Re: Re: Re: Thin Horse

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

There are sortof two schools of thoughts about probiotics.  One type, such as Forco, I think, doesnt directly provide bugs, it provides substrates for existing bugs to live on and stabilize the gut. 

 

The other type directly provides a freeze-dried source of live bugs, which stay dormant in the jar as long as they don't get above around 100 degrees and don't get wet.  That's how they stay okay in the jar.  Once they are eaten by the horse, then they reactivate and help to repopulate the gut with bacteria.  Yes, they will reproduce, so as long as the type of stress that imbalanced the population in the first place isnt there any more, then you shouldnt need to continually supplement with probiotics.  However, let's say that what killed off part of the bug population in the first place was still going on for a few days or a week or even longer.  One dose isn't going to instantly fix the problem and so those are the horses that might benefit from a regular supplementation.  The other rationale for more or less continuous dosing is that there are alot of minor stresses that can effect the gut that arent apparent to the outside observer.  Doesnt hurt to add a pinch in now and then just as a regular habit, but unless there's some obvious stress going on, I don't think most healthy, happy horses need a full dose on a daily basis.  When I had my horses in the back yard, they got a pinch or two maybe once a week just on general principles.  Any horses that were being shown or transported or taken to a ride got a half dose daily until they were home again and recovered.  The broodmare got a half dose daily throughout her third trimester of gestation and lactation and so do the babies.

 

The only horse I have right now that gets probiotics on a daily basis is my nine month old filly.  She's going to be really big like her brother and even with a balanced ration, fast-growing babies are at some risk for DOD.  So she specifically gets some added yea-sacc, as there was some decent data that observed an increase in phosphorus utilization and a positive effect on the incidence of OCD lesions.  She'll get it daily until she's about two and then will go onto the now-and-then program.

 

Does that answer your questions, Pat?

 

Susan G

----- Original Message -----

From: Onefarmgirl@aol.com

To: suendavid@worldnet.att.net ; juno501@yahoo.com ; ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 8:35 AM

Subject: RC: Re: Re: Thin Horse

In a message dated 3/30/01 6:31:25 PM Pacific Standard Time,
suendavid@worldnet.att.net writes:

Keep up with the probiotics

Susan (and interested others)

I have a question about this.   Actually a couple of questions.   I thought
probiotics were an exogenous source of the friendly bacteria which ordinarily
reside in the gut and which may be harmed or killed by stress (or other
things).   If so, why would you need to "keep up" with them.  Once they have
been replaced, won't they set up housekeeping and reproduce themselves?    

Which leads to my next question.   How can there be "live cultures" of stuff
in a lidded jug which has been on the shelf for 6 months........  wouldn't
the buggies do a Malthusian (sp?) cycle - reproduce until they overrun the
food supply??

I seem to have some fundamental misunderstanding  ;-)

pat farmer

p.s. glad to hear your pup is improving.