nutrition ? for Susan G.

[Leigh331@aol.com]

Or for anyone else that may have theories about this.  I have a 27 yr. old
boarder horse that had some sort of "episode" last week.  Vet came (not
impressed) and couldn't find anything, my observations: 1rst symptom: didn't
eat breakfast, then lieing down 3 times in a row, quietly.  Seemed
fatigued/tired, not in pain.  HR 38, resp rate 40and panting, gut sounds OK,
MM OK, hydration OK, cap refill OK.  Vet confirmed this.  This horse has
heaves also, but normally doesn't breath this rapidly.  Blood work came back:
low RBC, crit, hemoglobin and low WBC yet diff showed normal cells except
Lymphocytes.  All other normal range except Calcium at 14.9 (high).  I had
happen to do a nutritional analysis on this horse just a few days before and
found that his calcium/phosporus ratio was inverted, very low calcium, way too
much phosporus.  This horse is on pasture, but does not graze.  His diet is:
12 cups Equine Senior/ 4cups dry beet pulp/ 1/2 cup corn oil...all together
and soaked.  He has free choice oat hay.  How could he have high calcium and
normal phosphorus on this diet?  My understanding is that oat hay in high
phosporus and low calcium.  What does high calcium on blood work mean for him?
All the vet told us to do was to give him Red Cell (iron supplement), no other
changes.  The horse went back to normal after one day of being "off feed".  No
changes in diet/routine at that time.  there's more to this than anemia.
Help, I'm lost
Leigh