Nutrition of critically ill horses.
Abstract: Nutritional supplementation is becoming the standard of practice in equine medicine, although there are minimal data on nutritional support in critically ill horses and its association or effect on morbidity and mortality or length of hospital stay. Horses can be fed orally and when that is not possible, intravenously or parenterally. Enteral feeding is less expensive, more physiologic, improves immunity, and is easier and safer. This article reviews available information on the development of a nutritional plan for critically ill horses, and describes methods for and complications of enteral and parenteral feeding.
Publication Date: 2009-03-24 PubMed ID: 19303553DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2008.12.002Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article discusses the importance and impact of nutritional supplementation for critically ill horses and brings attention to the lack of data surrounding it. The article also explores different methods of feeding, their benefits, and possible complications.
Nutritional Support in Critically Ill Horses
The researchers in the study underline the deficiency in data related to nutritional support given to critically ill horses. According to them, ensuring proper nutrition is vital but the evidence related to its effects on morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay is scarce.
- The researchers postulate that nutritional supplementation could have potential benefits and that this method of care is gradually becoming a standard practice in equine medicine.
Methods of Feeding
The paper discusses three different methods of delivering nutrition to horses.
- Oral feeding: This is the most common method. But, in some cases where the horse cannot feed itself, other methods are required.
- Intravenous feeding: This involves directly providing nutrition via the bloodstream.
- Parenteral feeding: This method involves injecting nutrients right into the body, bypassing the digestive system, like through muscle and skin tissues.
Enteral Feeding
The study highlights the benefits of enteral feeding. According to the researchers, this method is more economic, manageable, and safer than others.
- It reduces cost as it is less expensive than other methods.
- It is easy to conduct, and therefore can be managed effortlessly.
- The study confirms that this method is more ‘physiologic’, indicating it aligns better with the horse’s natural bodily functions.
- Enteral feeding improves immunity, helping the horse fight off potential infections and diseases and fast-tracking recovery.
Nutritional Plan & Complications
The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of a well-defined nutritional plan for critically ill horses.
- The researchers note that having a concise strategy helps in managing the nutritional needs of the horse better.
- However, they also address that complications can arise from both types of feeding (enteral and parenteral). Detailed descriptions of these complications are not given in the abstract but are assumed to be extensively discussed in the actual research paper.
Cite This Article
APA
Carr EA, Holcombe SJ.
(2009).
Nutrition of critically ill horses.
Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 25(1), 93-vii.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2008.12.002 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. carreliz@cvm.msu.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed
- Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
- Animals
- Critical Illness / therapy
- Diet / veterinary
- Dietary Fats
- Dietary Proteins
- Energy Intake
- Enteral Nutrition / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Hyperlipidemias / prevention & control
- Hyperlipidemias / veterinary
- Liver Failure / therapy
- Liver Failure / veterinary
- Nutritional Requirements
- Parenteral Nutrition / veterinary
- Vitamins
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Crabtree NE, Epstein KL. Current Concepts in Fluid Therapy in Horses. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:648774.
- Whitehead AE, Whitty J, Scott M, Léguillette R. Reversible dysphagia secondary to guttural pouch mycosis in a gelding treated medically with voriconazole and surgically with carotid occlusion and esophagostomy. Can Vet J 2018 Feb;59(2):165-170.
- Akbari H, Dalir-Naghadeh B. The effects of short term intravenous infusion of a soybean based lipid emulsion on some blood constituents in sheep: A preliminary study. Vet Res Forum 2014 Winter;5(1):35-41.
- Mahmoud AAE, Elsayed HK, Hussein HA. Ultrasound measurements of croup fat thickness and liver echogenicity as indicators for lipomobilization in donkeys (Equus Africanus asinus) with fasting-induced hyperlipidemia. BMC Vet Res 2025 Sep 9;21(1):534.
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