Nutritional Support

Nutrition is an important topic of discussion.  There are a number of circumstances where nutrition is particularly important:

• Chronic colic
• Equine Cushing's Disease
• Muscle disorders, including polysaccharide storage myopathy
• Equine Metabolic Syndrome
• Osteochondrosis- OCD
• Pregnancy

Some horses need low carbohydrate diets, others high fat, and still others, both.  Our clinicians take into account the total health of each patient, including nutrition.

Other times, horses cannot or will not eat, and may need to be supported by intravenous or enteral nutrition; the latter is given via nasogastric tube.  It is important that these are used in a correct and judicious manner, as an incorrect application can cause harm, rather than help the patient.