Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Question for the vets about DOD

Lynn--

DOD is associated with overfeeding energy and/or protein in young, growing
horses, which may mean that your filly is getting too much grain.
Frequently this also is accompanied by an imbalance in the calcium and
phosphorus ratio in the diet.  The type of forage can be a factor in this as
well--alfalfa is high in calcium, and grass hays tend to have variable, and
low, calcium, so the grain ration should be balanced for your choice of hay.
This also means that you can't switch between grass and alfalfa hays without
changing the grain ration..  The optimal calcium:phosphorus ratio is 1:1 to
2:1 for her.

I hate to disagree with your vet, and I don't want to be alarmist, but the
diet needs to be examined and corrected, especially if she's already showing
signs in her fetlocks.  DOD isn't reversible, and it can lead to contracted
tendons.



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