Diet for horse with EPSM

[glinda]

HI...my mare has EPSM (equine polysaccharide storage myopathy) and needs to be fed a high fat diet.
I have treid her on Dengie Alfalfa pellets with Saracen Re-Leve and 500mls corn oil per day....she hated this and eventually refused to eat it at all, then tried Dengi Alfa Oil plus their Alfa Beet and 400mls corn oil...no good, so am now trying Alfa Oil plus Re-Leve plus 200-300mls corn oil.
She is getting overweight now cuz of all the oil she has to eat and can only have limited riding/exercise and without the oil her symptoms get much worse.
Can anybody help with any suggestions....any help appreciated
Thanks

 

[Willow1]

Please contact Hannah Collings @ Winergy Equilibrium - email address: winergy.equilibrium@effem-equine.com
They know all about EPSM and sorted out a diet for my horse which is simple, effective and most of all my fussy horse loves it!
Hannah was really helpful and I would definately recommend contacting her asap!

 

[sqippa]

My boy was a real pain to get on the diet. He has always been a sinch to feed but hated the oil. I swapped to simplesystem feeds and found that he was able to tolerate much higher levels of oil in his tea. He has Lucie bix (~1kg) and purabeet (~300g) soaked and split between 2 feeds. Oddly he will then tolerate the oil oh and simple system's supplements are linseed based and they do purelinseed which my boy loves (not as oil but the pure crushed whole stuff ~40% oil) Alfa A of any variety and speedi beet never achieved this AND the good news is that simple systems feeds have NOTHING added, they are just pure.

Regarding the Releve...people have found that these high oil manufactured feeds are really not that palletable, also refined oils can be unpalletable as well.

Which oil do you use? Apparently Corn oil has the highest palletability if that helps. You say your horse is on 500ml oil so maybe you can cut out the releve as it probably adds very little to your horses diet that it actually needs. Try simplifying things, find a carrier feed such as beet or alfalfa, then add oil and vits and mins and leave it at that. That way you will get minimal additional calories and maximum oil. Oh and dried spearmint is damned helpful!!

Good luck and stick with it. It has taken me 18mths to find a diet that works! He is now a little too fat for my liking but we have had a very mild winter, great grass and therefore are fighting a loosing battle this year I think. Fingers crossed for a harsh winter so we have a better chance next year.

Sqip

 

[sqippa]

Oh yeah...1 other thing, you must add the oil VERY gradually. That means increasing by as little as 100ml a week. They simply will not accept it until they are accustomed to it. Start with just 100ml a day for a week and once she will eat it increase it to 200ml. If she'll eat that then stick with it for another week then try to increase it again. Don't feel that this is a race. Your horse has a lifelong condition and even slight changes in diet will start to help her, better to do it step by step than to fail to get any oil down her at all.

pm me if you want any more info or just to chat.


Sqip