So, my baby Donkey is getting more and more sensitive every year. She is currently in a flare-up.
Ive been out of the loop for a while and was wondering what is the latest and greatest supplements people are using these days?
I follow this group for my IR pony and subscribe to their message board. Lots of information and help available.
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Thanks, I checked it out… looks like a good site.
I usually test my hay (WSC + Starch) for high NSC, but, Michigan was in a severe drought last summer. All available hay was probably going to be high in sugars, so I didnt even bother to test.
My hay guy usually puts a pretty low NSC (10 or less) , but, this summer was a total loss of quality hay. Now, we are paying the price.
We are looking at another drought in 2018, so I think I need a game-plan for the little one… she is in pretty bad shape right now…
PS: I do have a call into the vet to see what our options are going forward. Just wanted to see what people are supplementing with these days too.
I don’t think supplements can offset feeding high NSC hay. If you don’t test, you don’t know, so I hope that you are at least soaking it? That would certainly be my first step. You refer to a “baby donkey” so I don’t know if this is a mini or some such small critter, which might be possible to feed exclusively a bagged forage like Triple Crown Safe Starch that is for sure low NSC, or soaked cubes/pellets that are similarly guaranteed low NSC…that kind of thing is usually prohibitively expensive for those of us with large horses, but if it is a smaller donkey like a mini maybe that is an option. Addressing the bulk of what is going in (hay or other forage) is key in managing an IR equine, from my experience.
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Thanks for this website. I’ll pass it on to friends.
She is a standard Donkey (about 600-700lbs) , about 8 years old now… I call her the baby because she was born on my farm out of a BLM Burro, and I guess I still think of her as the “Baby”… So, she is still housed with her mama (who is not IR at all), and not small enough to “specialty feed”…
The hay I got this year is all that was available in my (drought - causes sugar levels to rise in forage) area. Believe me I tried to find the best hay for her that I could, but, there is really no need to test at this point. I know its high in carbs and I cant change that fact…
Soaking really doesnt work when the temps are -10 below 0 (-20 tonight), so, that wont work out very well. This is my problem… Im just wanting to get her through this winter as comfortable as I can.
And was wondering if anyone has found a good supplement that is good for maybe bringing glucose levels down.
Just looking for ideas at this point.
Metformin and Equinox are the best things to help her get through/ over her insulin spike. Soft-ride boots are a god-send. I have a Shetland who had a very hard time last year and is just squeaking by right now what with the hard-frozen ground. He’s on the supplement, Remission, by AniMed and it seems to help some. I’ve not had any luck with the other supplements I’ve tried. If you can’t soak her hay right now, can you spray it down with an apple cider vinegar solution? Vinegar can help to lower blood sugar levels.
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oh! I have those “soft ride” boots, I have to find them… thanks for reminding me.
I can try spraying with ACV, but, not sure if she will eat it… and hopefully it wont freeze… but, its worth a shot… thanks
Just spoke with the vet. She is coming out to run some test and go from there… sigh… poor little thing… 
So, I got her this: https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/le…pellets–15020
And some Fenugreek https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fenugreek#section5
You really should still test to know what you have. I am also in Michigan and in spite of the droughty summer, my hay came back right at 10. I can live with that. The early part of the summer was not that terribly dry. Actually it was challenging for many up north to get hay dry and in between the every 2-3 day dry windows we had. We cut fairly early (probably gave up some yield) and did get the NSC in an acceptable range. We’re far enough north that we only do a first cut. I don’t know how 2nd came out around here for those that do one. We did have a plenty long growing season, that many did get second. I just didn’t need more hay.
My IR pony, knock wood, had not had hoof issues as yet. He is on Heiro IR supplement. It’s basically magnesium, vitamin E, and some herbs. Ucklee has something similar. I have not tried it. It was a toss up when I made the choice and what I am currently using was a bit less expensive when comparing same ingredients to same. I use other Ucklee products and have been very happy with them for years. My pony is also on a low dose of Thyro-L, based on test results to keep his weight under control and keep the fat pads to a minimum.
Also feed from a 1"hole hay net to slow down eating and keep blood sugar spikes to a minimum. At first he hated it (and so did I) but once we all got used to it, it’s no biggie any more, just part of the daily routine.
The Ir board mentioned above does have a lot of good info. Found it quite helpful when mine was first diagnosed a year ago.
Good luck. It’s a challenge, but there are a number of options if you take the right attitude and keep fine tuning what works.
Swear by Metaboral AND Heiro. Both have helped my 2 laminitis prone ponies tremendously, along with strict slow feeding of hay to keep levels steady vs. having spikes. I was told to drop the Metaboral once I started the Heiro but admit keeping both supplements. And yes, Soft Ride boots saved my pony’s life (he foundered on his hinds - is IR and Cushing’s). He is sound in them, and sound for light riding with trail boots. But wears the Soft Ride for turnout and in his stall for support. Unfortunately both supplements are expensive but way less costly than founder vet bills or laminitis spikes, needing Banamine, etc.
