Obesity: Big-Boned Beastie
Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM
August 1, 2008
Obese horses should be taken off pasture, except for very short (30-minute) turnout periods two or three times a day for
Obese horses should be taken off pasture, except for very short (30-minute) turnout periods two or three times a day for
Insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance in horses have become increasingly important areas of research in equine medicine over the past several years, as evidenced by the timely and popular presentations at this year’s American College of
Does your horse have a cresty neck? Does he gain weight on air? Does he develop laminitis at the mere sight of spring grass? If so, your horse could have insulin resistance. Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA, medical director/staff veterinarian for SmartPa
Insulin resistance, the body’s inability to control blood sugar levels with normal amounts of insulin, is known to be associated with equine obesity, altered reproductive function, and pasture-associated laminitis. In addition, insulin resistance
Researchers from Tennessee recently reported that daily administration of a high dose of levothyroxine sodium–a synthetic thyroid hormone supplement–for 48 weeks resulted in significant weight loss and an improvement in horses’ insulin
When it comes to horses, what does “low carb” mean? Lower than what? “There are several analytical procedures that measure sugar, and each one measures a slightly different fraction,” said Kathryn Watts, BS, owner of Rocky Mountain Research & Consult
Horses suffer from few endocrine disorders compared to humans and companion animals; however, they’re not totally off the hook, explained Emily Graves, VMD, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Michigan State University, to horse owners in attendance at the
“Not all obese individuals are insulin-resistant, and not all IR-affected horses are obese. But IR-associated medical problems are more likely to develop in concert with obesity in individuals born with IR,” said Nat Messer, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, an
Insulin resistance is a part of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). There are three criteria for identifying the horse with EMS: Insulin resistance, prior (founder lines) or current laminitis, and general obesity or regional adiposity (areas of abnormal
Management of insulin resistance might lower the risk of laminitis, and one of the cornerstones of management is diet. ?Think of these horses as being in a prediabetic state,? said Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor of
Experts at the 2006 AAEP Convention discussed obesity in horses in depth, addressing topics such as adipobiology, insulin resistance (IR), laminitis, glucocorticoids, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (Cushing’s disease), and the seasonality of hormones.
Fresh from the AAEP Annual Convention, here’s an update on what we know about these two disorders and how to manage them:
Equine metabolic syndrome typically affects horses aged 8 to 18-years-old. Pony breeds, domesticated Spanish
Dietary management can work like magic for specific equine diseases.
Equine nutritionists and wise horse owners have long known that obesity in horses is not a good thing.
Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), Cushing’s disease, insulin resistance (IR), glucose intolerance, and glycemic indices of feeds have gotten a lot of press lately. The terms are taken from the human literature, where they have very specific
The axiom, “You are what you eat” does have relevance to horses with regard to health and well-being. Here’s a review some of the more common dietary problems that affect various organ systems in the horse.
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