How to treat equine metabolic syndrome?
Equine Metabolic Syndrome: Causes, Signs, Treatment and Prevention. If the horse can tolerate pasture, use a grazing muzzle and allow the horse to graze in the mornings before the sugar content rises with sun exposure. Other acceptable feeds are grass hay cubes and beet pulp without molasses.
Which horse breeds are more prone to metabolic syndrome?
Some breeds such as Miniature horses and donkeys, ponies, Paso Finos, and Morgans tend to be more predisposed to this syndrome. Equine Metabolic Syndrome is usually first recognized when chronic recurrent laminitis is seen in fat horses that lack other laminitis triggers.
How to treat insulin resistance in horses?
Treatment and Prevention: Supplements should be given to add needed vitamins and minerals but not additional calories. Complete feeds that are formulated to be low in digestible energy and carbohydrate specifically designed for horses with insulin resistance may be used in place of forage and supplements.
What tests are used to diagnose EMS in horses?
Tests for PPID such as measuring endogenous ACTH concentration or thyroid releasing hormone response test are normal in horses with EMS. Positive results indicate that the horse is concurrently affected by EMS and PPID, which can occur in older horses.
Are there specific treatments for the metabolic syndrome?
In most cases, the best treatment for metabolic syndrome rests with you. Changes to your behavior -- such as eating healthier and getting more exercise -- are the first things your doctor will suggest. By adopting some healthy habits, you may be able to eliminate your risk factors completely.
How is EMS treated in horses?
Because most horses with EMS are overweight, the mainstay of treatment involves management changes that promote weight loss. These include reducing overall calorie intake, dietary sugar restriction, and increased exercise. Typically, grain and pasture grazing are eliminated during the initial weight loss phase.
What is the first line of treatment for metabolic syndrome?
All current guidelines on the management of the individual components of the metabolic syndrome emphasize that lifestyle modification (weight loss and physical activity) is first-line therapy.
Can Equine metabolic syndrome be reversed?
Unfortunately, an EMS horse can never be fully cured, but the disorder can be managed through proper nutrition and exercise. “The key is to recognize the risk, mitigate the risk and prevent them from developing laminitis,” Dr. Frank says. As is often the case, the best treatment is prevention.
Is there medication for EMS in horses?
Some recent research has also suggested that ponies with EMS may benefit from treatment with Trilostane (Vetoryl). This drug inhibits an enzyme involved in the production of steroid hormone, and has been previously used in the treatment of Cushings Disease in both horses and dogs.
What do you feed a horse with equine metabolic syndrome?
Veterinarians should advise clients to:Avoid high-potassium feeds such as alfalfa hay, brome hay, canola oil, soybean meal or oil, and molasses.Feed timothy or Bermuda grass hay, beet pulp, or grains such as oats, corn, wheat and barley.Pasture is usually OK. ... Feed several times a day.Provide regular exercise.
How long does it take to cure metabolic syndrome?
Among children with the Metabolic Syndrome, 100% experienced complete reversal of the syndrome within two weeks of starting the Pritikin Program. (Metabolism Clinical and Experimental, 2006: 55: 871.)
How is metabolic syndrome managed?
The initial management of metabolic syndrome involves lifestyle modifications, including changes in diet and exercise habits. Indeed, evidence exists to support the notion that the diet, exercise, and pharmacologic interventions may inhibit the progression of metabolic syndrome to diabetes mellitus.
What is metabolic syndrome and how is it treated?
Treatment. The goal of metabolic syndrome treatment is to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes by controlling the associated problematic health conditions (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance).
How do you get rid of a Cresty neck on a horse?
Addressing underlying metabolic issues, increasing exercise and feeding a lower-calorie diet will support weight loss and help you get rid of your horse's cresty neck. Once your horse has reached a moderate body condition score of 4-5, excess fat along the neck should be eliminated or significantly reduced.
How long does it take for Prascend to work in horses?
How long until I see an improvement with my horse after beginning treatment with PRASCEND? Depending on the specific clinical sign, improvement may be observed beginning within 30 days and continue through 6 months of initial treatment.
What does metformin do for horses?
Conclusions: Metformin resulted in reduced glycaemic and insulinaemic responses both in healthy horses and in horses with experimentally induced IR. Potential relevance: Metformin may benefit horses with naturally acquired IR by reducing glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to dietary nonstructural carbohydrates.
How to diagnose equine metabolic syndrome?
These horses will usually have a high body condition score of 7 (Fleshy) or higher. However, other equine may just have abnormal fat deposits. There is currently no single diagnostic test that can definitively diagnose EMS, but elevated levels of glucose and insulin after fasting along with negative results from the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) used to diagnose Equine Cushing's are good indicators of EMS. Despite the similarity in symptoms, it is important to distinguish between the two diseases so that the appropriate treatment can be started.
What is EMS in horses?
Causes and Signs Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is also called Peripheral Cushing's Disease or insulin resistance. EMS has some similar signs to Equine Cushings Disease, but it is a different disease with different underlying causes. Clinicians, however, believe that Equine Metabolic Syndrome could be a factor in horses that develop Equine Cushing's Disease in their later years. Horses with EMS will be insulin-resistant, will be prone to or have laminitis, and will show abnormal fat deposits.
Why does my horse have high insulin levels?
As a result of the abnormal hormone production , a horse’s normal response to the hormone insulin is disrupted, result ing in high insulin and glucose blood concentrations. The horse cannot properly metabolize carbohydrates, including starches and sugars. This mechanism can trigger the onset of laminitis.
Can horses have EMS?
Certain management practices such as feeding high caloric diets to relatively inactive horses can predispose a horse to EMS. Equine Metabolic Syndrome can occur at any point after a horse reaches maturity. Management practices that predispose a horse to EMS are most likely initiated during the first 10 years of a horse's life. Some breeds such as Miniature horses and donkeys, ponies, Paso Finos, and Morgans tend to be more predisposed to this syndrome.
What is Equine Metabolic Syndrome?
Overweight horses, ponies, and donkeys are often affected by Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). EMS is an endocrine condition that affects the body in three ways: obesity and/or localized fat deposits, insulin dysregulation, and laminitis.
How is EMS treated?
Because most horses with EMS are overweight, the mainstay of treatment involves management changes that promote weight loss. These include reducing overall calorie intake, dietary sugar restriction, and increased exercise. Typically, grain and pasture grazing are eliminated during the initial weight loss phase. Once horses lose weight, most can resume pasture turnout as long as they wear a grazing muzzle. Under certain circumstances, medications may be used to help promote weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity. Your veterinarian will work with you to design a customized management plan tailored to your horse’s individual needs.
What causes EMS?
EMS is a result of genetic predisposition combined with environmental and physiological factors such as obesity, high sugar diets, lack of exercise, and concurrent illnesses. Horses and ponies with EMS are often described as being “easy keepers” and have a tendency to become overweight. Noticeable fat pads may develop over the neck crest, tail head, shoulders, and around the mammary glands or prepuce.
What is the hormonal problem in EMS?
The key hormonal problems in EMS are related to the release and function of insulin; this is called “insulin dysregulation.”. Insulin is normally released by the pancreas after a meal and signals body tissues to take up glucose (sugar).
What animals are at risk for EMS?
Donkeys, ponies, Arabians, Morgans, Saddlebreds, Paso Finos, Spanish Mustangs, and Warmbloods are among those at highest risk, while EMS is uncommon in Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. It is equally common in males and females, and most affected animals are diagnosed between 5 to 15 years of age.
What time is clinical pathology at MSU?
Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET. The Clinical Pathology section is located in the Veterinary Medical Center on the main MSU campus. All other laboratory sections are in the MSU VDL facility located south of the main campus. Guides for Pet Owners. Select.
Does EMS cause insulin to be higher?
As a result, insulin concentration in the blood is higher in animals with EMS after a meal and, sometimes, throughout the entire day. This is similar to the metabolic abnormalities that accompany type 2 diabetes in humans. Laminitis, a major part of EMS, is a crippling disease caused by weakening of the tissues ...
How to treat equine metabolic syndrome?
Treatment for equine metabolic syndrome involves dietary management and, if diet and exercise is not sufficient to treat the condition, medical therapy. Correction of the diet may be all that is needed to return the horse to normal body weight. Dietary carbohydrate restriction is essential to decrease glycemic and insulinemic response; total calorie intake is restricted to reduce body weight. The nutrient composition of a pasture can change hour to hour, and many horses with severe EMS can not graze at all without experiencing laminitis flare-ups. For this reason, pasture access should be eliminated or severely restricted until body weight is in the desired range . Use of a grazing muzzle may aid in decreasing pasture ingestion.
Why is it important to feed horses with metabolic syndrome?
Prevention of equine metabolic syndrome should focus on maintaining normal weight in horses, particularly in high-risk breeds. Because these horses may be more efficient users of ingested calories than others, it is imperative to feed appropriately to maintain an ideal condition score and not to use arbitrary feeding guidelines. Particular care should be exercised when turning horses on pasture during times of high-soluble carbohydrate content (eg, spring and autumn).
What is EMS in horses?
Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a characteristic collection of clinical signs and clinicopathologic changes in equids that places them at high risk for developing laminitis. Insulin dysregulation is the key feature of the syndrome. It is found in both horses and ponies and has also been recognized in donkeys.
How to test for insulin resistance in horses?
Because many factors influence blood glucose and insulin levels, a one-time blood insulin measurement should be used only as a screening test for insulin resistance. Insulin should be determined after the horse has been fasted for 6–8 hours. This can be done by leaving only one flake of hay with the horse after 10 PM the night before and then collecting the blood sample the next morning. If those conditions are met, a blood insulin concentration >20 μU/mL is suggestive of insulin resistance.
How long does it take for insulin to be measured in a horse?
Insulin should be determined after the horse has been fasted for 6–8 hours.
What is the primary goal when treating a horse with EMS?
Insulin dysregulation, the abnormal insulin response to oral or IV glucose and other hexose sugars, is the hallmark of EMS, and maintaining normal insulin concentrations in response to meals is the primary goal when treating a horse with EMS.
What to feed a thin horse with EMS?
Thin horses with EMS should receive increased calories in the form of roughage and fat. Molasses-free beet pulp, top dressing with vegetable oils, and feeding low-carbohydrate, high-fat supplements can be used until a desired body condition score is reached.
Signs of EMS
Obesity is extremely unhealthy to a horse for many reasons, with the risk of EMS being just one.
Treatment for EMS
Diet and exercise are the key to encouraging weight loss in the majority of horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome.
EMS and Cushings Disease
It is accepted among many professionals that horses with a history of EMS are at higher risk for Cushings Disease, especially as they age.
Why is the knowledge of equine metabolic syndrome important?
The knowledge of Equine Metabolic Syndrome is very important for the horse owner and veterinarian. The syndrome that has discussed in the earlier paragraph is mainly on preliminary ideas, and you need to detail study on each syndrome.
What is metabolic syndrome in horses?
Metabolic Syndrome in Horses: Hepatoencephalo pathy. Hepatoencephalopathy is an equine metabolic syndrome, is the result of severe liver disease with impairment of protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism and detoxification of wastes. The result is hyper ammonia, hypoglycemia, excess short-chain fatty acids, and a relative decrease in ...
What is tetany in horses?
In horses, tetany due to low ionized calcium has been occasionally described in heavily lactating, recently transported mares . It is characterized by muscle tremor, weakness, ileus, staggering high-stepping gait, seizures, and “thumps.” Tetany, seizures, and death have been described in critically ill foals with profound hypomagnesemia.
Why are fat ponies more susceptible to hyperlipaemia than large horses?
Fat, unconditioned ponies are more susceptible to hyperlipaemia than large horses because of the congenital insensitivity of ponies to insulin. The initial treatment regimen involves decreased in the negative energy balance by improving feed intake. If the animal does not voluntarily increase its intake of palatable feed and pasture, then tube feeding of the slurry of readily utilizable carbohydrate or a slurry of a complete pellet must be implemented.
What is the local manifestation of a severe metabolic disturbance?
Laminitis is the local manifestation of a severe metabolic disturbance. The primary lesion of laminitis is associated with the opening of arteriovenous anastomoses resulting in inadequate perfusion of the dermal laminae. Blood is shunted away from the laminae despite increased blood flow to the foot.
What causes rhabdomyolysis in horses?
Originally fast-twitch (i.e., high glycolytic capacity) muscle fiber degeneration was thought to occur because of muscle glycogen accumulation during a rest period in horses maintained on full rations (i.e., the high level of grain). The glycogen was then assumed to be catabolized with subsequent accumulation of lactic acid. More recently this theory has become less popular with the finding that few horses with ERS have elevated muscle lactate levels or metabolic acidosis and, in fact, any alteration to the status of acid-base balance usually involves a mild metabolic alkalosis.
What does acid-base mean in horses?
In general, the acid-base status of horse suffering ERS tends to reflect their fitness and the nature of any other exercise. If the horse is also dehydrated, hypochloraemic or hypocalcemic, then it may be predisposed to a more sustained metabolic alkalosis.
How is EMS treated and can it be prevented?
This should be combined with a low energy diet that consists of medium to low digestibility ingredients. Highly soluble carbohydrate sources such as oats and corn should be avoided, as should high fat rations. The addition of antioxidants in the form of Vitamin E may be beneficial and there is some evidence to suggest that manganese may help improve the activity of insulin. Treatment with certain medications used to treat cancer in humans (e.g., trilostan) has been attempted but results are currently inconsistent. Once cases have lost weight and regained an appropriate level of fitness the problem tends to resolve itself, although those that have had significant laminitis may require constant and recurrent attention to their feet, thereafter.
How is the diagnosis of EMS confirmed?
Other conditions such as hyperthyroidism and true Cushing's disease (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction) should be ruled out when attempting to confirm a diagnosis of EMS. Blood tests need to be done. High fasting insulin levels combined with a high or normal blood glucose level may suggest EMS. An intravenous glucose tolerance test can be performed but other conditions may give similar results to EMS.
What causes EMS?
Obesity is an increasing problem for horses, as for human beings. Fat cells are found mainly in the tissues under the skin, between muscles and within the abdomen. Recent research has shown that the abdominal fat cells are capable of acting like an endocrine (hormone producing) gland and recycle particular hormones that would otherwise become inactive substances. The most significant hormone recycled by these fat cells is cortisol. If this occurs it results in higher than normal levels of cortisol in the circulation for prolonged periods of time. Chronically high cortisol levels result in persistently high blood glucose levels. The high blood glucose levels stimulate the production of insulin resulting in a concurrent persistent high blood level of insulin. The main role of insulin in the body is to encourage the uptake of glucose from the blood into cells where it can be either used or stored for energy. Animals with EMS develop an 'insulin resistance' that means that their blood glucose level never or rarely returns to normal in spite of the high insulin levels in the body. The elevated blood glucose level results in hypertension (increased blood pressure) and elevated blood triglycerides (fats), among other metabolic disorders. In humans this results in the development of type II diabetes but this does not appear to happen in the horse. However, horses do develop a glucotoxicity that mainly affects the endothelial (lining) cells of small blood vessels resulting in their narrowing and causing vasoconstriction and an increased risk of blood clotting (thrombosis). A combination of these factors results in a significant increase in the risk of laminitis, following vasoconstriction and thrombosis in the small blood vessels of the hoof laminae.
Etiology
The syndrome of obesity and recurrent laminitis in horses has been likened to human metabolic syndrome.
General
Genetic - ponies at greater risk; familial link reported in Dartmoor ponies Dartmoor Pony.
Pathophysiology
The pathophysiology of EMS is extremely complex and not yet fully understood.