dystocia 
Retained placenta
 Agalactia

Fescue toxicosis

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How can fescue toxicosis be prevented?

Most late gestating mares off pasture

Cut grass (fungus lives in seed)

Fungus free variety

Re seeding

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What is associated with increased salivation in horses?

Red clover infected with Rhizoctonia leguminicola

Usually not a significant issue
-some dehydration in very severe cases

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What are the 3 main issues with concentrate feed

Grain overload
Ionophore toxicity
Moldy corn poisoning

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Clinical signs of grain overload?

Colic - looking at flank, pawing, and rolling

Colitis

Gastric rupture

Laminitis

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How do non-structural carbohydrates lead to colic?

Rapid fermentation in the hind gut => gas distention

What is the treatment for colic?

NSAIDS - flunixin Rectal examination NG incubation -reflux and mineral oil

What condition is associated with grain overload and NSAIDS

Laminitis

What is the pathogenesis of grain overload leading to laminitis?

NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) - > rapid fermention increases the gram (+) and decreases the gram (-) - > increased lactate, acidosis - > destruction of basement membrane, digital ischemia, and leukocyte infiltration

What is the treatment of laminitis ?

``` NSAIDS DMSO iv (scavenge free radicals) Vasodilator Shoeing Sole support SX Diet - no carbs (sad day ) ```

Horse with.. Trembling, sweating, and cardiac arrhythmia s

Ionophore toxicity (cardio toxic)

What is the treatment of ionophore toxicity?

Supportive | Lavage GI - mineral oil or activated charcoal

Moldy corn poisoning is associated with what disease

Leukoencephalomalacia | -myotoxic equine encecphlomalacia

What is the fungus responsible for moldy corn poisoning ?

Fusarium moniliforme

Clinical signs on moldy corn poisoning?

Liquefaction of cerebral white matter ``` Incoordination Depression Blindness Sweating Head pressing Seizures Coma Death ```

Will a performance horse consume enough dry feed to meet its energy needs?

No - only consume 2-2.5% of BW in dry feeds Use grain (33-40% of feed)

T/F: performance horse are fed high roughage and low grains diets?

False! High grain, low roughage

Why use vegetable, corn or flaxseed oils in performance horse feeds?

Energy density | 1cup of oil replaces 3-4cups of concentrate

What minerals should be supplemented to performance horses?

Na Cl K Mg All lost in sweat Also water

In aged horses a BCS of ______ should be maintained prior to winter

4-6

Will digestion and absorption of protein, fiber, and phosphorus increase or decrease with age

Decrease

What are common health problems in aging horses?

Dental issues Parasitism Arthritic conditions

What are general recommendations for feeding aging horses?

Give them what they will eat! Very palatable Easily digested and masticated Fat up to 1-2cups/horse/day

What should you avoid when feeding a starved horse?

AVOID- immediately starting of high quality diet ->Refeeding syndrome = fatal increase in blood insulin Lead to cardiac and respiratory failure

How should you feed a starved horse?

Start on feed with low glycemic index Roughage only - alfalfa Introduced 50-70% of maintenance based on BW Gradually build up to maintenance over 10days Increase to 125% maintenance then gradually introduce grain after 10 days

What additional things should you consider besides feed when dealing with a starved horse?

Reduce nutrient drains - deworm - balanced for warmth - reduced exercise - no food competition Dental issues Hoof care Underlying dz?

Equine metabolic syndrome affects what horses?

Adults <15yrs (middle aged)

Obesity Intermittent laminitis (founder rings) PPID negative Persistent hyperinsuliemia Signs of?

Equine metabolic syndrome

How do you treat equine metabolic syndrome?

Low glycemic index diet - late cut hay - no grass pasture (grazing muzzle) Exercise Levothyroxine sodium (increase metabolic rate)

In ponies, donkey, and miniature horses, a sudden and severe breakdown of body fat stores leads to?

Hyperlipemia * life threatening *

What are predisposing factors of hyperlipidemia?

Obesity Insulin resistance Female- pregnant or lactating

What factors can cause a hyperlipidemia?

Inadequate feed intake Stress Pain Disease -> neuroendocrine response -> lipolysis

``` Anorexia Dysphagia Colic Pyrexia Encephalopathy Depression Weakness Abortion Rapid weight loss ```

Hyperlipidemia

What is the treatment for hyperlipidemia?

Treat precipitating factors (Eg decrease stress) Treat secondary problems -dehydration and hypoglycemia Reduced LDLs feeds

What are key factors thought to be involved in developmental orthopedic disease?

``` Rapid growth Diet imbalance (hypernutrition or poor Ca/P ratio) ``` Biomechanical stress or trauma Hormonal factors Genetic predisposition

What is the most common developmental orthopedic disease in horses?

Physistis/epiphysitis Can lead to angular deformities in severe cases

Physitis/epiphysitis is most common in what joints?

Distal radius and distal MCIII or MTIII

What is the treatment of physitis?

Decrease the nutritional plane -roughage only Rest +/- NSIADs and Mineral supplement

What do you call and DOD where there is deviation of the limb in the sagittal plane?

Angular limb deformities

What are the most common angular limb deformities?

``` Carpal valgus (lateral) Fetlock varus (medial) ```

Treatment of angular limb deformities?

Trimming/shoeing Stall confinement Surgical - hemi-circumferential periosteal transection and elevation - transphyseal bridging

What is a flexural limb deformity?

Either flexion or extension of the joint Congenital -> infection Acquired -> rapidly growing foal, excessive energy intake after previous inadequate energy may trigger

What are treatments for federal limb deformities ?

Exercise Shoeing Oxytetracyline Surgery - desmotomy (cut lig) - tenotomy

What do you call a disease where there is disturbance in endochondrial differentiation, proliferation, maturation, and ossification of fast growing animals

Osteochondrosis High incidence in Standardbred and Warmblood breeds -> nutritional and genetic factors

What are clinical signs associated with osteochrondrosis and OCD?

Joint effusion and lameness

Are cervical vertebral malformations more common in males or females

Male

When do we see cervical vertebral malformations in horses?/

Rapid growing due to hypernutrition -> compression of SC

Normal newborn foals have a high metabolic rate and low haptic glycogen reserves which requires them to frequently ingest colostrum then milk

This is just a fun fact

Can goats milk or cows milk be used to feed an orphan foal?

Yes Goat - close to mare but can cause some constipation Cow- has less fat more surgar so add 2% dextrose

What are problems that can arise from hand rearing a foal

Behaviour issues -> avoid humanization | Labor intensive

Clinical Equine Nutrition Flashcards

(69 cards)