Dr. Dan,
Having dealt with this for 7 yrs now and still managing to keep him sound and showable..this is what he is being fed now and would like your input..and he is a very ,very picky eater.a super easy keeper<gets fat on air> he is on a grass alafafa mix hay 60/40 he tolerates it well he is on progressive alfalfa formula grain he is supplimented with msm for the sulfer.remission to give him the chromium and other important things he needs he is on pergolide i give it to him 2x a day as he would crash when we had him on it once a day..he doesn't tolerate cold weather well he is a cold weather founder i have tried other suppliments that i have reviewed but he won't eat them he does not like any powder suppliments he is also prone to ulcer issues and will totally stop eating anything when he has a flare up.he reacts badly to shots normally running a temp of 104* we think we have it pegged down to the flu/rhino shot and now have to space all shots out over weeks…
he doesn't tolerate worming unless he is put on a probios.for a week before and a week after..he is a ton of work but so worth it he is a 16 yr old polish arabian.he shows in almost everything from hunt to western pleasure to barrel racing he has worked with handicapped children and trail rides.he is on a dry lot as even though he has never foundered on grass he is allowed grass turn out very limited a few times a week but not spring or fall and the grass must be at least 2 foot high. i do allow him a grass hay for turn out free choice.so he does have something in front of him at all times his weight stays good as long as he is worked and has turnout….
is there something else i can give him or change to help him thru the winter months? he tends to completely shed his front frogs off so they are concave and we have to soft pour in pad him to stimulate regrowth and they grow back big and healthy,he is kept in morrison shoes as he will not tolerate barefoot at all.he gets to sore so not worth trying.i have been around horses for 48 yrs and dealing with his issues for coming 8 yrs he was 8 when he showed signs and his ACTH levels were thru the roof at 683 normal range is 0 to 32 he has maintained for the last 3 yrs at 16 to 20 with diet control and pergolide.just wanted your input to maybe beable to help him thru the winter more comforabily as its his worst time of year.
IR is a real issue and see hundreds yearly. I do have wonderful success generally and those horses on pergolide, well, generally even get them off. Here on this site might go to ( www.askdrdan.com ) and search for insulin. IR or whatever (search box near top right side>).
Truth is I think commercial feed especially are the root cause with all the processed fats they contain. Hydrogenated fats are killing us and our horses. Our general diet at www.whattofeedyourhorse.com generally fixes most such issues. In your cause I would suggest our Joint Check supplement for additional support. (You wouldn't need the MSM either as there are much better sources of sulfur within)
For the time being and probably only for a few tubs I would suggest our Critical Care IR formula even if he is not over weight currently. This product is quite pricey and wish I could make for less but just can't. You If he currently has a f fortunately you wont need this forever though a few have had to stay on it (possibly yours because of such long duration and complications). Check out the various web sites and article.
The one on laminitis certainly applies as do others. You will see that I don't suggest vaccinations unless required by law and have a different approach to deworming too. Enjoy the audios, videos etc.
And thanks for asking.
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