The sugar, starch, and fructan content (collectively referred to as nonstructural carbohydrates [NSC]) of pasture plants is dependent on the environmental conditions under which they have grown. Pasture that is stressed by cold, drought, or lack of nutrients can be 2 to 3 times higher in NSC than pasture that grows quickly in warm weather and is adequately watered and fertilized. Horses at risk...

Horses fed beyond their nutritional requirement and that are physically inactive will develop obesity, which is often accompanied by insulin resistance and heightened risk of laminitis. The use of pharmacologic agents in combination with nutritional restriction may promote weight loss in obese horses unable to exercise because of laminitic pain. This study shows that reducing feed intake of bro...

Most of the metabolic diseases of dairy cows milk fever, ketosis, retained placenta (RP), and displacement of the abomasum occur within the first 2 wk of lactation. And, the etiology of many of those metabolic diseases that are not clinically apparent during the first 2 wk of lactation, such as laminitis, can be traced back to insults that occurred in early lactation. In addition to metabolic d...

Bovine ruminal acidosis is of economic importance as it contributes to reduced milk and meat production. This phenomenon is mainly attributed to an overload of highly fermentable carbohydrate, resulting in increased d(-) lactic acid levels in serum and plasma. Ruminal acidosis correlates with elevated acute phase proteins in blood, along with neutrophil activation and infiltration into various ...