What Do You Feed A Horse With Hypp?

Bermuda grass, prairie grass, and timothy are suitable forage choices for horses diagnosed with HYPP. Soaking hay might leach some of the potassium from hay and constitutes an added layer of safety.

What can you not feed a horse with HYPP?

Most commercially prepared sweet and pelleted feeds are a no-no for HYPP-positive horses because they contain molasses. According to Nutrient Requirements of Horses, molasses often possesses as much as 6% potassium.

How do you manage HYPP in horses?

HYPP horse should be maintained on a low-potassium diet and should be turned out as much as possible. If turn out is limited then they should be put on a program of regular light exercise. Regular exercise helps prevent attacks.

What triggers HYPP in horses?

HYPP results from a mutation in the muscle’s sodium channel. The channel becomes leaky, which causes the muscle to be more sensitive. As a result the muscles contract involuntarily with blood potassium changes. This can occur with stress or fasting followed by eating high potassium feed like alfalfa.

Can HYPP horses have salt?

Salt and water are especially important for HYPP horses, since a lack of salt or water reduces urination, which is how the horse secretes potassium. Provide continuous access to a clean source of water and loose salt or a pure salt block (white) to a horse with HYPP.

What are 3 things horses should not eat?

Here are eight foods you should never feed your horse:

• Chocolate. ©russellstreet/Flickr CC.
• Persimmons.
• Avocado.
• Lawn clippings.
• Pitted fruits.
• Bread.
• Potatoes and other nightshades.
• Yogurt or other milk products.

What is a natural electrolyte for horses?

There are five main electrolytes required by horses, namely: Sodium (Na⁺), Chloride (Cl⁻), Potassium (K⁺), Magnesium (Mg²⁺) and Calcium (Ca²⁺) and all play important roles within the horses’ body.

What is the treatment for HYPP?

Treatment of HYPP attacks by intravenous application of calcium gluconate, bicarbonate and glucose results in rapid recovery. Consequent dietary management and daily administration of acetazolamide effectively controls the disease.

What is immediate treatment for high potassium?

Intravenous (IV) therapy: Extremely high potassium levels need immediate treatment. You’ll receive an IV infusion of calcium to protect your heart. Next, you get an infusion of insulin that helps move potassium into the blood cells.

Is HYPP painful for horses?

During an attack, horses with HYPP are conscious, aware of their surroundings, and do not appear to be in pain. Environmental factors including stress, dietary changes, fasting, general anesthesia, illness and changes in exercise can cause attacks of muscle weakness in affected horses.

Is HYPP curable?

There is no cure. Horses with HYPP often lose muscle control during an attack. Some horses are more affected by the disease than others and some attacks will be more severe than others, even in the same horse.

Can you ride a horse with HYPP?

Should an HYPP-positive horse be ridden? According to Dr. Spier’s studies, the chance of a paralysis episode occurring while the horse is being ridden is unlikely. However, muscle spasms are unpredictable and can occur with only slight symptoms.

How do you lower potassium in a horse?

Treating increased potassium levels, regardless of the reason, is by using intravenous calcium to protect the heart and intravenous glucose to lower the potassium level.

How do HYPP horses gain weight?

In order to achieve weight gain, her daily intake will need to increase. Starting with forage, you may want to search for higher quality grass hay that will provide more calories and nutrients per pound. Timothy or bermudagrass hay might fit the bill. Avoid bromegrass and legumes such as alfalfa.

Can HYPP horses have electrolytes?

“HYPP horses should never get prepared electrolytes,” said Kathleen Crandell, Ph. D., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER), Versailles, Ky. “These horses should only be supplemented with regular salt, also known as sodium chloride.

What horse feeds are high in potassium?

Currently, it is recommended to feed a horse with HYPP a grass hay and to avoid alfalfa, because alfalfa and other legumes tend to be forages with the highest potassium content.

What fruit is toxic to horses?

Some fruits – such as apples and apricots – have pits or seeds which contain cyanide compounds, which are toxic in extremely large quantities. Large pits can cause choke, so it’s best to remove them before offering your horse fruit such as peaches or nectarines.

What is the healthiest food for horses?

Provide plenty of roughage
If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

What is the healthiest diet for a horse?

Horses are naturally grazers, they eat little and often. Their natural diet is mainly grass, which has high roughage content. Horses should be provided with a predominantly fibre-based diet, either grass, hay, haylage or a hay replacement in order to mimic their natural feeding pattern as closely as possible.

What foods can lower potassium quickly?

Drinks and snacks

• rice milk.
• coffee.
• tea.
• herbal tea.
• sparkling water.
• cakes and pies without chocolate or fruits high in potassium.
• cookies without chocolate or nuts.

What foods to avoid if potassium is high?

High-potassium foods to avoid

• nuts.
• beans and legumes.
• potatoes.
• bananas.
• most dairy products.
• avocados.
• salty foods.
• fast foods.