# Grass Nuts/GrazeOn/Redigrass for a laminitic



## wiglet (17 April 2013)

As per the title, can these products be fed safely to a horse that has had laminitis?

The laminitis was 3 years ago, she's just had the one episode - not bad, she was just footy so under vets instructions was box rested for a week and given bute. It wasn't grass induced, she'd just had steroid treatment and although I was mindful of the laminitis risk, I obviously wasn't careful enough 

The horse in question is a very poor doer and very fussy. Coming out of winter and she's not looking too bad but, she has now started leaving her feed. Just thought Grass nuts or Graze On might add a bit of variety and make her more interested?

Good idea or not worth the risk??


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## Perissa (17 April 2013)

Might be worth looking at Simple Systems Blue Bag Grass nuts, very sugar and very low starch.  I give these to my elderly ponies with no problems, although they have never had laminitis.


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## EQUISCENE (17 April 2013)

Think you would be safer using a high fibre nut or chaff. Readigrass/Graze on are flash dried grass with a high nutrient content.


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## wiglet (17 April 2013)

EQUISCENE said:



			Think you would be safer using a high fibre nut or chaff. Readigrass/Graze on are flash dried grass with a high nutrient content.
		
Click to expand...

Thankyou, she has spillers high fibre cubes - has been all winter but is not interested in them at the moment (very fussy/faddy mare) so I was toying with the grass nuts - even if she just got a handful.


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## Hen (17 April 2013)

The SS Blue Bag Grass Pellets have come up low sugar and starch and I started my mare on a small palmful per feed really as an appetiser only, a couple of weeks ago. She's enjoying them and touch wood, no problems. I've not found a flash-dried grass which is suitable though, too high. If anyone has found one I'd be interested to know how you've got on.


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## SaffronWelshDragon (17 April 2013)

Also, lucerne / alfalfa is a good alternative for laminitics as it's very low in sugar and starch. My laminitic has been on it as a hay replacer for years and has done very well on that and unmolassed sugarbeet


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## monkeybum13 (18 April 2013)

As above lucerne/alfalfa or high fibre nuts/high fibre chaff.

Dried grass products really aren't suitable for laminitics.


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## lachlanandmarcus (18 April 2013)

Grass is a laminitis Pony's poison.....drying it makes no difference and they might even eat it quicker.

So no. It wouldn't be suitable. Some form of alfaxstraw chop would be much safer.


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## Firewell (18 April 2013)

What about a high oil feed? Alfa A oil, or Linseed, outshine something like that? Oil based feeds are good for putting weight on horses predisposed to Laminitis safely.


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## lachlanandmarcus (18 April 2013)

Micronised linseed would be the normal approach for a lami that needs to add weight, as it has a similar nutritional makeup to grass but without the high sugars.


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## Jericho (18 April 2013)

No dont feed grass nuts as sugar content will still be too high. Try alfafa nuts with speedibeet and micronised linseed and corn oil and maybe a low sugar chop such as dengie mollasses free if you want to bulk it out. This is what I feed my laminitic pony.

The purefeeds range is pretty good (but check the versions as some eg the conditioning ones do have grass chop in them )


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