Feeding a laminitic

[Meeko]

Hi all

My mare is currently recovering from laminitis, she is on her 11th day of box rest.

The vet has been out and told me to feed her 7.5kg of soaked hay per day. She is having this triple netted and spread over 3 feeds per day (2kg at 8am, 2kg around 2pm and 3.5kgs at 6pm) This is the best I can do as I work full time.
It isnt lasting her long so she is going hours with out eating anything which worries me...

She is a 15.2 irish sports horse weighing around 550kg, according to a weigh tape.

Should I be feeding any other supplements? She was getting a handful of Top Spec Top Chop Lite to feed her bute, her bute ended 2 days ago.

Ive read so much online about feeding, one says one thing, another says something else.

Thank you

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi all

My mare is currently recovering from laminitis, she is on her 11th day of box rest.

The vet has been out and told me to feed her 7.5kg of soaked hay per day. She is having this triple netted and spread over 3 feeds per day (2kg at 8am, 2kg around 2pm and 3.5kgs at 6pm) This is the best I can do as I work full time.
It isnt lasting her long so she is going hours with out eating anything which worries me...

She is a 15.2 irish sports horse weighing around 550kg, according to a weigh tape.

Should I be feeding any other supplements? She was getting a handful of Top Spec Top Chop Lite to feed her bute, her bute ended 2 days ago.

Ive read so much online about feeding, one says one thing, another says something else.

Thank you

I fed my mare laminator as it helps with the blood flow when its restricted. This has loads of info from my journey as well as H&H members advice>>http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/l.html

 

[xgemmax]

Unmollassed chaff (hifi no mollasses) and fast fibre are safe for lami (No happy hoof etc, as it's actually full of sugar!!) Basically check the sugar and starch content of feeds is less than 10% combined, just because it displays the laminitis trust logo does not make it safe!

Although I wouldn't be feeding any bucket feed whilst she's still recovering, unless checking with vet first. The lami-prone supplement is very good also

Another tip is to spray the soaked hay before feeding to remove all the sugary water, you might already be doing this though!

 

[AngieandBen]

The sugar content of Happy Hoof is 5% the starch content 4% so less than 10% combined, so according to xgemmax, you'd be fine to feed it.

Its not full of sugar, it has some in it!

Hi Fi Molasses free is 2.5% sugar, 1.5% starch, so yes this is better

 

[xgemmax]

The sugar content of Happy Hoof is 5% the starch content 4% so less than 10% combined, so according to xgemmax, you'd be fine to feed it.

Its not full of sugar, it has some in it!

Hi Fi Molasses free is 2.5% sugar, 1.5% starch, so yes this is better

It also has a molasses coating

 

[AngieandBen]

It also has a molasses coating

Still less than the average UK grass

 

[stimpy]

You will still need to get vitamins and minerals into her; this is really important for recovery and I would try and get a really good spec balancer or vit and min mix but you will have to make sure it's not full of calories.

I have used Top Spec's anti-lam for my laminitic in the past, it's not cheap but it's a good spec.

 

[TGM]

Can you give her less hay at 2pm (when her supply only has to last 4 hours) and more at 6pm (when it has to last 14 hours)? Is there no way you can give her the last net later or get someone else to put a net in later, as she must be standing a long time over night without any fibre at all. As she is only getting a limited amount of soaked hay, I would definitely feed a vit/min supplement or lami friendly balancer.

 

[Meeko]

Thanks

She is fully sound now after 2 weeks box rest so my vet advised starting turnout 1 hour per day and gradually build up.

I had been looking at the top spec anti lam, thank you

 

[Meeko]

She gets her last net at 630ish, there is no other way of feeding her any later im afraid.

Yeah I could give her less at 2 and more later.

 

[JillA]

Can you get some good quality oat or barley straw to keep her gut filled with fibre? It is supposed to be calorie negative (takes more to eat it than they gain) but it is almost certainly low in sugars. You could mix it the net with the hay to slow her intake of hay while she sorts through the straw.

 

[Meeko]

Isn't there a risk of colic doing this