Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nutritional support for sick foals and horses
By Carr, Elizabeth A·Published in The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice·2018·Department Large Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Enteral/Parenteral Nutrition in Foals and Adult Horses Practical Guidelines for the Practitioner.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
When horses are sick, injured, or weak, giving them proper nutrition can really help their recovery. It's best to feed them through their digestive system (enteral nutrition) whenever possible, as this is better for their overall health. If a horse can't eat normally, using a different method to provide nutrients directly into their bloodstream (parenteral nutrition) can be a good temporary solution until they can eat again. Veterinarians should think about nutritional support for any horse that has stopped eating, is very weak, or is unwell. The guidelines suggest that both feeding methods can be beneficial during treatment and recovery.
Abstract
Nutritional support is an important adjunct to medical therapy in the sick, injured, or debilitated equine patient. What is not clear is the optimal route, composition, or amounts of support. The enteral route should be chosen whenever possible to maximize the benefits to the gastrointestinal tract and the patient as a whole. Complete or partial parenteral nutrition is most useful as a bridge during recovery and transition to enteral feeding in the horse. The reader is encouraged to consider nutritional support whether enteral or parenteral in any anorexic, chronically debilitated, or sick equine patient.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29426711/