However horses also love grain and left to their own devices would consume enough to cause laminitis severe colic and potentially death. However if your horse with Cushings is on the heavier side it is best to steer away from alfalfa hay because of the excess protein can be converted into sugar in the liver.

Feeding A Horse With Cushing S Disease Diet And Management Triple Crown Feed

Increased energy requirements can be met by feeding alfalfa lucerne hay or chaff super-fibers such as beet pulp and soy hulls or a low- to moderate-NSC feed.

Can horses with cushings eat alfalfa. Legume hays such as alfalfa tend to be higher in calories and protein compared to grass hays ie. Equine Senior Equine Senior Active WellSolve LS and. The majority of Cushings horses cant be on a lot of pasture.

Lower the sugar content prior to feeding. Pasture intake should be controlled to avoid sudden increases in carbohydrate intake that can trigger laminitis. Your horses diet should be balanced and provide a level of energy appropriate to your horses condition and workload not all horses with PPIDCushings.

In many cases feeds that are labeled as senior feeds are also high in NSC content and should be avoided when feeding a horse with Cushings disease. Horses and ponies diagnosed with PPIDCushings Disease should be fed a low sugar and starch diet. Additional Vitamin E can be added 1000 IU daily.

Most horses and ponies can handle 1-2 hours of grazing a day. However some horses with Cushings do not have insulin resistance and those horses can. Certain feeding strategies can help your horse weather equine Cushings disease.

Alfalfa is a high protein forage so it makes an excellent supplement for horses that are protein deficient or for horses that have higher protein requirements such as senior horses or pregnant or lactating mares. A salt and mineral block is perfect for helping a horse stay in excellent health. Grass or alfalfa hay can be fed.

But good quality forage is naturally low in carbohydrates. As later cut forages tend to be less nutritious Alfalfa Plus Oil andor Fibre-Beet can be fed as additional sources of highly digestible fibre as well as some quality protein and other nutrients. The goal in feeding a horse with Cushings is to limit the intake of nonstructural carbohydrates NSC feeds such as the sugars and starches found in grains.

2 Apr 12 2017. Instead feed your horse a diet that is high in protein and fiber. There is also much misinformation.

Like many issues in equine nutrition there are strong opinions both pro and con regarding alfalfa. It allows your horse to feed as. Managing Insulin Resistance - Pasture access should be restricted or eliminated because of the large concentration of sugar that varies in the grass.

Thats because insulin resistance is often seen in the same horses that have Cushings. I often recommend feeding it because it boosts the overall protein quality of a grass-hay diet and in general enhances the horses muscle tone immune system and overall health. Time at grass will need to be carefully managed to control fructan sugar intake.

Seek out types of feeds that meet your requirements or find feeds specially formulated for horses with Cushings disease. I know of a Vet who has a laminitic barn and she feeds those horses nothing but alfalfa in different forms depending on the horses teeth. Alfalfa can be a good option for a horse with Cushings if they are a hard time holding their weight because it is more calorie-dense than grass hay.

So my recommendation would be to stop the coastal and substitute any form of Alfalfa. Which Dengie Feeds are suitable to feed a horse with PPIDCushings Disease. Protein is essential for both the growth.

Most horse come down with laminitis in the fall and spring when the grass has a higher sugar content. Your horse should also be given vitamins and minerals such as salt magnesium chromium vanadium and sulfur. One thing everyone can agree upon is that horses love alfalfa.

Getty Equine Nutrition News Release Alfalfa can be an excellent addition to most horses diets even for those that are insulin resistant IR. With PPID there is not a one-type-fits-all diet and you must consider the age weight activity level and body condition of the individual horse when determining the right diet but Purina Animal Nutrition has multiple premium horse feeds that have been successfully fed to horses diagnosed with Cushings disease including but not limited to. Youve consulted your veterinarian for.

Alfalfa hay generally doesnt have as much sugar and starch as grass hay but some horses prone to laminitis horses with Cushings and Insulin Resistance are sensitive to it so add it to your horses diet slowly especially if she hasnt had alfalfa before. Your horse has equine Cushings disease for which theres no cure. Alfalfa is safe to feed a Cushings horse.

As alfalfa is naturally low in both sugar and starch there are a number of feeds in our range that are suitable.