Stupid question, but can garlic contribute to laminitis?

Not stupid question! - In large quantities, yes, theoretically it can!

We analysed the amount of fructans (sugars) present in garlic in our Clinical Nutrition module at uni and garlic had about 97% of fructans present in the sample (compared to 3 other samples resulting in 8, 10 and 13% (onion, chicory and cranberries).
So it would suggest to me that it could potentially contribute at least towards the exacerbation of laminitis :) - I really doubt this would be a 'deciding' factor as it were though!

K x
 
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I dont have a specifically scientific answer, but I stopped feeding garlic to my mare as it gave her loose poo's.
I believe that is because it kills the 'good' bacteria in the gut (it has a known antimicrobial effect), so I suppose it could contribute to laminitis. I doubt it is a deciding factor though, im sure metabolic issues/management are much more important.
 
Thanks Kellyheroes.

The reason I ask is I bought my mare 3 months ago. She was on a large quantity of garlic both in the feed and then extra added. I reduced it but was still feeding it. She is lami prone and I was seriously struggling to keep her sound, even with no grazing and soaked hay. Someone told me you shouldn't feed garlic to a lami prone pony as its a contributing factor. Anyway stopped feeding it completely, changed her feed to a small scoop of fast fiber with a scoop of naff multi vits and she is a different pony! Been out 24/7 for the last 2 or 3 weeks, is sound and has a serious spring in her step!

Its more likely a mixture of things, but the garlic got me thinking...
 
Interesting. I stopped feeding it because of a study about its capacity to thin skin and my cob gets Mallanders/mud fever. He hasn't been as bad since I stopped feeding it but it's hard to say if it's definitely the garlic. :confused:

I do give the dogs a clove or two a week and we no longer have a flea problem.
 
I have never fed it owing to reading something in Readers Digest Herbs book about too much garlic can affect RBC membranes... and can eventually cause aneamia.

High price to pay for a fly repellent that does not work.

You only have to google horses + garlic and a myriad of results will come up.

Never seen anything about garlic causing laminitis but laminitis is a complex manifestation of many differing issues.
 
I know a few years ago garlic was recommended for laminitics due to it supposedly improving circulation. I would think that the any contribution to causing laminitis would be to damaging the gut flora which could affect laminitis due to the excess toxins.
 
I think the key to lami is just keep it simple. When a horse gets lami it is much better to take ingredients away rather than add more.

Think along lines of a detox. Soaked hay, unmollassed feeds, no veg/fruits, super high fibre and please take advantage of blood testing and liver testing and anything else available to you if the first claim. Then you know if it is metabolic or environmental. Both mean that you need to reduce dietary variations and go back to basics unfortunately. Just like a human with diabetes.

Laminitis is not neccessarily the death knoll it used to be. Please please be vigilant about the successes of others who have used roads less travelled.

Garlic is tolerated better by humans but is not the same for horses.
 
How very interesting! I knew that garlic was theoretically bad for sufferers of sweetitch as mentioned by Tammytoo, but Ive not heard of it being bad for lami's or for mallanders... I may knock the girls garlic on the head and see if it improves Serens footiness and Mels scabby skin! :)
 
I also worry about where it's grown and herbs too if it's grown abroad in the third world what safe guards are in place to ensure its not grown on contaminated land.
 
I have gone completely back to basics with my mare and she is doing great! Just goes to show the things we think they need, they dont! x
 
tallyho! said:
I have never fed it owing to reading something in Readers Digest Herbs book about too much garlic can affect RBC membranes... and can eventually cause aneamia.

High price to pay for a fly repellent that does not work.

You only have to google horses + garlic and a myriad of results will come up.

Never seen anything about garlic causing laminitis but laminitis is a complex manifestation of many differing issues.
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I agree. I know many people who feed garlic to their horses for a number of reasons, but I really don't know if the benefits outweigh the risks.
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/nutrition/feeds/eqgarlic528/
 
cinnamontoast said:
Interesting. I stopped feeding it because of a study about its capacity to thin skin and my cob gets Mallanders/mud fever. He hasn't been as bad since I stopped feeding it but it's hard to say if it's definitely the garlic. :confused:

I do give the dogs a clove or two a week and we no longer have a flea problem.
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Your dogs may not have fleas but Garlic is toxic to dogs as are onions and can cause anaemia.
 
One other issue is that most equestrian supplement garlic is being sourced from China

garlic comes as a freeze dried product and it is not possible to determine what if anything has been added due to lack of regulation of the animal foodstuff manufacture there - ref melamine as a protein subsitute - scandal few years back.....
 
There are a few things I try to avoid these days after what my laminitic taught me.

On the "no" list:

Garlic
Soya
Molasses/molglo
Cereal (except the oat in small quantities)
Anything containing too much vitamin A.
Haylage (unless there is a 'reluctant to load filly' about :D)

There may be more but those are my main ones.

I do feed alfalfa but it worries me as it is too a legume and horses aren't meant to eat legume, like soya is too, so i feed it for protein but is on the "not sure" list. Perhaps if I am not sure I shouldn't feed it... :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for posting this. Very interesting.
I do not feed garlic,but I do take my horses on 'snack hacks'. We search the hedges and woods and moorland for tasty morsels. When we happen upon wild garlic,which grows in abundance in these parts,my horses turn their noses up at this,which tells me they do not need it. ....Funny thing is that moss seems to be this seasons must have snack. The big warmblood will also lick at soil where the deer have been licking..... I just have to trust my horse's judgement!
 
I believe theoretically it could contribute? I don't feed garlic purely because there isn't much evidence to support its fly repelling abilities if fed (brewers yeast is much better as a fly repellent and for sweet itch sufferers) and have also heard it can be quite irritating to the stomach/digestion and skin
 
So what about Marmite then? I've heard this is good for warding off flies . . . is this rubbish too . . . and is it bad for laminitics?

P

P.S. Genuine question by the way
 
PolarSkye said:
So what about Marmite then? I've heard this is good for warding off flies . . . is this rubbish too . . . and is it bad for laminitics?

P

P.S. Genuine question by the way
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I've heard it's good for sweet itch and flies because of the Brewers Yeast and B vitamins in it, not entirely sure about for laminitics... but I thought Brewers Yeast was good for hooves, digestion and insulin resistance, and so good for them though? I believe I have read that people give Brewers Yeast supplements to Laminitics... Of course, do stand to be corrected, I'm by no means an expert :o
 
Yeah but marmite contains considerable amounts of MSG, you know, the stuff we avoid Chinese take-aways for...

Good old brewers yeast or yea-sacc is sufficient like Violetstripe says. Marmite is processed and completely DISGUSTING!!!! Euwww. Yuck. Bleurgh. Vom. Faint. Nose-burn... You get the idea.

:D

Oh, and yes I fed it to my laminitic. I think it really helped. I added horribly expensive activated charcoal too... Again,another one of my expensive but is it necessary question mark hangs over it. Whatever, this laminitic thrived, living on 4acres unrestricted with no shoes on. And ridden 5times a week on the roads. He had other stuff too but that's another story.
 
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Great post! Ive never heard this before, and i have a fat 2yr old cob ive been worrying about with laminitis, and he has garlic. He's also really itchy all the time ( ive checked for any beasties lurking) so il take him off the garlic now and see if that improves.
Ive also got some brewers yeast that needs using as our late mare used to use it, so I may also give that a go!
 
I wonder where garlic feeding started from.... It's disgusting unless toasted with butter on a crusty loaf served with bolognese.... Or in a hot curry!! Not sure horses would scoff that lot but haven't tried so don't know :D

There is also a myth that it helps with CHD. Misinterpretation of Mediterranean diet methinks...
 
spottybotty said:
Your dogs may not have fleas but Garlic is toxic to dogs as are onions and can cause anaemia.
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It's funny you know... all the things that are actually toxic to dogs? Garlic for sure, and a whole list that I wont bore you with! My dog loves the stuff! He never gets any garlic, but was always trying to eat the horses feed once i had put some in.. I now dont feed horse garlic after reading up on the negatives. The negatives definately outweigh the positives in my opinion. All i did was invest in better fly repellent! (for me, the dog and the horse)

Elizabeth
 
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