Successful nutritional management of a warmblood horse with multiple pathologies that respond to nutrition
Abstract
This report describes the nutritional management of an 18-year-old, 553 kg gelding warmblood used for dressage lessons that presented with severe weight loss, marked muscle atrophy, poor dentition, sabulous urolithiasis, gastric ulcers, and later small colon impaction. On admission, the diet consisted of ad libitum wheat straw and mixed cereals (73:27 forage:concentrate), providing 2% of body weight as dry matter without vitamin-mineral supplementation. Marked deficiencies were identified in digestible energy (38%), crude protein (20%), lysine, threonine, vitamins, and minerals, while sugar and starch intake was excessive. A balanced, energy and protein dense diet, together with medical treatment was recommended. However, financial constraints and limited caregiver compliance prevented timely implementation. The case illustrates the critical role of evidence-based, integrative nutritional management combined with prompt medical intervention plus regular monitoring and demonstrates how inadequate diet and delayed corrective measures can perpetuate disease and predispose to further avoidable complications.
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