Avoid mixes and other cereal based feeds cereals are high in starch. Increased energy requirements can be met by feeding alfalfa lucerne hay or chaff super-fibers such as beet pulp and soy hulls or a low- to moderate-NSC feed.
Supplementing with 100 flaxseed oil such as FLOW can also help your Cushings horse by reducing the insulin spikes in the bloodstream.
What to feed horse with cushings. With PPID there is not a one-type-fits-all diet and you must consider the age weight activity level and body condition of the individual horse when determining the right diet but Purina Animal Nutrition has multiple premium horse feeds that have been successfully fed to horses diagnosed with Cushings disease including but not limited to. Equine Senior Equine Senior Active WellSolve LS and. Increased energy requirements can be met by feeding alfalfa lucerne hay or chaff super-fibers such as beet pulp and soy hulls or a low- to moderate-NSC feed.
Feeds that are higher in fat greater than 6 are preferred as they are less reliant on carbohydrates for energy. The goal in feeding a horse with Cushings is to limit the intake of nonstructural carbohydrates NSC feeds such as the sugars and starches found in grains. In many cases feeds that are labeled as senior feeds are also high in NSC content and should be avoided when feeding a horse with Cushings disease.
Ease Excel and Ease Excel Cubes are low starch high calorie feeds which can be fed to promote condition and support performance while keeping cereal intake to an absolute minimum. Keep Calm and Meadow Sweet with Turmeric are fully balanced feeds which are both low in starch and high in fibre and will help promote and maintain condition. Therefore when looking for suitable feeds for horses and ponies diagnosed with PPIDCushings Disease the advice is to choose products that are low in sugar and starch.
The recommendation is that the non-structural carbohydrates NSC which are a combination of water-soluble carbohydrates WSC or sugar and starch is less than 10-12 when combined. Textured or sweet feed containing greater than 3 molasses and 15-20 nonstructural carbohydrates NSC should be avoided if there is evidence of insulin resistance. Pellets or extruded feeds that are higher in fiber greater than 10 and fat greater than 5 can be fed instead of sweet feed to provide additional dietary energy.
SafeChoice has been used successfully for horses with Cushings Syndrome when fed with appropriate forage and fed as directed with moderate meal size. Key to forage selection is avoiding cool season grasses that are high in NSC content. We also use Life Design Senior with a.
Supplementing with 100 flaxseed oil such as FLOW can also help your Cushings horse by reducing the insulin spikes in the bloodstream. By lowering these spikes it helps reduce the chances of laminitis developing. Flaxseed oil also helps to reduce unwanted inflammation.
Overall nutritional plan for Your Cushings Horse. 12 ways to manage the diet of a horse with Cushings disease 1. Try to keep your horses waistline in check.
Aim to keep a body condition score of around 5 out of 9. Avoid feeds that are high in cereals. This is especially true for horses and ponies in light work those prone to.
Instead feed your horse a diet that is high in protein and fiber. Seek out types of feeds that meet your requirements or find feeds specially formulated for horses with Cushings disease. Your horse should also be given vitamins and minerals such as salt magnesium chromium vanadium and sulfur.
A salt and mineral block is perfect for helping a horse stay in excellent health. It allows your horse to feed as. For a pony or horse suspected of having Equine Metabolic Syndrome EMS or diagnosed with Cushings Syndrome diet and exercise management is essential.
Try and keep them fit with a target body condition score of 5 out of 9 on the Henneke Body Condition Scale for horses. Feed little and often and encourage them to eat slowly to avoid large peaks. If your PPID horse is underweight and requires a higher calorie feed to help build or maintain condition provide a feed high in fibre and oil and low in starch and sugar such as Cushcare Condition.
Cushcare Condition has been scientifically designed to provide conditioning calories while keeping starch and sugar content minimal. Horses with Cushings normally experience an insensitivity to insulin. As a result you should avoid feeding them traditional grains treats or even pasture.
Instead the nutritional requirement should be met using supplements like minerals and vitamins. A low-sugar high-fiber feed is also a good idea. Owners of Cushings horses should test their hay and pasture for NSC non structural carbohydrate sugars and starches content and aim for less than 12 NCS for their forages.
These horses may need their hay soaked before each feeding and pasture restricted or removed all together to help control blood glucose concentrations. For those with PPID who maintain their weight well a Cushings specific supplement balancer and a low-calorie chaff would be suitable. Horses and ponies with PPID will benefit from multiple small meals throughout the day as this will help to avoid peaks and troughs in.
If additional calories are needed look for fibre based feeds that are low in starch and sugar and if necessary high in oil oil is high in calories but starch and sugar free. Avoid mixes and other cereal based feeds cereals are high in starch. A maximum of 2kg per meal for horses.