Monte Rhino, Shire Draft, the subject of this article.
By Kim Mullen
Monte's Thanksgiving Episode that could have been catastrophic! (Monte is a 6 yo Shire)
The EPSM vegetable oil diet saved my Shire's life. This is how…
10/10/07 start high fat, low starch diet because of EPSM like symptoms
11/8/07 Muscle biopsy – came back negative
Continue diet anyway.
Some improvement, then decline.
Can no longer hold hind legs up at all, must be drugged to trim hooves.
Seemed more like Shivers symptoms.
10/08 Consulted with a National Shivers veterinarian expert regarding diet, suggested switching to Purina Ultium so wouldn't have to mess with vegetable oil and all the other supplements, etc.
Monte current diet was :
2x/day 1.3lbs Triple Crown Low Starch
4oz Omega Horseshine
2 oz magnesium
1 ½- 2 cups vegetable oil
1x/day scoop selenium & Vit. E
Grass turnout (Bermuda grass)
2nd cutting alfalfa
Over 7-8 days changed to 2quarts of Purina Ultium 2x/day.
Wednesday, November 26th was 1st day of no oil and only Ultium.
Thursday, November 27th (Thanksgiving Day) when leading Monte out
to his pasture, his nose was to the ground. When let him in pasture
he pawed and attempted to lie down. I wouldn't let him lay down
and drug him back to pasture in front of house. Legs looked like they
were attempting to crumble underneath him. No interest in grazing.
His nose to the ground and in obvious discomfort and pain.
Because of recent feed change, immediately thought he was colicing
I check other vitals, which were normal, except gum color and
respiration. Administered Banamine, called vet, over the phone, he
concurred colic and suggested I up the Banamine.
Monte improved for a couple of hours.
Then around 4pm he went downhill. Actually laid down. This horse
only lays down at night, never during the day EVER. Managed to
get him back up only to have him go back down.
For some reason I thought to look at my Draft Horse Owner's Manual
book by Dr. Beth Valentine. Where I read the most common
underlying cause of down draft horses is EPSM. And even though
his biopsy came back negative, I began to suspect that EPSM was
more the cause than colic. The book also states that it can look like
colic. Seemed that his new feed just was not giving him enough fat.
The book also said that if you suspect EPSM and can get 4 cups or
more of vegetable oil in them the fat will provide enough energy for
the horse to stand within a day or 2.
Because Monte's feed regime just recent included about 4 cups of oil
a day he gobbled it up and didn't have to use stomach tube or iv fat
solution.
Monte laid there eating his vegetable oil mash. He got up within 2
hours. He did go back down later that evening and we got more
vegetable oil into him.
Friday, November 28th Monte was back to his normal (his nose in
everyone's business) self as far as attitude. His original EPSM
symptoms came back, but I hope with getting back on the EPSM
diet will help eleviate some over time.
Prior to the scary incident, I really wasn't sure if the EPSM diet was doing anything, much less helping anything. Especially since his biopsy came back negative.
This diet and this book saved his life. I am not one to be dramatic or overly enthusiastic about much. However, if you own a draft or know someone who does, this is worth remembering. Most like your vet will not know what is going on because typically they don't deal with many drafts in their practice. (Esp. where I am)
I know there is a lot of controversy over the EPSM, high fat diet and I was one of them that was becoming skeptical. Because of this, I almost killed my horse. Thank God for the thought in the back of my head to consult this book. Or I would be writing a different note today.
I really had something to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving!
Kim Mullen Dame
please send to anyone I didn't include that might be interested.
NEXT ARTICLE ABOUT DRAFT HORSES: BREEDING TO A DRAFT HORSE
NEXT ARTICLE ABOUT DRAFT HORSES: OWNING A DRAFT OR DRAFT CROSS
SEE PHOTOS OF DRAFT HORSES AT www.SpottedDraftStallion.com