Vitamin C, Iron supplements and Jim in NJ

[Sarah Ralston <ralston@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>]

RE: Vitamin C and Calcium-no interaction there that I am aware of. High
Vitamin C
intakes will enhance the absorption of iron, however. I only supplement
vitamin C during and immediately after a ride (10 gm twice a day in her feed)

Re: Anemia: IRON DEFICIT IS NOT A MAJOR CAUSE OF ANEMIA IN HORSES, EVEN IN
OLD HORSES (and 19 ain't old in my book)!! (sorry for shouting-it's a major
pet peeve of mine ;-)
    Don't have time to go into a Susan G style lecture, but bottom line is
that most vets can't seem to get it into their heads that horses don't
menstruate (ie: have chronic blood loss) and that blood loss is the only
way 90% of the horse population would become iron deficient! Copper
deficiency and B-vitamin deficits are much  more likely candidates. The
reason Red Cell is so popular as an "iron" supplement is that it also
contains a fair amount of copper and B-vitamins! A really mild anemia as
described can be fairly normal in a fit horse at rest-the spleen sequesters
red blood cells that aren't needed, only to release them when exercising,
scared etc. Next time your vet comes out to take blood-trot your old guy
out for him just before he jabs him with the needle-if he's still "anemic"
let me know!

Jim from Arizona, now in NJ-there are lots of us here. We have some great
parks for training scattered all over the state, though not quite the wide
open spaces you are accustomed to. It would help if you gave us an address
or some way to contact you!
Sarah L. Ralston, VMD, PhD, dACVN
Associate Professor
Department of Animal Science
Cook College, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Ralston@aesop.rutgers.edu
732-932-9404


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