Nutritional Management for Healthy Joints

Weight control is an important component of any treatment for osteoarthritis. (Excess weight puts more pressure on the weight-bearing joints, particularly the knees and hips.) Although the prevalence of obesity in equids is poorly defined, it is commonly accepted as becoming an increasingly preoccupying problem.

How to decide if your horse or pony is overweight?

The veterinary surgeon should be the primary source of nutritional information and advice for horse owners.

·         Examination to assess nutritional status;

1.    Body Weight estimation

2.    Body Condition Score (BCS)

3.    Additional laboratory tests A

4.    Assessing diet and ration

Body Weight Estimation

Change in body weight is often an early indicator of health problems. Knowing the horse’s weight is also useful to determine the amount of feed, health status, feeding management and growth rate.

·         Weighing scales (accurate but with 5-20% variance depending on hydration status/post feeding)

·         Mature body weight estimation via measurements

Heart girth: immediately behind elbow. Length : point of shoulder to point of buttocks (tuber ischii)

Calculation for pounds or kilograms

Body weight lbs = [heart-girth (in)] 2 x length (in)/330
Body weight kg = [heart-girth (cm)] 2 x length (cm)/1180

Body Condition Score (BCS) estimation

A subjective method for estimating a horse’s body fat stores and is an important tool for nutritional assessment. The Texas A&M (Henneke scale) developed in the 1980s is the most commonly used system. It measures 6 body areas (neck, withers, behind the shoulders, over the ribs, along the topline and around the tail head).

·         Scales from 1 (emaciated) -9 (extremely fat)

·         4-6 generally considered ideal

Assessing the diet and ration

Physical evaluation of feeds (grains, concentrates, hays, supplements)

·         Storage conditions

·         Physical characteristics of hay

Measuring feed consumption

·         Feeds should be fed by weight (scales are essential)

Nutrient contents of feeds:

·         Read feed labels

·         Use databases for pasture/hay (or even better, have them analysed)

Ration evaluation

Management steps of uncomplicated obesity:

  

• Establish feeding plan with veterinary surgeon or nutritionalist
• If diet is to be changed then gradually over 10 to 14 days
• Monitoring nutritional status on a regular basis

Review exercise management

 Review exercise management

Exercise during rehabilitation:

The appropriate combination of box rest, adapted exercise/training protocols and turnout must be established with the veterinary surgeon as a means to help reduce pain and prevent further joint damage, not to mention help your horse maintain a healthy weight. Specific aims of an exercise programme are:

·         Preserve or restore joint flexibility
(range of movement)

·         Increase muscle strength and endurance

·         Improve aerobic conditioning:

1.  Positive mood/reduce anxiety

2.  Reduce risks associated with sedentary lifestyle

Reasonable exercise is also important to the health of the joint cartilage and its ability to repair itself, because joint cartilage has no direct blood supply and it must receive all the nutrients it needs from the joint fluid. Joint cartilage is like a sponge. It compresses when the leg lands, forcing the trapped fluid in its spaces out, and expands again when weight is lifted, allowing fresh fluid in.

ref: http://www.equistroflexadin-uc2.com/JointHealth/04_nutritionalmanage.html