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[RC] Iron supplement - Patti Kuvik

Hi Teena ~
Check the attached article before starting an iron supplement. [Blood
Builders article from Horse Journal - I can't post it on RC but can email a
"personal" copy to anyone who would like to read it].
Unless there has been a large blood loss, "low iron" or "anemia" may be
caused by some trace mineral deficiencies rather than low iron - most
forages contain more than sufficient amounts of iron (actually, most are way
above the horse's requirements) and adding more iron can worsen the problem
bycompeting with some trace minerals.
The iron requirement (NRC) for an adult horse is 40mg/kg diet, or 363mg for
20lbs/hay. Most grass hays meet or exceed this (at 40ppm; most hays are at
least 80ppm, many are well over 100ppm). Beet pulp will provide 282mg iron
in just one pound. Pelleted hays or complete feeds are often in excess of
400ppm, so could provide 181mg iron per pound (and it's not always "listed"
in the analysis if they didn't specifically add supplemental iron). Horses
are very efficient at reclaiming and recycling iron metabolism products.

A total iron profile (serum iron, TIBC and ferritin) can be run at Kansas
State University for about $40 to see if iron supplementation is actually
needed.
http://www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/dmp/service/comp-hemo/index.htm
(see Iron Panel)
Haemochromatosis (iron overload) has long been recognized in zoo/exotic
animals but is just recently being looked at in horses. [email me privately
for papers/references]. Because serum iron levels can reflect recently
ingested iron, not the body's total iron content, iron overload can exist
with low serum iron.

Patti Kuvik
Vail AZ

From: "Teena" <teenabelle@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [RC]   Iron supplement

Hello I was told by my vet to put my horse on Iron supplement and I was
wondering if there was certain one to use. His Iron level is low but not
that low. So if anyone has any advice on what to use I would be ever so
grateful.

Teena

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