Re: nutrition ? for Susan G.

["Susan Evans Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

I had
>happen to do a nutritional analysis on this horse just a few days before
and
>found that his calcium/phosporus ratio was inverted, very low calcium, way
too
>much phosporus.  This horse is on pasture, but does not graze.  His diet
is:
>12 cups Equine Senior/ 4cups dry beet pulp/ 1/2 cup corn oil...all together
>and soaked.  He has free choice oat hay.  How could he have high calcium
and
>normal phosphorus on this diet?  My understanding is that oat hay in high
>phosporus and low calcium.  What does high calcium on blood work mean for
him?
>All the vet told us to do was to give him Red Cell (iron supplement), no
other
>changes.  The horse went back to normal after one day of being "off feed".
No
>changes in diet/routine at that time.  there's more to this than anemia.
>Help, I'm lost
>Leigh


Hiya Leigh,
Please keep in mind that first, I'm not a vet (not for another four years,
anyway), so I can't comment on what exactly caused this episode, but I can
comment on the ration.  Oat hay CAN have an inverted calcium-phosphorus
ratio, but usually is fairly low in both calcium and phosphorus, so I'm not
sure you're all that inverted, if at all.  It might be you're just deficient
in some nutrient or other.  Even if he is inverted, I've seen alot of other
horses that are on inverted rations that also showed more or less normal on
their blood work.  Calcium is one of the most highly regulated substances in
the body and even though the supply might be compromised, the hormones
responsible for regulating plasma levels will still do everything possible
to keep the blood levels stable---sort of like a carburetor will still
regulate the flow of gas into an engine even though the gas tank is about
empty.

If you could tell me what the calcium and phosphorus content is from the
back of the Equine Senior bag, and also how many pounds are contained in 12
cups of the Equine Senior, I could take a closer look.  Also, it would help
if you could give me an estimate of how many pounds of oat hay you think
he's eating a day, how's his weight, attitude other than during this
episode, how hard he's working and his body weight.

In the meantime, I would suggest that you add a few pounds (and I mean a
few, as in three or four, not ten or twelve) pounds of alfalfa hay or
pellets.  Not a complete pellet or mixed with anything else, just alfalfa.
The other alternative is to add some ground limestone, but I'd need a little
more information before I can tell you how much.

I know this isn't much help right this minute, but if you can give me a
little more info, maybe I can do a little more specific digging around for
you and see if I spot anything.

Susan G