Horses with EMS become less sensitive to insulin’s effects, and more insulin than normally required is needed to keep blood sugar concentrations within normal limits, especially after a meal high in starch or sugar. Any stress such as surgery, vaccines, mild colic, diet change, weather changes, or infections can push them off the edge into Laminitis. They include: • Reduce sugars in the horse’s diet. The primary characteristic of EMS is insulin resistance, now more commonly referred to as insulin dysregulation. Horse Insulin Resistance Fat and Oil Supplements. You want this sum to be less than 11% (on a dry matter basis) to be considered safe for the IR horse. Q. Too much iron can be detrimental to the insulin resistant horse. What recommendations do you have for feeding a horse with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Getty, J.M. 1. EMS is a problem in both horses and humans. Equine Insulin Resistance puts your horse on the edge of a cliff. 2) Is insulin resistance present? Insulin Resistance/Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) in Equines. “If we have horses who have a higher insulin concentration, we know that keeping them on a low-sugar diet does not stimulate insulin release as much,” says Frank. Elevated blood insulin is … Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 43(3), S61-S65. Horses with obesity and insulin resistance are at higher than normal risk for laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome. Do NOT use in Insulin Resistance horses. Horses over the age of 20 are prone to developing It is a sugar metabolism condition that occurs as the result of over-feeding unsuitable feeds and unrestricted grass grazing usually combined with lack of exercise. B. Recognizing Early Signs. of Veterinary Science in 2002 by Dr. Fitzgerald showed that an infusion of fat actually induced Insulin Resistance in horses in less than 2 hours time. Regardless of the answers to these questions, horses with PPID should be fed a primarily forage diet that will maintain (or regain) ideal body condition and to avoid obesity, which will worsen insulin resistance. A study by the University of Kentucky’s Dept. A potential link between insulin resistance and iron overload disorder in browsing rhinoceroses investigated through the use of an equine model. But the two diseases do not necessarily go hand in hand. By being proactive, you guide them away from the edge. Not every obese horse is insulin resistant, and not every horse with IR is … See 'Tip of the Month' at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com Insulin Resistance (IR) falls under the umbrella of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). Add ESC + Starch. Equine insulin resistance is now the #1 cause of laminitis in the world. Obesity also strains the joints and leads to exercise intolerance. The horse’s pancreas, an important organ of the endocrine system, produces and regulates the release of insulin, a hormone that functions to metabolize and balance the body’s main source of fuel, glucose. This can lead to a Laminitis trigger. This is because ESC and starch digestion will raise blood glucose and cause a rise in insulin secretion from the pancreas. Not all horses affected with PPID also have insulin resistance. Research has shown that horses fed a high sugar/ starch diet compared to horses fed a high fiber/fat diet were more likely to develop insulin resistance. Many times it can be difficult to distinguish EMS from PPID/Cushing’s disease, as many of the symptoms are similar. Obese horses are more likely to become insulin resistant, but even lean horses classified as “easy-keepers” also can develop this disorder. 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