Probiotics For Horses With Laminitis

By learning more about laminitis and its causes signs and treatments you may be able to minimize the risks of laminitis in your horse or control the long term damage if it does occur.

Probiotics for horses with laminitis. Don t use glucosamine products glucosamine is a type of sugar that strains the liver and depresses insulin production in sugar sensitive overweight and or metabolic horses. Research has supported this cause and effect relationship but the full story is more complicated. Horses ponies donkeys mules and wild equids the disease process involves a breakdown of the bond between the hoof wall and the distal phalanx commonly called the coffin bone pedal bone or third phalanx p3. Home benefits why probiotics matter for horses prone to laminitis as an owner of a mare that suffers from laminitis i am always learning new ways to prevent and treat.

Nutrients such as selenium silica sulphur and vitamin c strengthen the hoof wall lamina collagen and joint capsules. Equine choice prebiotic probiotic granular and paste supplements contain live encapsulated saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast enabling the yeast to make it to the hindgut to stabilize ph levels for proper fermentation. Laminitis affects nearly 10 of the equine population and can occur with sudden onset in horses ponies and even donkeys. In this article we will take a look at equine laminitis symptoms and treatment because a prompt recognition of horse laminitis and its treatment is essential to reduce the long term severity and improve the horse s overall health.

Laminitis inflammation of the lamina of the hoof is a common and potentially devastating foot problem that affects all members of the equine family. With laminitus disease the laminae weaken which attach the pedal bone to the inside of the hoof. We are honestly at our infancy of understanding how we can use probiotics to benefit the horse says kelcey swyers head nutritionist at ranch way feeds in fort collins colorado and a phd candidate at colorado state university. Most keyflow feeds are low in sugar and starch so would be well suited to a horse at risk of laminitis.

Equine choice products contain digestive enzymes and good bacteria. However how probiotics can help horses is still under study. Laminitis results from the disruption constant intermittent or short term of blood flow to the sensitive and insensitive laminae. In a one year study of danish horses with and without laminitis harris and nanna luthersson dvm found that allowing a previously pasture restricted horse to have free choice grass or moving.

A high quality probiotic will help to restore this balance and keep the digestive tract healthy.