New Therapy
There is a new therapy to help avoid Fall Frost grass and Spring lush grass Fructan (Sugar) Laminitis. 2013 EV Journal on using Baking Soda to alkalize cecal contents. They used 1 pound of it via stomach tubes/1000 pound horse, showing this might be helpful in grain overload or Laminitis attacks causing heavy acid environment.
We believe this information is so vital, we wanted to get this to owners as a possible mechanism to help prevent Laminitis. We measured 1 tablespoon of Bicarb at 20 grams, so in an emergency treatment it is 23 tablespoons to tube down. (1 pound soda = 452 grams) But why not try to keep gut alkaline to push back possible acid Fructan problems?
Our practice is leading the way recommending Bicarb to be used daily to help prevent issues. The amounts we are starting out at to see if there is an effect are 2 tablespoons in the morning and 2 more tablespoons at night per 1000 pound horse (1/2 that in 500 pound and 1/4 that in 250 pound), during frost grass of October/November and Spring grass of April/May. Higher amounts may be needed but it is so easy and cheap to help give your horse some help.
I bet in 1 year it will be a standard. You do not need commercial/expensive stomach buffer products. Just Baking Soda at the grocery store. High Fructans lead to bacterial overgrowth and toxin release in the large intestine due to low acid pH it creates. The 4 pound box of Baking Soda is 90 tablespoons. It will last 3 weeks in a 1000 pound horse – easy. About $1.00 per week.
http://www.equinemedsurg.com/new-studies/#August, 2013
Gwen, I use a product called EquiShure which is a hindgut buffer comprised of bicarb soda which has been ‘treated’ so it reaches all the way to the hindgut where it is needed rather than being dissipated prior to that. I would love to think that pure bicarb might just do the trick . . . I would be very pleased to hear any follow up on your studies.
Kind regards,
Jan (South Australia)