visa_bot
Well-Known Member
Hi. I was hoping for some advice or recommendations regarding a tricky feeding situation.
My warmblood mare, 20 this year, had acute kidney failure 4 years ago. It was touch and go but she made it but it has left her kidneys compromised. To add to the dilemma she also has EMS. Her blood test this week shows raised calcium levels, which is another sign of kidney issues. I therefore need to change her feed to something lower in calcium. General advice seems to be that legumes and sugar beet are high, grass based products seem to be lower.
I have been looking at the small print of 100s of "ready made" feeds online but I have not been able to find anything suitable.
Although she has EMS she can tolerate a certain amount of grass and can have slightly over 10% sugar and starch but I wouldn't want to go much higher. She is quite fussy so I can't just give her a bowl of chopped straw as she won't eat it. It has to be fairly tasty.
My thoughts at the moment are a grass chop, soaked grass nuts (Emerald green do both that are under 10% sugar/starch) and micronized linseed which is lower calcium higher phosphate I think. She will then have a vitamin and mineral supplement. The one I use is 21% calcium so she will still get some calcium but should be much lower in total.
Just to say, I did contact my closest equine nutritionist but I haven't had a response.
Just wondered if anybody else has had to feed to lower calcium and what they chose, or any other recommendations? Thank you for reading.
My warmblood mare, 20 this year, had acute kidney failure 4 years ago. It was touch and go but she made it but it has left her kidneys compromised. To add to the dilemma she also has EMS. Her blood test this week shows raised calcium levels, which is another sign of kidney issues. I therefore need to change her feed to something lower in calcium. General advice seems to be that legumes and sugar beet are high, grass based products seem to be lower.
I have been looking at the small print of 100s of "ready made" feeds online but I have not been able to find anything suitable.
Although she has EMS she can tolerate a certain amount of grass and can have slightly over 10% sugar and starch but I wouldn't want to go much higher. She is quite fussy so I can't just give her a bowl of chopped straw as she won't eat it. It has to be fairly tasty.
My thoughts at the moment are a grass chop, soaked grass nuts (Emerald green do both that are under 10% sugar/starch) and micronized linseed which is lower calcium higher phosphate I think. She will then have a vitamin and mineral supplement. The one I use is 21% calcium so she will still get some calcium but should be much lower in total.
Just to say, I did contact my closest equine nutritionist but I haven't had a response.
Just wondered if anybody else has had to feed to lower calcium and what they chose, or any other recommendations? Thank you for reading.
