Feed and Supplement Correctly
Gastrointestinal Problems
Gastrointestinal problems in horses have been receiving increasing attention due to their high prevalence and their impact on sports performance.
Feed and Supplement Correctly
Gastrointestinal Problems
Ulcers? How to feed a horse with ulcers?
Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (SUGE) defines several alterations of the esophageal, gastric or duodenal mucosa, from inflammation to ulceration. This syndrome has received increasing attention due to its high prevalence and its impact on the performance of the sport horse.
Feeding management is an important ally in the control of SUGE, either during the horse's treatment process or at a later stage, contributing to the prevention of the appearance of new lesions.
What are the points to consider when feeding these horses?
1. Increase chewing time and reduce periods of food absence
Increasing the chewing period and decreasing the periods of absence of food is fundamental in the feeding management of these horses. This can happen by facilitating access to pasture, providing hay ad libitum and/or promoting a slower ingestion of forage feed, using techniques such as fine mesh nets, in stabled horses.
This permanent access to forage food promotes a continuous secretion of saliva. Saliva is rich in minerals and bicarbonate, a buffering substance that works as a natural antacid in the stomach. Thus, salivation plays a role in protecting the gastric mucosa, in addition to moistening the food, favoring the transit and penetration of gastric juice into the food bolus.
On the other hand, since the production of acid by the stomach is continuous, it is easily understandable that prolonged periods between meals contribute to the formation and exacerbation of ulcers.
2. Consider the type of forage
In addition to increasing forage feed intake (?1.5% of live weight (bw) in dry matter (DM), eg Horse 500 kg bw ? 7.5 Kg DM), another relevant factor is the type of forage selected. The choice of quality hay is imperative, with the consumption of straw not recommended as the only or main source of forage, and scientific studies have shown higher degrees of ulceration associated with its consumption.
The use of alfalfa hay or the association of alfalfa with concentrated feed (?ration?), are measures considered beneficial, considering its protective effect (due to its calcium and protein content).
ALFALFA INTACOL
WAFERS
3. Reduce starch consumption
Other factors to consider are the amount of concentrate feed provided, as well as its composition. Concentrated foods (consisting mainly of cereals such as oats, corn, wheat) are rich in non-structural carbohydrates (HCNE, starch and sugars) and tend to be ingested quickly, minimizing the production of saliva and the protective effect of bicarbonate. At the same time, they are associated with an increased production of volatile fatty acids (VFA), which in turn affect the integrity of the mucosa, making it more susceptible to injury.
Recent studies recommend not exceeding 2 grams of starch per kilogram of body weight per day or 1 gram of starch per kilogram of body weight per meal. In sport horses, as the concentrated feed is essential to meet their energy needs, its supply should be done favoring a division in a greater number of meals, in order to respect these recommendations.
The choice of concentrated feed for sport horses with lower levels of starch and sugar is also possible today.
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It is also possible to administer the concentrated feed together with a fodder based on lucerne, in order to benefit from its protective effect. This association may even make it possible to reduce the amount of concentrated feed in the diet, considering the nutritional value of the lucerne added.
WAFERS
ALFABEET
ALFALFA INTACOL
4. Use fat as a caloric source
Providing part of the caloric requirement through the use of fat is also considered beneficial. The choice of the type of fat must be considered, and sources naturally rich in omega 3 should be preferred (considering the high levels of Omega 6 already provided in the diet of stabled horses).
5. Supplementation
The use of supplements indicated for horses with gastric ulcers, or suspected ones, is a very viable option, although it should be done under the advice of a veterinarian or qualified nutritionist/technician. Its use does not invalidate the recommendations of the previous points.
GASTROBALANCE
In short, SUGE has a high prevalence, with sport horses being the main candidates for the development of the disease. Appropriate dietary practices can help us to reduce the risk of ulcers, their recurrence and their degree of severity.
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Feed and Supplement Correctly
Gastrointestinal Problems
Ulcers? Definition of equine gastric ulceration syndrome
Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (SUGE) defines several alterations of the esophageal, gastric or duodenal mucosa, from inflammation to ulceration. This syndrome has received increasing attention due to its high prevalence, particularly in sport horses, and the repercussions felt on the performance and well-being of the affected animals.
clinical signs
Clinical signs of the disease may include reduced or loss of appetite, weight loss, poor hair condition (by the spleen), reluctance to work, loss of performance, bruxism (?the grinding of the teeth?), abdominal pain (colic), between others. The diagnosis of the disease must be made by a Veterinarian, undergoing a correct clinical examination and the use of gastroscopy.
This is a syndrome of multifactorial etiology. O stress, food management, type and intensity of exercise, confinement and type of housing, as well as the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are some of the risk factors for its development.
Proper dietary management is a fundamental part of the prevention and control of this syndrome. Learn more about the fundamental aspects of feeding horses with Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (EUGS), in the button below.
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Feed and Supplement Correctly
Gastrointestinal Problems
Starch? How to minimize the risks associated with its ingestion?
We already know the risks associated with starch intake and the main conditions that justify its control in the horse's diet.
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However, we also recognize its important role as a caloric source and its importance in nutrition, namely in the performance of anaerobic physical activity. Thus, to minimize the impact of non-structural carbohydrates (HCNE), particularly starch, and to enhance their pre-cecal digestion, we must:
- Always evaluate the weight of the food and not the volume.
- Always supply the forage component (hay) before the concentrated feed, as chewing the hay promotes the release of bicarbonate through saliva, which will act as a buffer substance at the gastric level. Thus, we minimize the decrease in gastric pH after ingestion of the concentrated food. At the same time, the intake of fiber prior to the concentrated feed is beneficial for its digestibility, which increases digestive efficiency.
- Instead of large amounts of concentrated feed, we must provide a greater number of meals and a smaller amount of concentrated feed in each of them (maximum 0.5 kg / 100 kg of live weight).
- Prefer foods composed of heat-treated cereals (flakes, pellets and extrudates), in order to maximize the digestibility of the supplied starch. Foods with whole grains will necessarily have lower digestibility in the small intestine, with consequent passage of starch to the large intestine and the risks associated with this passage (dysbiosis and intestinal acidity and inherent risks).
- Opt for a food formulated with low starch content.
Low-starch foods
Currently, there is a gap in European legislation that has allowed the use of the claim “low in starch” in products with very variable levels of starch. In order to make this claim, it is only necessary to discriminate the content of the label on the label, its limits not being defined. It is, however, relatively consensual to state a low starch content when a product has a content lower than 20%.
Our Gastro Pro and Nature Mash foods are low-starch formulated products featuring 8 and 12% of starch, respectively.
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NATURE MASH
Naturally, a low-starch diet will have to have other caloric sources, usually with high levels of fiber and fat. As the raw materials used in these foods generally have a higher economic value, these products also have a higher cost.
Which horses benefit from a low starch diet?
Easily excitable horses may benefit from these foods, as well as obese horses (naturally predisposed to insulin resistance), insulin resistant, horses with Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (EGUS), myopathies, intestinal acidosis or laminitis.
The use of these foods should be done with the advice of your nutritionist or veterinarian.
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Feed and Supplement Correctly
Gastrointestinal Problems
Starch? What are the risks associated with its intake and when to limit it?
Currently, we see a growing concern about the levels of starch in the horse's diet. This concern is justified by a growing diagnosis of conditions that benefit from a diet low in non-structural carbohydrates (starch and sugars).
starch intake
For example, from a gastrointestinal (GI) point of view, the intake of large amounts of concentrate feed is generally associated with a decrease in the amount of forage ingested.
Since the fibrous component must be the main component in the horse's diet, limitations in its intake contribute to the appearance of gastrointestinal disorders, such as the Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (EUGS). In addition to this fact, there is a decrease in gastric pH after ingestion of concentrated food, which also contributes to the aforementioned Syndrome.
Implications of starch intake
Horses have a limited ability to digest starch in the small intestine (with individual variability). So when we provide a large amount of starch in a single meal, or low digestibility starch (unprocessed grains), a significant amount of this starch may not be digested in the small intestine, reaching the cecum.
Diarrhea, intestinal acidosis, colic
This starch will be fermented at cecal level, with consequent release of lactic acid. Could this fermentation process result in significant alterations in the intestinal flora? intestinal dysbiosis (diarrhea) ? compromising the efficient digestion of the forage component, and decreasing intestinal pH ? intestinal acidosis. Intestinal acidosis can justify changes in behavior, impaired performance and abdominal pain (colic).
Insulin resistance, laminitis, rhabdomyolysis
In some horses we also see insulin resistance, which translates into a failure in the tissue response to circulating insulin and consequent difficulty in controlling blood glucose. These horses are more predisposed to problems such as laminitis ("watering") and limiting starch intake is one of the strategies used to increase insulin sensitivity.
Some myopathies, such as polysaccharide accumulation rhabdomyolysis or exercise-induced recurrent rhabdomyolysis, also benefit from a limitation in the intake of starch and sugars.
Temperamental or excitable horses
Temperamental or easily excitable horses seem to benefit from some limitation in non-structural carbohydrates in the diet, with high sugar levels being associated with increased dopamine secretion. Here again, individual variability is enormous.
It is important to bear in mind that using a low-starch commercial feed may be beneficial for some animals and improve their performance, since completely excluding this energy source may not be the most appropriate strategy, as glycogen reserves are so important in certain modalities, particularly those with greater emphasis on anaerobic activity. Get to know Intacol foods with low starch content.
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Feed and Supplement Correctly
Gastrointestinal Problems
Starch? What is it and what is its role in equine nutrition?
In recent years, we have witnessed a growing concern about the energy sources used in the horse's diet, particularly with starch.
Starch is a long carbohydrate (polysaccharide) stored in plants for energy reserve. Starch reserves in plants vary, with cereals such as oats, wheat, barley and corn, commonly used in equine nutrition, having particularly high amounts.
In horse nutrition, starch plays a caloric role in the same way as fat and fiber. Simplifying a bit, in the horse's diet we find two types of carbohydrates: structural (HCE) and non-structural (HCNE).
Structural Carbohydrates (HCE)
Some structural carbohydrates such as hemicellulose and cellulose, structural constituents of plants, play a fundamental role in the horse's diet, corresponding to its fibrous needs. Most of the HCE in the horse's diet is provided by forage (hay). The digestion of these HCE into volatile fatty acids starts in the cecum, with the help of a microbial flora residing there.
Non-structural carbohydrates (HCNE)
HCNE (starch and sugars) must undergo pre-cecal digestion and absorption (in the small intestine). In this digestive process, starch must be degraded into simpler molecules, identical to sugar, easily absorbed. Glucose in circulation can be used immediately by the cells (a process mediated by the hormone insulin), it can be mobilized for the synthesis of fat or it can be stored in the form of glycogen (in the muscles and liver).
The metabolism of HCNE assumes particular relevance in the sport horse, when subjected to anaerobic activity, and in the absence of oxygen, energy production involves the use of these glycogen reserves. Insufficient glycogen stores will result in early fatigue and limit the horse's performance.