Recommend me a feed for a laminitic with sweet itch please?!

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chocolategirl

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Hi I have 3 elderley welshies, all of who have had low grade laminitis once in the years I have owned them, 10 plus. They are all still in semi regular exercise, ridden, but 2 of them have sweet itch as well though one is only a very mild case. I treat them all as though they are high risk of lami but I am struggling to get them to eat any of the feeds which are low/no sugar, and am conscious they need their vitamins and minerals as they are on bare paddocks supplemented with hay. I need to keep them all off sugar ideally with both the lami risk and the sweet itch, but they are getting very fussy in their old age! Any suggestions please?
 
WinkingWillow said:
Hi I have 3 elderley welshies, all of who have had low grade laminitis once in the years I have owned them, 10 plus. They are all still in semi regular exercise, ridden, but 2 of them have sweet itch as well though one is only a very mild case. I treat them all as though they are high risk of lami but I am struggling to get them to eat any of the feeds which are low/no sugar, and am conscious they need their vitamins and minerals as they are on bare paddocks supplemented with hay. I need to keep them all off sugar ideally with both the lami risk and the sweet itch, but they are getting very fussy in their old age! Any suggestions please?
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Dont trust feeds which are approved by the Laminitic Trust as they often have too much sugars and starch in them!!

My horses are barefoot so fed a very low sugar/starch feed:
Unmollased sugar beet (countrywide, speedibeet, kiwtbeet), balancer, cider apple vinegar, micro linseed (good for skin conditions so ideal for sweet itch, but also a boet rug).
I also add alfalfa oil chaff to one of mine, but you can get dry chaff (not molassed or treated) if you need to bulk out diet.
if i need to add meds i add some garlic but never routine.
 
jm2k said:
Dont trust feeds which are approved by the Laminitic Trust as they often have too much sugars and starch in them!!
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Ditto this!!!:( Unfortunately one cannot trust feeds that are labelled as suitable for laminitics: extremely annoying at the very least, and downright dishonest at worst. Both Sweet Itches and Laminitics need a zero-sugar diet basically and it is time feed companies stopped pumping up their mush with sugar and started doing REAL feed.

Try "Simple Solutions" (will have a look for the website). Think there's something on Facebook for people with laminitics: again, will have a ferret around for you and post the link here.
 
I would also try not feeding alfalfa (if you do) as I was advised to cut it from my gelding's feed when he had a skin issue (not sweet itch) to see if it helped (it did).
 
I would add a balancer (Forage plus,Pro Earth for eg.), extra salt and mircronised linseed to a plain, low sugar base such as umollassed beet or copra.
Good levels of minerals and m. linseed are very good for skin health.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Ditto this!!!:( Unfortunately one cannot trust feeds that are labelled as suitable for laminitics: extremely annoying at the very least, and downright dishonest at worst. Both Sweet Itches and Laminitics need a zero-sugar diet basically and it is time feed companies stopped pumping up their mush with sugar and started doing REAL feed.
Try "Simple Solutions" (will have a look for the website). Think there's something on Facebook for people with laminitics: again, will have a ferret around for you and post the link here.
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That would be very helpful, thank you!
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. I had them all on dengi healthy hooves molasses free for a while, but 2 of them just won't eat it now so they are back on happy hoof but I am conscious this is quite high in sugar surprisingly! I need a complete feed but with a bit of bulk too so a balancer isn't ideal really. There is way too much choice now I think this is part of the problem. I often feel completely bamboozled!
 
If using complete feeds you have to feed at recommended amounts to get the mineral and vitamin profile claimed.

If they are on grass and unsoaked hay and used to sweet feeds they may well have a 'sweet tooth', so it may take time to wean them onto a low sugar feed.
 
I feed my 2 sweet itch lami prone ones Fast Fibre and Pro Balance plus, with no problems at all.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I've started them all on fast fibre today. I'm mixing it with their happy hoof so will gradually wean them off that and hopefully they won't notice and eventually just have fast fibre. Just hope this will be enough on its own with their hay?
 
I don't feed my good doers (2 with mild sweetitch) anything except soaked hay. They all look grand. If a horse is too fat, it is being fed too much.
 
I agree with Cortez IF they are good doer's but not all laminitis are overweight and having to restrict them and soak their hay also restricts their intake of nutrients so a small feed with supplements or a balancer is important.
OP... You could also add some micronised linseed to their fast fibre...this will help replace the Omega's lost in the grass when it is made into hay and will provide a few calories to any that may need it (depending on how much you add).
http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/p/CMC2/...ling-company/micronised-full-fat-linseed-20kg
 
An alternative, if the fast fibre doesn't work out ,would be something like Spillers Lite balancer...it a small pellet and suitable for laminitics :)
 
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