Tag Archives: PPID

Diet and Laminitis – No Link to Fructan

Posted on September 3, 2020 by

Horses and ponies, donkeys and mules, may develop laminitis on diets based on either hay or pasture. The cause isn’t fructan.  It isn’t hind gut acidosis.  Here’s the science. The AAEP’s Laminitis Working Group did a four year study with … Continue reading →

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Safe Supplements for Metabolic Horses

Posted on July 16, 2020 by

When evaluating supplements for horses prone to high insulin levels there are two basic areas to consider – the active ingredients and the base. On the ingredients front, some things to generally avoid include:  Added iron.  These horses often have … Continue reading →

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Metabolic Disease Misinformation

Posted on May 16, 2020 by

Grazing season makes attention turn to equine metabolic disorders but there is a wealth of misinformation out there, despite solid research that disproves some pieces of advice and a clear lack of supporting research for others. False:  NSC and fructan … Continue reading →

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The Seasonal ACTH Rise

Posted on August 4, 2019 by

ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone, is produced by the pituitary gland. It’s function is to trigger cortisol release from the adrenal gland.  Every year in the fall there is a temporary increase in the amount of ACTH produced. For most horses this … Continue reading →

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The Real Cause of PAL – Pasture-Associated Laminitis

Posted on June 22, 2019 by

It isn’t fructan.  It isn’t hind gut acidosis.  Here’s the science. The AAEP’s Laminitis Working Group did a four year study with the goal of identifying laminitis risks. Other than diet, EMS pattern obesity, known EMS or PPID and use … Continue reading →

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Hard Keepers

Posted on November 4, 2018 by

Overweight horses are grabbing all the headlines but horses that tend to be very thin can also be a major headache for their owners.  While obesity is clearly to be avoided, there is such a thing as too thin. Photo:  … Continue reading →

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Hormonal Laminitis – What It’s Not

Posted on January 21, 2018 by

At the NO Laminitis Conference last year I spent several hours talking about what insulin related laminitis is not. A paper just published in The Veterinary Journal (Patterson-Kane et al) called Paradigm shifts in understanding equine laminitis does the same … Continue reading →

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The Skinny Older Horse

Posted on November 5, 2017 by

Impending winter weather and loss of good pasture make all owners of thin senior horses anxious.  Some things to consider when a horse is underweight span all age groups, but seniors have additional considerations. Transverse ridges on the chewing surface … Continue reading →

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“Natural is Better” Wars

Posted on September 24, 2017 by

There are so many labels available to describe the individual interests in this debate that it’s very difficult to even frame a simple sentence that describes it. A workable approximation for my purposes here is to define “natural” as substances … Continue reading →

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Late Summer Weight Loss

Posted on August 6, 2017 by

Weight loss in late summer is a fairly common problem. It can have many different causes and pinpointing the reason is obviously central to successful resolution. from: University of Minnesota Cumulative effects of dehydration is a common cause. With mild … Continue reading →

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