Adding salt to feed (laminitic horse)

[Annie&Amy]

had a bit of a scare this morning cause my girl who's got laminitis and has been on box rest for 1 month hadn't passed any droppings since the afternoon before. Rang emergency vets at 6.30am this morning and they advised watch her till half ten and if she hadn't done anything they would come and stomach tube her. Anyway thank god she passed poo! I meant to ask the vet if she should have a little salt in her feed to make sure she drinks but i forgot. She's having 12hour soaked hay and the little chaff she's having i'm soaking too xxxx

 

[angiebaby]

Shouldn't need salt unless she's sweating a lot, but if you feel she should drink more, you could add apple juice to her water, that works well, Or give her some speedi-beet made up with lots and lots of water.

 

[ISHmad]

I would have a Himalayan salt lick or similar in her stable. That way she can help herself. Ours are going mad for theirs at the moment with the hot weather.

Don't forget she'll actually be getting a lot of moisture from the soaked hay

The important thing is to ensure that you are feeding her enough soaked hay to keep her hindgut moving. With the sugars soaked out of it, provided you rinse it with clean water to wash the residue off before feeding, you can pretty much feed it ad lib as the calorific value is so much lower.