Tested positive for insulin resistant any advice

[misty'smom]

Misty foundered the first time over a year ago. So we changed her diet from sweet feed to Purina Well Solve low starch, low sugar and changed her hay to a first cutting a longer cured hay from the beautiful clean green hay she was eating. She is outside during the day on a mostly dry lot no grass, I put The only thing she gets as a treat is 3-4 baby carrots a couple of times a week from our neighbors. They are an older couple that just love both Misty and Josie. She was better within a few days I was giving her Banamine 2x a day for 3 days and she was completely better. All was fine until 2 weeks ago when it happened again although it seemed a very mild incident, she only needed for the Banamine for 1 day she was all better the second day. My Vet wanted to test her for Cushing and the insulin resistance. Tests came back positive for insulin resistance. My Vet ordered a medication called Metformin, it's the same medication my husband takes for his diabetes!! He will go over the medicine and care, diet etc when he gets the Metformin.

I was wondering if anyone else has a horse with this condition? Is this rare in a mini?? I've mostly read that certain breed big horses and ponies get this. Any advice or info that someone can pass on I would really appreciate!!

 

[chandab]

IR is mostly treated with diet, low carb with no grain and no treats. Ideally under 10% sugar and starch combined. Hay can be tested, if not under 10%, then it can be soaked to get it there. And, exercise when her feet are well enough to handle it.

The Purina might still be to high in sugar and starch if she is more sensitive.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I think it sounds as though your vet is on the ball. I'm sorry you and Misty have to go through this. How old is she?

 

[chandab]

If you find she is still having problems. Triple Crown Lite is even lower in sugar and starch, the starch is significantly lower (35-40% lower than the Well-Solve); starch converts 100% to glucose in the digestive tract, so the lower it is for sensitive horses the better. [The sugars convert at like 50% to glucose.]

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Sorry that your going through this with Misty. You definitely need to politely ask your neighbors to stop giving her carrots. I would be soaking her hay for a minimum of half an hour before she is given it.

I have a little one that foundered and I had to stop with the carrots and apples. Our grass here is really sweet and has a very high sugar content, so she is limited to time out on pasture.

Since I removed her from the Grass and treats she has done wonderfully. She has ample access to grass hay in summer and limited turnout ( with a grazing muzzle on) and throughout winter I add Grass and clover blend or Alfalfa when she needs it to her plain grass hay. She occasionally gets a few cubes of Pumpkin, its very low in sugar and great for their coats.

Hope she is feeling better soon

 

[misty'smom]

Thanks everyone for all the great info and advice!! I get my hay from a local hay farmer, the hay I get is Orchard grass and his lowest in sugar. The first time she foundered I had just gotten 42 bales of the most beautiful green clean hay. I had gone through 4 bales (his bales a pretty big) when Misty got sick. So I needed to get some different hay, my farmer not only brought me 42 bales of his first cutting longer cured, lower sugar hay and took back the other hay. He took the green hay out, brought in and stacked the new hay not even charging me 1cent not even for the 4 bales I had already used!!!

Chanda what brand is Triple Crown Lite or is it it's own brand?? I'm actually lucky that where I love is a rural farm town and there are 3 farm co-ops and one Tractor Supply that all sell different horse feeds. The Purina Well Solve LS is the one my Vet said to put her on after the first time. I should be talking to my Vet tomorrow or the next day to get all the info and updates also to find out where her numbers were as to the degree of the insulin resistance. I'll post an update when I have some news. I hope some others come along with more ideas and info and thanks to you all for yours!!!!

 

[chandab]

The brand is Triple Crown, the formula is called Lite.

Progressive Nutrition also has a low carb formula, it's called Low Carb, this is what I fed my Cushing's gelding, he needed more calories than our hay provided.

 

[paintponylvr]

I believe Triple Crown products are actually made by Southern States and you should be able to get them in VA though not at TSC. Your Coop may/may not have those products...

You may have to look for an actual Southern States store or for a feed/Ag store that will bring them in.

 

[misty'smom]

I will check our co ops to see if they carry the Triple Crown. We do have a Southern States but I always thought they just sold diesel fuel so I'll check that out too!! Still have not talked to my Vet we have been playing phone tag but his secretary said Misty's medicine has been ordered. As far as Misty goes she is fine now the last (second)Founder episode only lasted a day and a half!! Thanks for your help too Paula!! I'll keep you all posted!!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thanks for the update.

 

[paintponylvr]

Looking forward to hearing how it's going.

Did you find the Triple Crown feed? Southern States feed dealer?

 

[sayyadina]

I have a pony and 2 minis who are all IR. In my experience, giving NSAIDs really doesn't help (banamine in this case). IR in horses is very different from diabetes in humans. True diabetes in horses is very rare and that's when you'd use metformin. I've spent many, many years researching this for my own horses. I've heard of using metformin and thyro-L to get weight off an obese horse, but its not a long term solution. When you get the diet right, the weight just melts off. My pony was over 250lbs overweight, and it all melted off as I got her diet correct.

There's a lot of different approaches to this. Feeding low NSC in slow feeders and a low NSC feed is one. You can also feed a vitamin/mineral supplement and low NSC hay. This approach has worked best for me. One thing I've noticed about my horses, and I don't know if this is typical of all IR horses, but they seem to all have some degree of intolerance to soy, rice, corn and wheat.

Supplementing magnesium can be helpful. Quiessence is one option, Platinum Metabolic Support is another. Platinum Metabolic Support is more expensive, but IME it works better.

Omega 3s are also very helpful. Flax and chia are good options.

The general approach that's worked best for my horses is what Riva's Remedies does. They use a combination of herbal remedies and targeted nutrition. Its quite different from what most say, but its worked better for my horses than anything else. The herbs are a bit pricey, but they only need to be used short term. The nutritional part is pretty inexpensive. I was very skeptical of them when I started. I'm a scientist, and some things didn't make much sense. But the way my horses have responded is nothing short of amazing. My fat mini isn't fat. My hard keeper mini doesn't have trouble keeping weight on. And my 30+ year old pony has no heat rings in her hooves and acts like a horse 1/2 her age.

I'd be happy to talk more about what I've found, as far as products and sources. FeedXL is super helpful when you're trying to figure out diets, since you get a clear picture of what nutrients are present. And it lets you track costs, too.

 

[misty'smom]

Hi all, sorry I have not updated sooner but with spring here in Virginia I get so busy with outside and opening our pool chores. My husband had a stroke 2 years ago that has left him disabled. He can't do any yard work other than cutting the grass on his riding mower.

Misty is doing well, no more episodes of even the slightest Founder. She had her hooves trimmed yesterday and my farrier and I chatted about her IR, he has 30+ years as a farrier. He said her hooves looked good for a horse with IR. He also said they have improved and the heat rings are much better since that first Founder episode. My Vet still wants to start her on the Metformin but will not keep her on it for long just until her numbers come down. Then he plans on using some natural supplements. Both my Vet and my Farrier say that she is not over weight, no cresty neck or extra fat pouches on her withers or rump! They think her diet is good and we will get my hay supplier (he is a hay farmer only) to give us some numbers on sugar content or we will get it tested at the local co op. I've cut back on the amount of her feed, I'm giving her 3/4 of a cup twice a day instead of a full cup twice a day and may go down to 1/2 cup twice during the hot weather. Misty is being her sassy little self and has been loving the weather running around bucking, jumping and playing with her half sister Josie (Josie is a dwarf 1 month older than Misty). My 6 year old granddaughter has started walking Misty this past week, she has always walked Josie. Then her 4 year old brother Joe has started with Josie! We have made an obstacle course for her to try Misty on. Hopefully we can make and add some other obstacles this year!! Bea has been around the horses since she was 18 months old and they were 1 month and 10 days old!!! She is a natural around them and they love her, when my daughter pulls up in their truck they both going running up to greet them!! So Misty will get some more exercise now that Beatrice is old enough!!

Thank you for all the support and advice!! Sayyadina thanks for all the great ideas and insight into this disease!! I most definitely will talk to my Vet about all your suggestions. I will keep you all posted each chance I get!! I appreciate all the expertise you all have to share with me!!!