Question
Rosa is my 10-year-old, 16.3-hand (170-cm) Quarter Horse mare (1,100 lb or 500 kg; BCS 5). She was emaciated when we adopted her four months ago, and she has rallied to almost ideal body condition, even while being pregnant. Days after we adopted her, she was diagnosed with anaplasmosis. Rosa is consistently lame, even at the walk, with swelling in all four legs, and she has near constant drainage from one eye as well as a sensitivity to touch. She is fed alfalfa hay (8 flakes), two scoops of a low-starch feed, flax oil, and a weight-gain supplement each day, and she is given bute as needed for pain. Does her diet adequately support her pregnancy and her health issues?
Answer
Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The bacterium, which attacks white cells in the host, typically infects horses from late fall to early spring and is carried by deer and Western black-legged ticks, the same vectors that spread Lyme disease.
Commonly confused with Potomac horse fever (PHF), which causes similar signs, anaplasmosis is characterized by fever, depression, inappetence, icterus (yellowish mucous membranes), and edema of the legs, chest, and abdomen. Less frequently, veterinarians report incoordination, recumbency, and inability to move without stiffness.
Based on the diet provided and the description of her current condition, I have several recommendations. In addition to these nutritional recommendations, I suggest contacting an internal medicine specialist in your area for pharmaceutical treatment of her joint inflammation.
Returning to her diet, it is hard to determine if the current diet is meeting her nutrient requirements without knowing the weight of the feed consumed. I suggest reviewing the feed label to make sure she is consuming at least the minimum amount for a pregnant mare of her weight. Feeding at least the minimum outlined in the directions ensures she consumes the daily recommended requirement of many important vitamins and minerals that are not supplied in forage.
Horses should consume feed (hay or concentrate) for a minimum of 8-10 hours per day, with a maximum of 4-5 hours at any one time without feed. If a third feeding could be offered, it would help reduce the time without hay, assuming she finishes what is offered in her other meals. If possible, you could offer free-choice grass hay with alfalfa provided at meal times.
Horses with anaplasmosis benefit from immune and anti-inflammatory support. To target the significant inflammation you mentioned, I suggest introducing a source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Research has shown that omega-3 supplementation helped to reduce joint inflammation in arthritic horses. Keep in mind, the source of omega-3s is also important. Flax offers a source of omega‐3s, known as alpha‐linolenic acid (ALA), or short‐chain omega‐3s, that requires conversion to be most beneficial. In order to avoid the inefficient conversion process, we recommend feeding a direct source of DHA and EPA omega-3s with EO-3.
EO-3 is a deodorized, single-source fish oil designed to be fed at 1-3 oz per day. Although deodorized, EO-3 should be introduced very gradually to allow the horse to adjust to the cherry scent and flavor. I suggest starting with less than 0.5 oz (15 ml) and gradually increasing over 7-14 days. Given Rosa’s condition, I suggest working her up to 2 or even 3 oz daily if she is tolerant of that amount. Omega-3s also confer important benefits to healthy pregnant mares, such as improved colostrum quality.
The other way to target immune and muscle health is with vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that reduces cell damage and plays a role in multiple systems in the body. Horses without access to fresh grass are missing out on an important source of vitamin E. Since hay rapidly loses vitamin E after harvest, feed is left as the only source. Although included in feed, vitamin E requirements for pregnant mares can exceed that amount, and they require additional supplementation. Also, horses with anaplasmosis can benefit from higher doses of natural-source vitamin E to help boost immunity. The natural-source, liquid supplement Nano-E provides highly absorbable levels that meets requirements and provides body-wide antioxidant benefits.
Targeted joint supplementation to help reduce inflammation and maintain joint integrity may be helpful. Glucosamine and chondroitin are important to cartilage and joint health. KER-Flex contains the necessary levels of glucosamine HCl (10,000 mg) and chondroitin sulfate (2,000 mg) shown to help arthritic horses. The glucosamine molecule size used in KER-Flex has shown effective absorption in the horse’s digestive tract. Protecting cartilage and supporting joint integrity with glucosamine chondroitin is another great step toward improving her condition and hopefully making her more comfortable.
Synovate HA is a high-quality, potent source of liquid sodium hyaluronate designed to provide support and lubrication for joints. At a loading dose of 1 oz a day she would be consuming 200 mg of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid.
If Rosa continues to receive bute or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), digestive supplementation would be useful to buffer the stomach and maintain hindgut health. A total digestive tract buffer like RiteTrac would be recommended in that case.
