nss photo report Nutrition-Related Growth Problems
There are many possible causes of Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) including genetics, conformation, trauma and nutrition. Research has shown that high protein diets are not directly related to DOD but suggests that high energy diets accompanied by insufficient minerals are the main cause of nutrition-related DOD. Typically a diet of straight cereals or lush grass, fed without a supplement or balancer designed to support the nutrient deficiencies within forage and/or cereals, stimulates the youngster to grow quickly yet doesn’t supply the building blocks that are required to develop the tissue correctly.
At Birth
If a foal is born with problems or acquires them in the first few weeks after birth, it is a good indication that the mare didn’t pass minerals to the
foetus during the pregnancy very efficiently. This could be simply because the mare wasn’t receiving enough nutrients in her diet, emphasising the importance of correct nutrition from conception on, as soon as foetal development begins.
It may also indicate that the mare’s placenta was less than perfect due to infection or old age meaning that the transfer of nutrients across to the foetus was impaired. If the foal is unable to accumulate stores of minerals during the pregnancy then, once it is born and growing very rapidly, problems can occur. It is important to act quickly if this happens by providing a concentrated source of minerals, such as Baileys Foal Assist, which is specifically formulated for suckling foals, to counteract the shortfalls.
Suckling Foals Once the foal is over 3-4 months of age, growth problems are more likely to be due to the mare being a very good milker or the foal may have an above average growth rate. Milk is full of energy but can be short of minerals which stimulate the foal to grow rapidly but does not provide sufficient minerals for correct tissue development. If the mare is producing lots of milk it may be necessary, under the guidance of your vet, to wean the foal early. This is only usually necessary in extreme cases but it does allow you to completely control the foal’s diet.
Again it will be beneficial to supplement the mare’s milk with a concentrated source of minerals, like Baileys Foal Assist - available in a syringe or liquid - or introduce Baileys Stud Balancer, which has a low energy content but a concentrated level of minerals. The foal can be introduced to concentrate feed at 3 months of age and this has been shown to help stabilise growth rates, lower the risk of growth spurts and also allows for a gradual transition onto concentrate feed before the stresses of weaning.
Weanlings Growth rates slow with increasing age, so fewer nutrients are required to support tissue growth however the youngster still requires a balanced diet to maintain the growth and development which is still going on. If DOD occurs
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after weaning then it is probable that the weanling’s diet is too high in energy and/or has an inadequate mineral content. This could be due to lush pasture without an additional supplement or over or under feeding a stud diet. Stud Balancer is again recommended here or, where feeding a group is impractical, a specially formulated paddock lick is ideal for providing supporting levels of minerals but no additional calories.
Monitor Growth Many growth-related problems can be prevented by monitoring a foal’s growth rate through regular weightaping and plotting bodyweight on a chart. This can help to highlight any deviation from the accepted growth rate according to estimated mature bodyweight. This then allows for adjustments to the foal’s diet to made as early as possible to help correct the trend and avoid problems.
For information and advice, contact Baileys Horse Feeds on 01371 850247 or visit www.
baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
Equine Page 57
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