Feedind a horse with Cushings

[MyLuckyStar]

Just wanted your thoughts/advice/experiences please

My mare is 16 (17 on April 11th), she has always been prone to laminitis due to her build/breed etc and therefore has always been on a low sugar diet.

Through the Springs/Summers/early Autumns she was getting a pinch of healthy hooves with her supplements (lami free and a general purpose supplement), then in the late Autumn and Winters she was fed 2 scoops of fast fibre (dry weight and small scoops) and 1 scoop of healthy hooves once a day. They only have hay in the field when there is snow on the ground as the grazing is quite good. She is always muzzled in Spring, Summer and early Autumn.

Now she has been diagnosed with Cushing's and had laminitis in February. She is still on box rest and was getting a handful of fast fibre (soaked weight) with her bute and general purpose supplement, she has now gone off that so I’ve added a bit of Alpha beet to it and she is eating it again now. I don’t want to be feeding her too much of this as I know it’s a conditioning feed and she doesn’t need much of that!

I have my youngster and my welsh on fast fibre then my other welsh cross on Alpha beet hence why I was using these for her (they used to all be on the same feeds).

However, is there anything else I could feed her or is the alpha beet mixed with fast fibre ok? It’ll all be in small proportions just to get her supplements and bute into her.

 

[JillA]

I presume she is on Prascend now? I have a veteran mare who can't eat forage, if she could she would be having that, plus a little Speedybeet for her supplements, magnesium oxide to tighten up her feet and a good balancer to ensure she is getting the right vits and minerals. As it is she gets total hay replacer diet of speedybeet, alfalfa pellets and grass pellets plus the supplements. She is almost 34 and not exactly overweight but has plenty of energy
If yours has just started on Prascend it does suppress the appetite for a couple of weeks, so bear that in mind too.

 

[MyLuckyStar]

I presume she is on Prascend now? I have a veteran mare who can't eat forage, if she could she would be having that, plus a little Speedybeet for her supplements, magnesium oxide to tighten up her feet and a good balancer to ensure she is getting the right vits and minerals. As it is she gets total hay replacer diet of speedybeet, alfalfa pellets and grass pellets plus the supplements. She is almost 34 and not exactly overweight but has plenty of energy
If yours has just started on Prascend it does suppress the appetite for a couple of weeks, so bear that in mind too.

She is on Prascend but her appetite hasn't gone, I think she was just bored of the fast fibre as as soon as the alpha beet was added she wolfed it down. She also takes the tablet straight off my hand

 

[TommisMum]

Hi
I have a pony with cushings so not quite so big.
We feed fibre beet and a lucerne block - takes ages to eat so doesn't get bored.
HJave also added Blur chip pro as she had lost weight and will move to the lami version when .... fingers crossed ... the grass grows.

 

[MyLuckyStar]

Hi
I have a pony with cushings so not quite so big.
We feed fibre beet and a lucerne block - takes ages to eat so doesn't get bored.
HJave also added Blur chip pro as she had lost weight and will move to the lami version when .... fingers crossed ... the grass grows.

I did consider the blue chip lami light.

She doesn't need to put weight on as the nutritionist has been out recently and she is at her ideal weight.

She has one net at night and one during the day (was on two at night and one during the day) - both are in small holed nets and double netted so take her (slightly) longer

 

[colour me in]

Mine is on simple systems metaslim, fast fibre and micronised linseed plus haylage and she's looking well and acting like an 8yr old! The metaslim is brill in my opinion gives her everything she needs and is specifically designed for lami/cushings/ir horses I wouldn't go back she also gets lucie blocks a few times a week for something to chew