Supplement overload/toxicity

[Bonnie Allie]

Reading an article about some seriously ill folk who had unwittingly overdosed on various supplements and vitamins doing themselves quite a lot of harm both in acute illness and long term damage that had me wondering with the proliferation of magic supplements available to solve problems with our horses that we didn’t even know had, are we doing the same?

Im a tight a*** when it comes to buying supplements and question/query the claims. My dear friend asked me to stop asking questions at a recent presentation by a gut supplement company as apparently I was embarrassing myself and her!

All I wanted to know was who exactly (name and qualifications, including peer reviewed studies) was the PhD Equine Nutritionalist they were quoting as the creator of their product. Also who (names) of all the Vets they claimed recommended this product in what situations were they recommending it?

Should supplements for horses be better regulated?

 

[silv]

Yep I am a tight a***** too, actually I really don't spend money unless it has been well proven. Of course you are correct to ask questions at a presentation. I always do the same, probably coming from a health background there is a bit of interest there. If they companies are promoting their products then they should have all the information available and gladly share it. The only way to learn is to ask questions then you can make informed decisions. Thank goodness for the enquiring mind.

My absolute pet hate is people buying bags of feed without ever looking at the ingredients, but that is an entirely different subject!!!!!!

 

[Birker2020]

Reading an article about some seriously ill folk who had unwittingly overdosed on various supplements and vitamins doing themselves quite a lot of harm both in acute illness and long term damage that had me wondering with the proliferation of magic supplements available to solve problems with our horses that we didn’t even know had, are we doing the same?

Im a tight a*** when it comes to buying supplements and question/query the claims. My dear friend asked me to stop asking questions at a recent presentation by a gut supplement company as apparently I was embarrassing myself and her!

All I wanted to know was who exactly (name and qualifications, including peer reviewed studies) was the PhD Equine Nutritionalist they were quoting as the creator of their product. Also who (names) of all the Vets they claimed recommended this product in what situations were they recommending it?

Should supplements for horses be better regulated?

I had Bailey on Magic, Pink Powder and EA Glucosamine for 8 or 9 years and it never did her any harm.

I asked my vet 'how did I know they were working?' and he said to take her off them and find out, so I did.
I stopped the first one twice over a period of months apart and found in terms of spookiness she was much worse when off Magic, when resumed again she went back to her previous calmer state.

When off pink powder her spasmodic colic returned, although to be fair it may have returned anyway as she was always getting some gassy colic until the last two years of her life when I only needed the vet once. I didn't change anything in terms of management other than feeding very sloppy feeds and scrubbing and replacing field water bucket water every 2nd day in the Summer.

It certainly never caused her issues in terms of toxicity, she was also on bute for about 8 years and was four or five years on half a sachet before relenting and upping it to one sachet and then in the last six months of her life 1 1/2 sachets a day.

 

[Gloi]

Selenium in supplements is one to be careful about overdosing on as it has serious toxic effects at not all that much above the normal dose.

 

[J&S]

Bonnie Allie, are you able to link us to the article you read please?

 

[southerncomfort]

A vet once told me that the vast majority of the supplements we feed are broken down and destroyed during the digestion process. He said that typically only about 30% of a product survives to have any effect.

 

[Rowreach]

A lot of the issues arise from people feeding multiple (or even just one) supplements on top of a myriad of compound feeds, many of which have vast amounts of hidden ingredients that you won't find printed on the packaging, you have to go onto the manufacturer's website to find out what they've put in it - if you've never looked, you'll be amazed.

The art of feeding - knowing exactly what is going into the animal, and why, and how to adjust it - is pretty much lost these days.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Bonnie Allie, are you able to link us to the article you read please?

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/overusing-vitamins-health-risk/101377636

Here is the 6min audio clip.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08...d-to-b6-toxcity-and-chronic-illness/101351800

And in text

 

[Lady Jane]

Reading an article about some seriously ill folk who had unwittingly overdosed on various supplements and vitamins doing themselves quite a lot of harm both in acute illness and long term damage that had me wondering with the proliferation of magic supplements available to solve problems with our horses that we didn’t even know had, are we doing the same?

Im a tight a*** when it comes to buying supplements and question/query the claims. My dear friend asked me to stop asking questions at a recent presentation by a gut supplement company as apparently I was embarrassing myself and her!

All I wanted to know was who exactly (name and qualifications, including peer reviewed studies) was the PhD Equine Nutritionalist they were quoting as the creator of their product. Also who (names) of all the Vets they claimed recommended this product in what situations were they recommending it?

Should supplements for horses be better regulated?

You were right to ask those questions, I would have done the same. Some components are expelled harmlessly if you feed too much, some can cause a problem. If you feed one supplement at the stated dose you won't do any harm although the supplement may not do any good. There are regulations on packaging information but many supplires do not comply and the VMD is too overwhelmed to follow up every company who does not comply. I have just asked similar questions about a new wound healing product and been asked why I want to know. I told them I wanted to research if the alledged active ingrediants were at a level to do as advertised and what other fillers were also present. I'm looking forward to their response......