Gassy horses and beet pulp?

[msj]

Earlier someone posted a topic about feeding beet pulp pellets to their dog - see below:

Is beet pulp okay for dogs? - Chronicle Forums

Post #8 stated: Well - my dog thinks feed time at the barn is the best thing in life. Any BP that falls to the ground when dispensed is fair game. She will eat right from the ground feeder with the horses (had to stop that), and loves to lick clean the empty bucket.

The only issue I’ve had is she like to sleep next to me, and the extra fiber is very noticable Lately DH has asked me not to take her out at feed time because she get so gassy she can evacuate the room.

OK, given that at least one dog got gas from the beet pulp, has anyone noticed their horses getting gassy when they feed beet pulp?

I ask because I have a horse that has gotten beet pulp for probably 5-6 yrs and does have gas discomfort episodes. I can’t always call it gas colic because most of the time I’m able to catch it early and by squirting ~10 cc Banamine into his mouth and putting him on the lunge line for about 30-60 minutes usually fixes him right up.

I’ve just gotten a new horse in and I’ve been giving him beet pulp so as to disguise the loose salt I add to his rations and I’ve noticed him getting gassy. I was not aware of any gassyness when he came but have noticed it a bit the last few days. No symptons of gas colic or even discomfort so I’m not too terribly worried about him yet.

If they can dispel the gas (ok fart :D), they are OK. It’s only when they seem to have too much gas and aren’t able to dispel it easily that my horse has problems. Once each year for the last 2 yrs I did have to have the vet out because even though the horse seemed fine after the Banamine and lunging, he re-developed the symptoms again and I knew I shouldn’t use more Banamine that soon.

Currently, I’m feeding approximately 1 qt of soaked beet pulp pellets twice/day along with Nutrena Safe Choice, 2 oz/day of iodized salt, Vit E and Selenium, and 15 cc Pro Bios.

So, how about it COTHer’s - anyone want to chime in? So far no vet that has treated my gassy guy and knew he was getting beet pulp has ever made the connection if there was one to make. If the dog in the above thread hadn’t been reported as gassy, I wouldn’t have made the connection either.

[Calvincrowe]

I’ve fed BP for 8 years now, to my TB geldings, and neither one exhibits any more or less gas than my other gelding who gets no BP.

I think, in dogs, it is a case of adding lots of fiber all at once, much like a human eating beans. If you are not used to large doses of fiber passing through your digestive tract, it can produce gas.

I think adding BP slowly to a horse’s diet is best, to build up the additional fiber in their diet. Since horses subsist mainly on high fiber foods, I would think adding more wouldn’t be a huge problem.

[buck22]

My morgan, who is fed bp, is prone to becoming very gassy, and did gas colic once. I don’t suspect bp because it is a cornerstone in his diet, yet he goes through periods of extreme musicalness, its not consistent. It wasn’t till I started testing my hay that I discovered a possible answer, fructans in the hay and fresh forage. I was able to narrow down that his extreme gassiness coincided with the availability of high fructan forage.

interestingly, the hay that tested highest in possibility of fructans was the lousiest looking hay I had at the time (but, the horses hoovered it).

I haven’t yet tested the hay I’m feeding right now, but my horse became gassier on it, so I’m curious to get it tested.

Some thread in health no so long ago suggested ginger root powder for digestive health for horses, I bought some and have been giving it for about a month now, and my horse is noticeably less gassy.

[msj]

Thanks both of you for your replies.

Calvincrowe - I’ve always felt the same way about BP and have always added it gradually and increased it gradually.

buck22 - I used to add powdered ginger root to my gassy horse as was recommended by a previous vet for probably 5 or more years. It never stopped the problems so I dropped it. I’ve since switched vets about 2 yr ago and one vet and COTH members did recommend a power pack. I did it after his last real colic and (KNOCK ON WOOD) he hasn’t had a problem since. Needless to say, he’s getting another power pack this year!

[Paper32000]

My Thoroughbred had mild gas colic. When I mentioned beat pulp to the vet, he said it is 6% protein and you only give it when hay is of poor quality. I recently moved my horse to a new stable and he had beat pulp at the last one. I discovered I was giving him too much beat pulp. I could cut back on it, but have taken him off it for now. He had to have Banomine which helped and he started eating again. But, it has taken a few days with exercise and mash to get him clear.

[walkinthewalk]

Have you tried taking the beet pulp away from the horse for ten days to see if the gas goes away?

Personally, I have no use for it. I fed ONE soaked cup of shredded molasses-free to my 29 yr old Arab ( to get his supplements in him) and darned if he didn’t colic.

He has been with me 22 years and never once colicked:no:

The vet suggested it over rice bran -------he is back on rice bran.

[Jealoushe]

Beet pulp is not going to make your horse colic, nor does it make them gassy. If properly prepared, it helps lubricate the entire digestive systems and packs it with fiber, creating a nice buffer in the stomach and keeps the intestines full so the process runs smoothly. It is one of the best things you can give a horse.

[horsepoor]

Just noting that this thread started almost five years ago, bumped up by a new poster. The topic might still bear discussion, but the original poster hopefully isn’t still dealing with the same issue years later.

[Hermein]

I’m SO glad this was reposted. I have an older horse who just last night started to colic (he announces this by showing flehmin). And just last night I’d put a more than usual amount of beet pulp in his porridge. I gave him 10ccs of banamine and walked him. All was well. No more beet pulp for Rob.

I had two Arabians, older, who NEVER ever colicked, until I started feeding rice bran pellets. Then, within a couple of days of one another, did–although not badly. The light bulb went on, I stopped the rice bran pellets, and they never did again–healthy until they passed, at 33 and 34.

I wonder if it’s whatever they use to keep the pellets together–some sort of clay, the name of which escapes me.

[TKR]

There is a recent article on feeding beet pulp to horses that I read. It was posted on a FB page. It is pretty scary! Alot of bad things about using it including poisons in it. Might have been in The Horse Magazine or you could google it. If I see it again, I’ll post a link. Advice was to steer clear - there are better options.
PennyG