refeeding starved horses

Canadian Veterinary Journal 46: 320-324. 2005. In some recommended treatments, grain is not fed until the third or fourth week, and very small amounts (four ounces twice a day) are given. Once the horse has started to gain weight, we then add more supplements to their diets. The daily amount of grain should not exceed one percent of the horse’s body weight (10 pounds a day for a horse weighting 1000 pounds) and no single feeding should exceed five pounds of grain. Suggestions in this article refer to horses that have been deprived of adequate food for an extended period, but are otherwise in good health. Water should always be available. Frequently, a starved horse has had minimal attention to teeth, hooves, coat, vaccinations, and parasite control. In a study on the effects of different types of feed used for refeeding starved horses, we selected three that were very different in nutrient composition: alfalfa hay, oat hay, and a commercially available complete feed consisting of grain, molasses, fat, and alfalfa. Horses, like other animals, use the food they eat to meet the requirements of growth and maintenance. Although most horses appear to adapt well to the introduction of feed after a period of starvation, biochemical changes and clinical signs consistent with refeeding syndrome have been seen in chronically starved horses. Chronically starved horses: predicting survival, economic, and ethical consid-erations. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 212(5): 691-696. 5001 Angel Canyon Road • Kanab, Utah 84741-5000 • (435) 644-2001 • bestfriends.org According to a study on re-feeding syndrome by the Center for Equine Health at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, a high-quality alfalfa is the best forage for starved horses. So how do we help this animal? This situation was exacerbated by the past economic downturn that caused many horse owners to give up horses they could no longer afford to keep. Initial Refeeding. Horses in poor to very thin body conditions (Scores of 1 or 2) have little visible fat and appear to have had appreciable 1 Whiting, T. L., R. H. Salmon, and G. C. Wruck. Vitamin E, Oxidative Stress, and PPID in Horses: Is There a Link? Horses that refuse to eat can sometimes be tempted with a little fresh grass, oats, bran mash, or treats such as carrots or apples. Even with proper refeeding technique, about 20% of severely malnourished horses will die. Re-Feeding Syndrome and the Starving Horse, This article will address the issue of starvation in the horse, the physical impact and clinical manifestations that starvation has on the animal, the, RISK FACTORS  AND CLINICAL SIGNS OF STARVATION. Concentrate feeds (pellets and grain) should be avoided for the first 2 … 1998. The transition back to normal body weight is gradual. Horses responded best to the alfalfa hay diet. Refeeding syndrome can result in neurologic signs, or even death, due to cardiac and pulmonary failure. However, severely starved horses … 46(4): 320-324. Salt should be introduced slowly, beginning at a rate of 2 ounces a day. Refeeding Recommendations. It is officially called the “UC Davis’ Recommendations for Refeeding a Starved Horse”. She warns against refeeding too much, too soon, because it can kill a horse. We found that the best approach for initial refeeding of the starved horse consists of frequent small amounts of high-quality alfalfa. Concentrate feeds (pellets and grain) should be avoided for the first 2-3 days. The transition back to normal body weight is gradual. The substitution of corn oil in isoenergetic alfalfa diets was not advantageous in minimizing or preventing hypophosphatemia or hypomagnesemia for refeeding starved horses. Note: before any treatment is started, it is critical to determine whether weight loss is due to underfeeding, or results from a medical condition that has caused the horse to stop eating. Flossie Sellers - 06/08/2013 Health. The horses were offered the diets, which varied in volume but contained the same caloric content, for ten days. Hay and feed must also be started very gradually. Treatment is quite different in each case, and caregivers should not assume that an extremely thin horse has simply not had access to feed. What type of diet is best for starved horses? The rehabilitation period was 10 days and each horse was fed one of the three diets. Alfalfa’s relatively low starch content did not cause a steep rise in insulin, a reaction that can contribute to kidney, heart, and respiratory failure in horses without sufficient electrolyte stores. of leafy alfalfa for the average 1,000-pound horse every four hours. Initial Refeeding. 50th AAEP Proc., p. 428-432. Pain, illness, fever, and stress may depress the horse’s appetite, or he may simply not have the energy to chew and swallow.

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