Re feeding linseed meal to my thin horse

["GESA BRINKS" <gesaeqfx@pe.net>]

>Susan Garlinghouse suendavid@worldnet.att.net
     Hi Susan,  I have another question re: feed stuffs for ya.  Or anyone
else for that matter.  I am having a tough time putting weight on my new
horse Sky.  I am currently doing the "Panacur purge".  3 more days to go on
it.  He was very wormy when he came to Ca.  He will tie up on grain so I
nixed the c.o.b. mix.  I have him on beet pulp and rice bran.  I had him on
flax seed until I realized it was making him dehydrate.  (Didnt know it also
acted as a diuretic!) Oops.  I just bought some linseed meal to add more fat
to his diet, but,  how much do I feed him????  This is a new feed stuff for
me and I dont have a clue how much to give.  I started with 1/2 of a 1 lb
coffee can today.  First time feeding it.   He also gets bermuda hay in the
a.m. and timothy or barley hay in the p.m. (cant afford too much timothy @
$20.00 per bale!!!)  Any thoughts or suggestions on this matter will be
appreciated.   Thank you in advance.   gesa







>>Been meaning to ask about this.   At the AERC conference there were folks
>>selling a vinegar based product to acidify the gut, in order to >reduce
the
>>chances of enterolith formation.   In Tom Ivers' book TFR II, >he mentions
the
>>use of bicarb "milkshake" to alkalinize the gut, and evidenty >help
counteract
>>blood lactic acid build up during performance.
>
>>Does anyone actually know the physiology involved here or is >this all
>>assumption?  In humans, it would take fairly large doses of >acid/base to
>>significantly impact gut pH, much less blood pH.   Does feeding >an acidic
>>food change the pH of the hindgut?   Does feeding an akaline >product
affect
>>blood chemistry?   Heidi?   Sarah?   Tom?
>
>>Pat Farmer
>
>
>Pat,
>You're right, it takes a lot of vinegar to change the pH of the hindgut.
There is some (very little) research which indicates a slight pH change when
several cups of vinegar a day are added to the ration, whether or not they
have any really significant effect on enterolith formation is doubtful and
definitely unproven.  The easiest way to acidify the hindgut is to just not
feed an alkalizing ration in the first place, of which large amounts of
alfalfa are the most common culprit.  Feeding grass/cereal grain hays and
grains have a much more significant effect than a cup of vinegar will do.
Feeding anything acidic will not have an effect on blood pH, as the
mechanisms in the body to control pH within narrow parameters are extensive
and extremely efficient, assuming no renal pathology.  Besides avoiding an
alkaline ration, you can also decrease enterolith risk by not feeding large
amounts of bran along with large amounts of Southwest-grown alfalfa, as the
combination of magnesi!
>um, ammonium and phosphorus from those two feeds provide the substrates of
which enteroliths are composed.
>
>I spoke to those same vendors at the trade show and wasn't exactly
overwhelmed by their knowledge, hypotheses of their product's action or even
understanding of basic physiology.  In your post above, you made a few very
simple statements that would indicate to me you have a far better
understanding of acid-base.  Trust your own instincts and save your money.
>
>Best regards,
>Susan Garlinghouse, MS
>http:/www.shady-acres.com/susan/
>
>
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