Bran Mash For Laminitis

Modern horsemen may unknowingly be causing their horses distress when they feed bran sporadically as a weekly mash or as a constipation preventative just prior to traveling.

Bran mash for laminitis.

Wheat bran and rice bran should be avoided. Many feeds that contain grain by products like millrun bran or pollard advertise themselves as being grain free. The small amount of bran needed for these horses may not upset the calcium phosphorus ratio though the entire diet should be evaluated to keep it balanced. Beet pulp soaked is easily chewed digestible and a good source of calcium.

Millrun millmix bran rice or wheat pollard. Even with significant laminitis present to be underweight horse can be fed up to a pound of rice bran or a cup of oil two or three times a day. These side effects were later alleviated by feeding the bran as a damp but not soggy mash and omitting the supplement. Bran mash is not recommended since it is too fibrous and bulky.

For the underweight horse it is critically important to provide safe calories usually in the form of fats or oils along with beet pulp or hay pellets. After a second bout of laminitis that same year which was again successfully treated with double cream my horse became sound and remained so for the next eight years. Horses with laminitis need high fiber low carbohydrate diets. Certain grains corn oat wheat even a handful is a bad choice.

Any form of steam flaked micronized or extruded grain. Rice bran has 8 times more starch than alfalfa cubes and over 10 times more than beet pulp. Higher glycemic index than many grains. Wheat bran mashes are good for overweight horses.

Hay feed approx. Founderguard may also cause drier than normal manure for the first week of treatment and a mild laxative bran mash diet is recommended in these cases for the first few days of supplementation. Founderguard is a proven preventative for feed induced laminitis. Then in spring 2012 he had a third attack the worst.

So read all labels and lists of ingredients carefully before buying a feed and remember it is buyer beware. Horses with laminitis need high fiber low carbohydrate diets. Wheat bran mashes are good for overweight horses. Tips for feeding the geriatric horse or toothless horse.

By gradually introducing the dose as recommended the incidence of these. Emergency diet for a horse with endocrinopathic laminitis feed. Supply fiber in the diet of all older horses as soft hay or even beet pulp an excellent fiber and energy source. Bran mash lots of carbohydrates.