Supplements for laminitics

[loz9]

Just curious as to what supplements you feed your laminitic prone horses? Do you feed them anything extra/different when they are suffering from an attack? Also why have you chosen those specific supplements?

Thank you!

 

[ameeyal]

I will be keeping an eye on this thread, as my horse has got laminitis, i bought some globle herbs rebuilder but he will not eat it, ive also been trying to buy some magnesium oxide but shops dont seem to sell it.

 

[touchstone]

I feed Magnesium oxide and make sure that all vits and mins are supplied, other than that I add Alpha Lipoic Acid during an attack.

I will probably add Chasteberry (Vitex) this Spring as my mare is coming up 18 and I think her hormones could do with some help.

 

[PurplePickle]

I put my mare on eclipse recovery after a bout, the affects were amazing, maybe it wasnt that but we are all gobsmacked by the results I will deffinately try it if (fingers crossed she doesnt) she gets it again.

 

[touchstone]

I will be keeping an eye on this thread, as my horse has got laminitis, i bought some globle herbs rebuilder but he will not eat it, ive also been trying to buy some magnesium oxide but shops dont seem to sell it.

Feedmark sell magnesium oxide for next day delivery, there is Natural Horse Supplies that sell it too.

 

[loz9]

Thanks for the replies.
Will have a look on the feedmark website now as i already use a couple of their supplements so know their customer service well! & will google your other suggestions.
Sadly she is going through a very mild bout at the moment, but we seem to have caught it very early (tiny bit footy on tight circles & swollen eyes) so hoping she will get over it quickly.

 

[Cuffey]

Top Spec antilam
Mag Oxide
Agnus castis
Yea-sacc

Google Metabolic Horse Company to compare prices

 

[Lotty]

My mare had laminitis last year. I rang the Laminitis Trust, they advised me to feed Happy Hoof morning and night with mag ox as I weigh and soak her hay for 12hours and she's on limited grazing. This gives her any vitamin and minerals that lack in her diet.

 

[soulfull]

I know a lot of charities feed MAG ox for laminitis

I fed it as a calmer too and got it from here.....£13 for nearly 3 months worth

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....057890&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2428wt_744

 

[PeterNatt]

Formula4feet is formulated for horses that are prone to Laminitis by Robert Eustace the vet that specialises in Laminitis.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Ours has soaked hay, with Happy Hoof feed it suits her she isn't giddy and she loves it!
She has garlic in and seaweed, with a salt lick in her stable - we have tried Lamineze in the past but didn't see much difference tbh.
We keep her on limited grazing, muzzled too.
Magnesium is meant to be very good for feet, I've heard that a lot.
K x

 

[Dancing Queen]

happy hoof, formula4feet, rosehips and devils claw.

 

[brucea]

I have 2 lamis. I think the major problem with feeding a laminitic - especially one tending to overweight - is to cut back the calorie content of the food but still give them all the fibre, minerals, vitamins etc., that they need.

What we do feed is:
Good quality hay, soaked if necessary
Rinsed unmolassed Sugar Beet
Linseed Meal (this is really a great feed and provides lots of building blocks and anti-inflamatories)
Mineral Mix
Magnesium Oxide
Sprinkle seaweed

Herbs and spices as required (rosehip for vits and quercetins, nettle, devils claw, agnus castus, turmeric, ginger, etc...)

What I don't feed:
I will not feed TopSpec or Formula4Feet or any other compounded feed - or anything with the laminitis trust logo (because they are still up to 8% sugar and it is a marketing vehicle as much as anything else).
Anything with molasses
Sugars
Haylege

 

[tallyho!]

Agree with brucea's philosophy...

I used to think you needed to supplement and have previously posted on here praising F4F and others. Indeed, hoof quality was very good.

Then he became ill, it was liver toxicity and the cause was oversupplementing and his liver couldn't cope causing swelling everywhere.

Just becareful not over do it - horses need very little. Get hay/grass/soil tested for mineral deficiencies THEN supplement accordingly.

Now, all I give is unmollassed straw chaff & speedibeet. Every so often a liver detox from global herbs. This has not compromised hoof quality it's actually shinier! Wierd huh? Also, we are currently barefoot/unshod.

 

[Gilbey]

Either Happy Hoof or Safe and Sound depending which cob I am feeding! Then Blue Chip Lamilite which I find brilliant for not only keeping weight down but general conditioning. I have tried all the suppliments under the sun over the years and don't find any work other than I feel good for trying them! NO apples or carrots though.

 

[amandap]

Free choice soaked hay very limited grass. Cal mag, salt, brewers yeast, ground linseed , seaweed in small portion of speedibeet as a carrier.
She didn't do well on Top spec balancer (constantly slightly footy) otherwise I would give that rather than some of the other stuff.

ps. I would give minerals etc. according to hay analysis but my supply is so varied it's not viable sadly.

 

[legaldancer]

Sadly she is going through a very mild bout at the moment, but we seem to have caught it very early (tiny bit footy on tight circles & swollen eyes) so hoping she will get over it quickly.

I'm interested in what you say about her eyes. I have a 20 year old mare with chronic type laminitis. She hasn't had an attack as such since we bought her in March last year, but she has swellings under her lower lids & there isn't any sinking above them. I thought she may have signs of cushings but her coat is good. I just thought she had big bulgy eyes, but did wonder.

I feed Formula4Feet & Alphabeet.

 

[michellev123]

Mine is fed. Bluechip lami lite. Fast fibre, mint nd linseed (as he is a poor doer) Suits him very well.

 

[bensababy]

Mine is on Cushylife (cushings), dengie good doer and a Grazing muzzle - couldnt recommend these enough.

 

[ameeyal]

Ive been trying to buy magnesuim oxide, from shops before i order from the internet {thanks for telling me where to buy it from} my husband has been working at a farm where there was a vet present so he asked him where i could buy it from to which the vet said, if i feed that to my horse it will poison him????? WHY DID HE SAY THAT.

 

[touchstone]

Ive been trying to buy magnesuim oxide, from shops before i order from the internet {thanks for telling me where to buy it from} my husband has been working at a farm where there was a vet present so he asked him where i could buy it from to which the vet said, if i feed that to my horse it will poison him????? WHY DID HE SAY THAT.

Well my first reaction would be because he's a numpty!

There is plenty of evidence to show that lots of uk horses are mag deficient, and especially those suffering fromm metabolic disorders or native types.

Magnesium was often fed in a bran mash as epsom salts - which is much harsher on the gut.

Fed in excess it is simply secreted, although your horse may be a bit loose.

Most calmers on the market are mag based and Laminshield is simply magnesium, so I'm not sure where your vet is getting his info from

There is a good article on magnesium here:- http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/health/magnesium-121.shtml

 

[amandap]

Well my first reaction would be because he's a numpty!

Sorry but LOL!
Mta. Actually you can't buy Mag ox here in Ireland without a vet prescription. Something to do with risks if you breathe it in. I have to give calmag.

 

[ameeyal]

Thanks for that, my husband says i can not give it my horse as i will kill him {bless him} This vet is a big animal vet that knows his stuff {according to my husband who sees him regually}

 

[LucyPriory]

Sorry but LOL!
Mta. Actually you can't buy Mag ox here in Ireland without a vet prescription. Something to do with risks if you breathe it in. I have to give calmag.

From producer of calmag
Calcined Magnesite (Magnesiumoxide - MgO):
The calcined magnesite produced from 80 % up to 98 % of MgO

A book entitled 'Equine Clinical Nutrition' suggests that excess ingestion of magnesium is not known to be harmful. And I understand that MagOx was used for the study.

I can't vouch for the authors

Original text available here

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...m=3&sqi=2&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[amandap]

Thanks for that Lucypriory. I did know calmag is magox but it isn't the pure refined version. The calmag I get over here includes salt and (eeek) molasses 2% as well as ash lol.! I rang the company and molasses has to be used otherwise it's very dusty. I assume farmers give it neat but I haven't been able to source a molasses free version. Still 2% of the daily dose of calmag is small.

 

[touchstone]

Maybe you husband would be happier with a commercially available product, in which case Laminshield would do the job, but you will pay a premium for it in comparison to simple mag ox, some info here:-


wormers-direct.co.uk

LaminShield Pure
Horse wormers from wormers-direct
MAGNESIUM MANAGEMENT IN HORSES




LaminShield Pure provides a safe, palatable and easy way to provide supplementary magnesium to horses, ponies and donkeys.

LaminShield Pure provides a highly bio-available blend of five sources of magnesium, Bioplex™ zinc and copper, sulphur and iron to help maintain hoof, coat, skin and general body condition and the lick supplies essential mineral salts provided by premium Cheshire salt. LaminShield Pure is granular in 25gm sachets and is just added daily to the bucket feed.

Honey flavouring has been added to increase palatability for fussy eaters. Recent palatability studies have shown honey flavouring to be very popular with horses.

Why is magnesium so important to horses?

Veterinary scientists have shown that magnesium is an important factor in hundreds of processes in the horse, but also that magnesium intake is often below requirement in modern horse diets (rich pastures, acidic soils and high concentrate diets).

*

Magnesium dependant reactions in the horse’s body include:
*

The insulin response – Re-establishing normal blood sugar levels after a high carbohydrate feed (rich grasses / cereals), providing glucose to cells for energy production and helping maintain insulin tolerance which can be low in native breeds, animals prone to laminitis and overweight animals.
*

Protein synthesis in the body – Protection, growth and repair of tissues including hoof tissue
*

Maintaining normal blood circulation – To the body, limbs and feet and an aid to preventing blood clots in the blood vessels
*

The function of excitable membranes – Nerve tissues, deficient in magnesium, can cease to function normally causing animals to become tense, nervous and highly-strung.

When is magnesium supplementation necessary?

*

There are a number of reasons why magnesium intake or status may be low:
*

Type of diet and management – High levels of concentrate in the diet or out at grass all year
*

Time of the year – During wet periods and in the Spring and September with periods of grass growth
*

Environmental conditions – Acidic and marshy soils
*

Health status and body condition – Overweight horses and ponies and animals prone to laminitis have a lower magnesium status
*

Breed – Native breeds tend to have a lower magnesium status
*

Stress – There is a greater requirement for magnesium during periods of stress

Magnesium and Laminitis

Magnesium supplementation has been advised by veterinary surgeons with excellent results both in America and the UK. The supplementation serves not only to re-balance the diet in low magnesium areas or with high cereal diets, but also to help in combating fat deposition in overweight animals (cresty necks). In particular with laminitics, to aid weight loss where necessary, for protection of body tissues and also to maintain circulation. Magnesium is also often used to help tense, nervous, highly strung animals due to it’s involvement in the function of excitable membranes.

ORDER HERE

Testimonials Here

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I used to use laminaze 5* and it did not seem to make any difference what so ever. I then read about magnesium on the laminitis website and have been feeding it since. Her feet have improved massively, the farrier just could not beleive the change in her feet, and this all came about after feeding the magnesium, which is cheap as well, even better! It is supposed to help balance the gut which is where laminitis can originate.

I highly recommend giving it a try, as I say, my mares feet have been fantastic since, shame I do not have a before and after. Basically her foot was a complete mess, she has bad rotation and her feet both had massive holes at the front, now they have grown right back . Her front left does not have rotation but was a mess due to neglect at the riding school she was loaned to both feet are almost as normal feet which is fantastic, for years we just could not improve the holes but then the magnesium seemed to do something miraculous and now she has almost normal looking feet!

 

[amandap]

ameeyal, suggest cal mag very cheap and available from all animal feed merchants.