electrolytes and azatoria

5horses2dogsandacat

5horses2dogsandacat

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I have a mare who is quite prone to azatoria, I feed her on low starch rice bran and alfa a oil.

Last summer I fed her on electrolytes in her feed daily, in my simple mind electrolytes help muscles retain water and reduce lactic acid content that causes cramping of muscles. Hence why I feed them and she seems to do well on it.

I read on the packet tonight that you can only feed electrolytes for a duration on 1-3 days, is this right? Is it wrong to feed them only a daily basis?

Xx
 
I would think so - but have a chat to your vet perhaps - if the horse is constantly having problems.

The mare that I compete won't take electrolytes, and I give her something called Blood salts - think they're by Kossalin (haven't evented for 2 yrs and haven't used them). They can be fed daily. May be useful?
 
Thanks, i say 'often' i should say more sporadic she's had it 2 years ago quite badly and I have just started to being her back into work after the winter and she showed signs on our return home from an excitable hack of being stiff and her evening wee was dark. She seems fine in herself this evening eating, drinking, walked in fine.

She's also a QHx and a mare.. so ticks a couple of the susceptible boxes!!

I'm kicking myself now she's shown the signs of it again though for not cutting her winter feed right back :(
 
if you have a horse prone to azaturia then you either have a feed problem or a metabolism problem, or you are not giving enough time and enough blood tests to get the enxyme probs back to zero. or are over working for level of fitness, or not warming up/cooling down enough. most tying up cases are manegement/diet issues!
 
No actually most tying up issues aren't due to management. Talking to our vet, who was stunned that any of ours had ever tied up, they still have very little idea what actually causes it, but management can prevent it. Think electro salts from naf can be fed reguarlaly, give them a buzz, they are very helpful, as are saracen who do some very good electrolytes. One endurance vet suggested electrolytes help bring heart rate down quickly,which does help.
We have a mare who has tied up several times over the years, gets fed no cereals or molasses lives out 24/7 and is reguarlaly worked to a low level of intensity and yet will on occasion still tie up. Its frustrating, but just a case of managing her condition, and each horse is different.
I knew one lady whoe horse used to tie up if fed grass.
 
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