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IR/PSSM-EPSM horse diet; Supplements.....aaargh I don't get it!
Topic Started: Jan 19 2007, 02:55 PM (1,035 Views)
Trialbyfire
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I'm sure this is the first of many, many questions!! After a couple of you suggested that my "hony" might have EPSM/PSSM after my description of her being "permanently lame", I've been doing a lot of reading on the subject. :psycho: She is also possibly IR, based on her big cresty neck.

Assuming that she was both....I know there are supplements recommended for each -- mg, chromium for IR and vit. E and selenium for PSSM among other suggestions.

It doesn't seem that there is one product out there that covers everything, although I've seen a few "multi-vitamins" that seem to have everything but magnesium.

Does anyone know, or have a good source, for the daily dosage recommended for the IR supplements? I see that Dr. Valentine recommends 1000 Units of vitamin E/day and 1 mg selenium/day for PSSM (actually for all horses), but I'm not sure how much Mg/Chromium is recommended for IR and there is just SO much out there on the web.

Also, how do you interpret a supplement that lists ingredients like this:

Lysine, Min 3.5%
Methionine, min 3.2%
Calcium (Ca)min 5.2%
Calcium (Ca),max 6.0%

Maybe the actual package has feeding directions but what I see on the website doesn't tell me (this is part of an "analysis" of a multi-vitamin at horse.com). So I can't tell if this would meet the recommended dosage or not.

I need an IR/PSSM supplement for dummies and just trust someone that I'm doing it right. :brickwall:

Obviously I'm going to call the vet, but wanted to have some information under my belt first and I think the more I read the less I understand. :shoot:

Many more questions still to come.....but trying to get my brain around the supplement thing first......my thoughts are to take my fat pony off grain altogether (she hardly gets any to begin with) because it seems that she's not getting enough grain to meet even the minimum daily requirements for vitamins/minerals anyway. But need to find some way of getting supplements that are decent without breaking the bank. ($200 pony my a$$!) <_<

Thanks!
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Trialbyfire
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OK, I had been directed to the Yahoo Cushings/IR group and found out a lot! Thanks for that suggestion!

Here is what it says as far as supplements:

· Plain white salt 1 to 2 oz. a day (or iodized if not feeding an iodine supplement, human iodized table salt added to the beet pulp is fine.)

· Iodine 2.5 mg/day/500 lbs body weight (supplement or from salt as above)

· Magnesium 1.5 grams/day/500 lbs body weight (only as a short term measure until hay analysis can confirm if it is actually needed or not, and how much), can use human supplement, or get feed grade magnesium oxide from a feed mill.

· Vitamin E 1000 IU/day/500 lbs body weight (again, human supp. may be easiest, i.e. Soft gelcaps added to beet pulp, or order liquid E-50 from www.uckele.com)

· Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon/250 lbs body weight

I am going to call the vet to see if I can get a diet "makeover" with supervision. I think I have some good ideas of what to do, but would like a little advice since I'm looking at the IR part and the EPSM part. May have her tested for both, or at least the easier IR bloodwork for now.

Anyway....far more information than I ever thought I'd need to understand! Need a serious review of basic chemistry and probably a few courses in horse physiology....but for now I think I'm ok! At the moment I'm more concerned about the freezing temperatures than anything else! :)

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