Little Wee Horse Farm
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I found this online on "The Ultimate Horse Site" about the condition:
"ECLAMPSIA
Calcium deficiency in a lactating mare. Can cause convulsions and coma associated with hypertension, endema, and/or excess protein in the mare's urine. It usually occurs around two weeks after foaling and is associated with lactation and stress. Decreasing high-protein feeds in the mare's diet in late gestation may help to prevent it in susceptible mares; mares with eclampsia are treated by decreasing the calcium intake two to five weeks before foaling, then adding calcium to the mare's feed after she foals. High-protein, high-calcium diets help mares that are prone to eclampsia."
For years, the common practice seemed to be to feed up a mare's protein intake in the last few months of pregnancy. I did it too. So did everyone I know. They sell special feeds with INCREASED protein for preg mares.
However, about 10 years ago, I was corresponding with a breeder who told me he discovered that so many of his mares aborted in later term. He didn't see anything that was related in all of them, except the increase in protein levels. He said he actually lost 25 foals one year!
So, he quit upping that protein level. He just left his mares on a normal 12% intake. And he had no more abortion problem.
It stopped me in my tracks from feeding excess protein in later pregnancy. Several of my friends thought I had "de-railed" my train by doing so. But, we've never had a problem & I didn't want one. "Food" for thought?
"ECLAMPSIA
Calcium deficiency in a lactating mare. Can cause convulsions and coma associated with hypertension, endema, and/or excess protein in the mare's urine. It usually occurs around two weeks after foaling and is associated with lactation and stress. Decreasing high-protein feeds in the mare's diet in late gestation may help to prevent it in susceptible mares; mares with eclampsia are treated by decreasing the calcium intake two to five weeks before foaling, then adding calcium to the mare's feed after she foals. High-protein, high-calcium diets help mares that are prone to eclampsia."
For years, the common practice seemed to be to feed up a mare's protein intake in the last few months of pregnancy. I did it too. So did everyone I know. They sell special feeds with INCREASED protein for preg mares.
However, about 10 years ago, I was corresponding with a breeder who told me he discovered that so many of his mares aborted in later term. He didn't see anything that was related in all of them, except the increase in protein levels. He said he actually lost 25 foals one year!
So, he quit upping that protein level. He just left his mares on a normal 12% intake. And he had no more abortion problem.
It stopped me in my tracks from feeding excess protein in later pregnancy. Several of my friends thought I had "de-railed" my train by doing so. But, we've never had a problem & I didn't want one. "Food" for thought?
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