Review of Considerations When Feeding the Equid with Insulin Dysregulation

Dr. Peter Morressey chats with P.A. Harris, MA, VetMB, PhD, DipECVCN, MRCVS, RCVS Specialist Clinical Nutrition (equine), about her presentation at the 2022 AAEP Convention. Her subject: Review of Considerations When Feeding the Equid with Insulin Dysregulation

Whilst animals with insulin dysregulation are often obese, they can be lean and therefore the dietary goal may be weight maintenance, gain, or loss. As the dietary insulin response is variable, and all the nutritional triggers are unknown, it is advisable to monitor the individual’s response to their specific diet if it is considered essential to induce only a low insulin response. For some individuals, very low starch and sugar intakes per meal (<0.1 g/kg body weight/meal) may be required to elicit such a low response. Repeat monitoring is key.