Dr. Beebe,
I have a Dutch/TB mare that was bred to a Freisan and my colt is now 2 months old. She eats SafeChoice and free choice home grown hay and a small amount of grass in pasture/paddock. He nibbles these things as well. They are outside 24/7 at this point and in the winter will be in a large 20 acre pasture. She has been on Platinum Performance which is an Omega 3 supplement with trace minerals and glucosamine. Would this be instead of that or in addition? Do you recommend a specific feed to go with your OCD Pellets for weanling? SafeChoice is low starch and appropriate for all ages it says… I am a small animal vet and continue to be confused with equine nutrition and supplements. I don’t want to do anything to hurt my new colt (1st time I have bred my mare). I am finding that even equine vets seem to have a lot of opinions. Thank you for any information you can give me. Are OCD pellets a good supplement for all horses? I have a 9 year old Dressage mount (Paint) that I give Legend to and my daughter has a 9 year old “heel sore” Appaloosa that has some mild changes in the navicular bone; would this help? He too is on Legend and Platinum Performance products.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Ann Winsor
Dear Dr. Ann,
Equine nutrition/supplements can be confusing and we do not have all the answers. We are however, beginning to understand the nutritional requirements with respect to the skeletal system. This has been an area which has not been properly addressed. I certainly do not know all the answers – I did graduate work in nutrition prior to Vet School so have always been interested in nutrition. To answer your questions: Your Dutch/TB /Freisan colt is a prime candidate for OCD Pellets as he will be a rapid growth type and we must feed the skeletal system along with the muscular system. The KEY is minimal CHO’s and more fiber with significantly higher levels of fat than you are used to feeding. I feed a fat supplement along with oats and good quality hay/pasture. Exercise is critical (turn out). Research has shown that high levels of CHO’s, which significantly increase blood glucose levels and consequently corresponding insulin levels, are detrimental to the formation of good quality bone. I am glad to see the colt is outside 24/7.
SafeChoice is a good product although I am not absolutely sure of the fat content. Remember you do not want your colt to be as obese as a lot of your small animal clients have their pets. Platinum Performance products are very good, and if you are feeding a product for the vitamin/mineral content then you can continue that regime. However, the OCD Pellets contain all the Trace mineral complexes needed for the formation of strong bone along with 50mg. of Hyaluronic Acid per day. If you are feeding a maximum dose (2 oz.) per day which we recommend for horses that have significant bone lesions or arthritic conditions, your horse would be receiving 100mg. of Hyaluronic Acid per day. As bone is continually “remodeling” (remember all that remodeling “process” we learned in Path.), OCD Pellets are being fed to all types of horses from riding horses to event horses, and clients are very pleased with the results they are seeing. Although heel pain is a very serious problem (if in fact it is heel pain that is causing the discomfort), we have found that several clients resolved their issues after feeding OCD Pellets. Many times it can be anything from navicular to arthritic conditions that are causing the problem of soreness – unless of course you have “Blocked” out and diagnosed the condition to be precisely heel pain. Legend is a great product and I have used it many times in the past, but to be honest, I was always treating the joint and not the bone. After all, a joint consists of mainly two components; fluid and bone. As much as 75-90 % of joint problems occur at the level of the bone, so we must address the bone if we want long term resolution. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference with the OCD Pellets, and you will be using less Legend.
Thank you for your interest in OCD Pellets.
Respectfully,
Dr. D.R.Beebe
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