[RC] sugar in beet pulp and laminitis issues - Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVM
Hi all,
When I first started goofing around with beet pulp years ago, I had a
number of samples analyzed for simple sugars, all of which came back very
low. However, I was recently forwarded a copy of an analysis of some beet
pulp (admittedly, only one sample) in which simple sugars ran incredibly high,
over 30%---which for a seriously insulin resistant and/or Cushinoid horse with
laminitis issues, could potentially be catastrophic.
In addition, it might also be an explanation for the occasional rider who
reports they can't feed their horse beet pulp because they get whacked out on
even the molasses-free stuff---which never made sense to me, given that there
aren't supposed to be simple sugars in beet pulp (and weren't, given the lab
reports I had).
Whether this one sample was a random event, or possibly a current trend
towards sloppier refining practices, I don't know. I guess the important
issue is that there seems to possibly be wide variation in the residual sugar
content in commodity beet pulp (as versus the commercially processed beet pulp
in proprietary brands such as Unbeetable or Complete Advantage).
In any event, and strictly FWIW, I'm changing my recommendations regarding
feeding beet pulp to horses with even a hint of insulin or laminitis
issues. I still think beet pulp is a very valuable feed, but I now
strongly recommend that it be fed only after soaking in wildly generous amounts
of water **and** then pouring off the water and rinsing the beet pulp with fresh
water to remove the water soluble simple sugars. It won't remove the
pectins and soluble fibers that make beet pulp such a useful feed, but will just
remove any excess sugars---and if there are no excess sugars there, then no harm
done.
In the meantime, I'm rounding up some more samples of beet pulp from
sources around the country for analysis and will see how they come back.
Stay tuned. :-))
Susan Garlinghouse, DVM, MS
SUSAN E. GARLINGHOUSE, DVM, MS Michael S.
Peralez, DVM & Associates 1005 North Santa Anita Drive Arcadia,
California 91006 (626) 446-8911 http://www.shady-acres.com/susan
