Texas Equine Veterinary Association

www.texasequineva.com • 12 the tile. Wherever the tile lands, cut a sample. From where the first sample was collected, throw the tile again, collect the second sample, and so on. Unfortunately, this method isn't ideal in large West Texas "pastures"! Feed/Forage Analysis All feed and forage samples collected either during an on-farm visit or submitted by the client may be shipped to a commercial laboratory for nutrient analysis. Labelling guidelines for samples can be found on the commercial laboratory website. Many commercial laboratories will analyze both concentrate feeds and forage; however, it is important to determine the laboratory capabilities before shipping samples. SDK Laboratories and Equi- Analytical are two commercial laboratories with the capability of analyzing both concentrate and forage feeds. Both offer multiple different analysis packages; therefore, it is important to determine which nutrients are of most interest to the clients' circumstance and select the appropriate chemical analysis. Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory in College Station, Texas, is an excellent resource for forage analysis, but they are forage specialists and do not often work with concentrate feeds. Submission forms may be found at www.soiltesting.tamu.edu. The submission site also provides great references for collection of forage samples from pasture, square, and round bales. Once laboratory analysis is complete, the laboratory will send the results via mail or email and may be interpreted by the nutritionist or veterinarian in order to make appropriate recommendations to improve the client's feeding program. Example nutrient analyses of a forage and concentrate sample are provided in Figure 1a and 1b. Recommendations to Client The final phase of a standard nutrition consult are recommendations from the consultant to the client. All recommendations must be geared specifically to the individual animal/herd taking into consideration daily operations, feeding practices, feeding frequency, chemical feed analyses, and nutrient requirements (NRC, 2007). Changes made to the nutrition program must be made slowly over a minimum of 7–10 days. An example transition protocol is described in Table 1. Once fully implemented, a minimum of 30 days is necessary to see results of the new program. Table 1. Example dietary transition protocol. Days 1–2 Days 3–4 Days 5–6 Day 7 Old Feed 75% 50% 25% 0% New Feed 25% 50% 75% 100% Addressing Common Misconceptions Often, veterinarians have more frequent contact with clients than nutritionists and are the primary point of contact for clients. Therefore, it is important that veterinarians remain aware of the current issues and misconceptions associated with nutrition in order to appropriately educate clients to maintain a healthy and productive nutrition program. Below are a few common myths to dispel: • Processed feeds are low quality: The processing of ingredients increases nutrient availability thereby improving digestibility of the feed. This allows the nutrients to be digested in specific locations of the gastrointestinal tract to optimize nutrient utilization. • Byproducts are less nutritious than whole feeds: By-products are the products that result from initial processing of feedstuffs. For example, soybean meal is a by-product of vegetable oil production. Soybean meal is the gold standard source of protein in livestock feeds because of its amino acid composition. Whole soybeans are less digestible than soybean meal. It is a win-win for human consumption of vegetable oil and ideal protein product for animal feeds, reducing waste and benefiting two different populations. • Natural is better: There is no FDA or USDA definition of "natural." • Commercial concentrate feeds are "hot" feeds: Traditionally, a "hot" feed is one with high levels of starch. Not all concentrate feeds contain high levels of starch. • Starch is dangerous: The fear of starch began with the increase in popularity of the ketogenic and low-carb diets in human nutrition. Starch is simply a chain of glucose. Glucose is an excellent source of energy for all cells of the body. It is also important for horses in heavy exercise requiring quick bursts of speed. Starch should not be feared! Care should be given to the amount of starch in the diet for obese horses or those with metabolic dysregulation such as insulin resistance or equine metabolic syndrome. Clinical Nutrition and When to Include a Nutritionist When addressing any metabolic or gastrointestinal concern, whether acute or chronic, it is always appropriate to collaborate with a nutritionist to determine the best means of support and management of the horse's condition. Nutritionists are incredibly familiar with ingredients, nutrient composition of ingredients, and feed processing techniques that influence consumption, digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients. Their expertise will aid in the development of a nutrition program to support the treatment plan prescribed by the attending veterinarian. References Henneke, D. R., G. D. Potter, J. L. Kreider, and B. F. Yeates. 1983. Relationship between condition score, physical measurements, and body fat percent in mares. Equine Vet. J. 15:371-371. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01826.x. Martinson, K. L., R. C. Coleman, A. K. Rendahl, Z. Fang, and M. E. McCue. 2014. Estimation of body weight and development of a body weight score for adult equids using morphometric measurements. J. Anim. Sci. 92:2230-2238. doi: 10.2527/jas2013- 6689. NRC, 2007. Nutrient Requirements of Horses. 6th rev. ed. Natl. Acad. Press, Washington, DC.

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