Bob Childs - ESA/AHA/PHCP Certified Hoof Specialist
News
Wenn Liebe einen Weg zum Himmel fände und Erinnerungen Stufen wären, würden wir hinaufsteigen und Dich zurückholen.
I had a dream that you came to me in the morning and pressed your forehead against my knees so that I may knead my fingers into the scruff of your neck. I could feel the wavy curls of your floppy ears. And in this moment I felt love and joy just as I have for the nearly fifteen years that you accompanied us. From mountains to beaches you swam and chased and tumbled and frolicked your way into our hearts. But this was only a dream and I now wake each morning to awkward silence and empty spaces. I search for your gaze that greeted me. I long for the sound of your breath that comforted me. And although I know that time will heal my broken heart, I resist it fearing that you will eventually be lost to my fading memory. An irreplaceable life reduced to aging photographs. So my dearest Tala, our beloved, I thank you for the love, the joy and the endless fun and I bid you good night until we play once again in my dreams.
"Minerals reach hair via the blood so it’s going have similar limitations as blood testing since hormones control the levels of many of the minerals giving little indication of the status for the rest of the body. Dr Kellon VMD 'Hair mineral is not an accurate way to determine mineral status and is worthless for formulating the diet and supplements.' NRCPlus
The kidneys will rapidly excrete minerals when they are higher than a tight range, electrolytes like potassium are a good example. The liver can remove minerals before they reach hair. Hair testing can’t tell mineral balance even if the totals were credible as it doesn’t indicate whether it’s due to a deficiency in the first place or competition with another mineral or the body had a high need at that time. Hair can be useful for some heavy metals and selenium but from a nutrition point of view hair testing is not considered overall to be reliable."
Read full article here: https://balancedequine.com.au/hair-testing/
"Blood concentrations of minerals and electrolytes are not a reliable indicator of whole body status. Or to put it another way, a horse can have a normal blood level of a mineral/electrolyte but be severely deficient or be excessively over-supplemented. "
Read full article here: https://balancedequine.com.au/blood-testing/
"The only way to accurately diagnose iron overload is with the correct blood work. Serum iron alone is not accurate. It reflects iron in the diet but not how much is stored. Transferrin is the protein that carries iron in the blood. When transferrin and iron are both measured, the percent transferrin saturation can be calculated by dividing serum iron by transferrin and multiplying by 100. That % is useful in interpreting the third test that is needed, ferritin. Ferritin is a measure of the body’s total iron content. High ferritin can mean iron overload but chronic disease involving inflammation or infection may also elevate ferritin.
With true iron overload, transferrin saturation is high normal or elevated. There is currently only one laboratory in the world that can measure equine ferritin, the comparative hematology laboratory at Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. "
Read full article here: https://balancedequine.com.au/iron-overload/
How can we protect our horses in the winter months?
Read full article here: https://www.thelaminitissite.org/articles/cold-weather
What is MCH and what do high and low values mean? Anemia treatment differs depending on its type and cause.
Read full article here: https://www.healthline.com/health/mch
"The NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses 2007 suggests that possible adverse effects of excessive iron might outweigh any supposed advantages, and warns that supplemental iron can be toxic to foals and that iron injections often result in severe reactions and death in horses".
"The cause of the anemia must be identified and correctly treated - it's treating the primary disease, not feeding an iron supplement, that eliminates anemia in most cases."
Read full article here: https://www.thelaminitissite.org/articles/anaemia-and-iron-supplements
"How do you make sure your horse has the right balance of nutrients to keep them healthy and active throughout the long dark winter months?"
Listen to this podcast by ForagePlus: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-8b32q-1197252
"Many horses seem to struggle with laminitis during the winter months. Cold weather can cause winter laminitis in horses. Most people associate spring and the flush of grass with the onset of laminitis season however many owners report problems in winter, particularly with horses who have a history of metabolic issues resulting from insulin resistance or Cushing's (PPID)"...
Read full article: https://forageplustalk.co.uk/winter-laminitis