How to Safely Refeed the Malnourished Horse

also be used. Equine weight tapes are available at most stores that supply equine feed. When weight taping an emaciated horse dont be surprised if the tape suggests that the horse is heavier than expected. Weight tapes are best used for horses that are in average body condition and are not always accurate for the emaciated horse. Despite that the use of one as part of your initial plan can be helpful in giving you a baseline weight measurement to use going forward. Pictures taken at the initiation of the refeeding program and at regular intervals during the course of treatment can be invaluable when assessing the progress of the horse.
Do not undertake deworming or dental work on the horse at this point. Ask your veterinarian when it is safe to subject the horse to these kinds of stresses. Your goal must be to determine how badly the horse has been affected by starvation and how best to reintroduce food. As always with any horse healthy or not small meals fed often is the maxim for good horse health and is of critical importance in refeeding the malnourished horse.
Often starved horses are dehydrated and will need prompt attention to water intake. If the horse is clearly dehydrated but will not readily drink adequate water discuss options for rehydration with your veterinarian.
What is Refeeding Syndrome?
Refeeding syndrome is the term used to describe a metabolic condition affecting horses that are reintroduced to highnutrient feeds too quickly after enduring starvation for extended periods of time. Starved horses that have lost in excess of 50 percent of their normal body weight are in acute danger of suffering from refeeding syndrome if they are not reintroduced to feed very slowly and carefully.
Offering a starving horse unlimited quantities of high quality feed is tempting but not advisable. When a starving horse is offered large amounts of feed the digestible carbohydrates are readily broken down to glucose in the stomach and small intestine. When absorbed into the blood stream glucose initiates a cascade of metabolic responses that the starved horse is unable to adequately regulate. The outcome is frequently a severe disturbance in the electrolyte balance of the horse resulting in loss of muscle function and strength erratic heart rate shock and frequently death.
Starved horses can also have disrupted populations of hind gut microbial populations. Introducing large amounts of readily fermentable carbohydrates into this compromised environment can