January 2016
What’s New in Laminitis Research – Part 3
Holistic Horsekeeping
How to have a healthy happy horse.
Volume 21, Number 1
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In This Issue:
1. What’s new in laminitis research – Part 3
2. Check Out this Special Offer
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1. What’s new in laminitis research – Part 3
Prevention of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction(PPID or Cushing’s) is the best way to avoid the devastating cases of laminitis that can be associated with it. PPID was once thought to be a condition of aged horses and it was rarely diagnosed in horses younger than 15. Now, part of what’s new in laminitis research is the recognition that this condition occurs in much younger horses. It appears the classic symptoms, such as muscle loss, long hair coats, excess drinking and susceptibility to infection are actually end stage manifestations of a process that started years before.
PPID starts with oxidative damage to the brain. Oxidation damage occurs when the body can’t inactivate free radicals faster than they are being produced. Free radicals are imbalanced oxygen molecules that form during normal functions and these are easily broken down by antioxidants produced by the body specifically to deal with them. Free radicals are not all bad and some are even used by the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells and other invaders. The problem occurs when the organ systems in the body are not working up to par and/or toxin exposure causes more free radicals to form than the body can neutralize.
The buildup of free radicals eventually causes cell damage and the brain is one of the tissues that is affected. This is why oxidative stress leads to Cushing’s or PPID. The evaluation of thousands of case studies has lead Dr. Eleanor Kellon to believe that it is the development of PPID that drives insulin resistance rather than IR causing Cushing’s.
We know that diet is the best way to prevent and control IR and the understanding of the effects of oxidative stress on the brain can help us do the same with Cushing’s. There are 3 ways to decrease oxidative stress in the body. First, support proper organ function so metabolic toxins are easily inactivated. Second, avoid toxins in the feed and environment so they do not cause the body’s naturally produced antioxidants to be depleted. Third, feed whole foods that are naturally high in antioxidants to supplement the body’s levels.
Organ support starts with feeding the best quality foods you can. Fresh pasture grass that is not too high in sugar is one of the best sources of vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids and chlorophyll. All of these ingredients provide the nutrition that horses thrive on. Horses that are not able to have good pasture can benefit from algae to provide many of the nutrients lost from grass when it is processed into hay. Chia seeds contain vitamins and the omega 3 fatty acids that are lower in hay.
Supporting good digestion is another way to provide organ support. The liver, kidneys and lungs are all involved with removing toxins from the body and good digestion supports all of these organs. A supplement that contains, prebiotics, probiotics, AFA algae and wheat sprouts is perfect to support digestion, and provide whole food based antioxidants. Organ support can also be done with balancing formulas designed specifically for each horse temperament type.
Avoiding toxins seems like an obvious thing to do but it is not all that easy. Toxins are everywhere in the feed, environment and in products we put into or on our horses. GMO grains and hays allow for higher levels of herbicides to be applied to crops. Poor soil quality increases the need for pesticides on crops. Land and water can be contaminated by industrial or agricultural waste. Wormers, vaccines, and fly sprays are all toxins your horse has to contend with. Buy organic feeds as often as you can and question your hay growers on how much chemicals they apply to their fields. Avoid over vaccinating and do fecal exams before automatically using dewormers. Every toxin you can help your horse avoid is one less that could potentially cause oxidative stress on his brain.
Increase whole food antioxidants in your horse’s diet. Fresh and seawater algae, wheat and other sprouts, nutritional mushrooms, CoQ10, chia seeds, colored fruits and vegetables are all sources of antioxidants. Carrots, broccoli, parsley, sweet potato, and fresh beets all make great tidbits to add to your horses feed bucket. Even tiny amounts of whole food antioxidants make a big difference because they can help prevent and heal oxidative damage to the horse’s genetic makeup of DNA and RNA.
Prevention of PPID starts with good nutrition, organ support and additional antioxidants early in life. These same steps can help slow the progression of Cushing’s even after laminitis has developed.
If you missed parts 1 and 2 of this series find them at:
Part 1
Part 2
2. Check Out this Special Offer
We are pleased to announce that Horse Harmony: Understanding Types and Temperaments is now available on Kindle. We’re off to a good start spreading the information to others in this format, but are looking for people to do Amazon reviews. If you have already bought the Kindle version of Horse Harmony and will leave us a review during the month of January, we’d like to give you a free gift of the downloadable version of the Horse Harmony Feeding Guide. This is a $37.50 value that you can get for free just by leaving us a review on Horse Harmony at Amazon.com and then emailing us at orders@holistichorsekeeping.com letting us know you did a review. We’ll then email you back a pdf version of the Feeding Guide. This special is only being offered for the month of January so take advantage of it now.
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