11/13/08

Metformin (Gluocphage) in Equine Insulin Resistance

You should AVOID this drug in horses for several reasons:

1. Severe side effects seen in people on this drug that you need to be aware of according to the Mayo Clinic – 2008:
   •  Lactic Acidosis (known as “Tie-up” in a horse).  “Severe muscle pain and cramping.”
   • Gastrointestinal Upset (known as “Colic” in a horse) “Need to take with food to reduce stomach and intestinal side effects.”  “Vomit, stomach ache, passing gas, heart burn.”
   • Thyroid Condition- Drug can interfere with Thyroid medicines.  Some horses need Thyroid supplement.
2. Can suddenly not work any more.  “At some point this medicine may stop working and your blood glucose will increase.” Mayo Clinic, 2008.
3. Emergency Kit recommended.  “Carry an Emergency ID Card and Glucagon Emergency Kit for emergencies” due to hypoglycemic reactions.  Mosby’s Drug Guide.  Not practical with horses.
4. $2,300.00 a year to give to horses.  One study in England dosed it in horses at 15 mg/kg – a 1,000 pound horse (454 kg) at $470.00 a bottle costs a lot to even try this drug.  The study also said some horses “May need to be on it for life.”  Not an economic reality.
5. Requires constant/multiple blood testing to monitor.  More expense.
6. No FDA approval for use in horses – creates liability issues.
7. No study of long-term effects on horses.  Your horse is not a guinea pig.
8. This drug is used for Type 2 Diabetes in people.  Most horses don’t have this.  They have Insulin Resistance.
   
9. “Metformin is not an effective long-term mono therapy for increasing Insulin sensitivity in horses.”  M. Vick, University of Kentucky Dept. of Vet. Sci, Reprod. 2006.

11/11/08

Glucosamine Products in Equine Insulin Resistance.
Both oral glucosamine and injectable (N-acetyl glucosamine) from compounding pharmacies should be Avoided.

Why?
Many studies are showing glucosamine can do the following:
    1.  "Induce peripheral Insulin Resistance". Diabetes Journal 1996.
    2.  "Induce Insulin Resistance" J. Clinical Investigations 1995.
    3.  "...demonstrate that induction of Insulin Resistance by glucosamine results in reduction of the blood          flow rate as well as the uptake of glucose..." Diabetes Journal 2000.
    4.  "Probably a good idea to avoid glucosamine if you have diabetes" Mayo Clinic 2007.
    5.  "Diabetics should be alert to potential blood sugar changes" Harvard Medical School 2007.

To be fair and make you aware, there are a few studies that say it may not effect glucose:
   1.  J. Clin. Endocrin. Metab. 2001.
   2.  Arch Intern Med 2003.

What to look for to not accidently feed Glucosamine:

• Many joint products have it – look very carefully on label and at products with “Flex”, “Joint”, “Gluco”, or “Glyco”.
• Many products to treat Laminitis have Glucosamine.  That is really surprising.

 

Flax Seed in Equine Insulin Resistance.
1.  You can feed flax seed to these horses, if prepared the correct way and fed in the right amount.
2.  Flax seed is an excellent source of fiber (40%), a natural antioxidant, high in protein (26%), and high in essential fatty acids - omega 3 and omega 6. One tablespoon is only 36 calories.
3.  We are feeding the seed and not pouring cups of flax seed oil into the diet. The fat portion is small if you feed 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) a day to a 1000 pound. horse.
4.  According to the Flax Council of Canada (Canada is the larges producer and exporter of flax in the world):

• Brown flax seed has the same nutritional make up as yellow flax seed.
• Whole flax seed can be kept at room temperature for up to a year.
• Once ground, flax see should be kept in an airtight, opaque container and refrigerated. "Ground flax seed kept this way will keep for up to 90 days." "Best to grind whole flax see as you need it.".
  

5.  To prepare:

• Buy whole flax seed in a health food store. Don't buy pre-ground flax, because you don't know when it was ground and it is usually not refrigerated.
• Grind the seeds in an electric small coffee grinder ($15) - available at KMart and WalMart.
• The seeds must be ground. Whole seeds can not be digested and will pass through the horse, coming out as they went in. It is very simple to grind up a month's supply of seeds then refrigerate.
  

Ranked #1 on Goggle/ Yahoo search for Insulin Testing.

6. Before you buy horse flax products:

a. Many have oats and sugars added. You have no idea of the NSC, sugar content.
b. Many are already ground up, so they are over 90 days old and of questionable value. The Flax Council is in the business of selling flax and if they say it is only good 90 days after grinding, it is wise to listen.
c. They are ground but not in an airtight container and, again, are over 90 days. Mayo Clinic also recommends airtight containers.
d. They are in huge bags that would take months to get through and if already ground are even more likely to be of questionable value.

7.  Evidence in studies show that the Omega 3 and Omega 6 in flax can help decrease inflammatory responses and the need for medications in horses. National Research Council 2007.

For information on how to prepare flax seed go to the Heiro In-Depth Article.

10/11/08

Photos of the latest world record holding Standardbred Trotter, Enough Talk

10/1/08

Often horses require a muzzle when on pasture for a variety of reasons. a common question is :when can I take it off in the fall?". To be safe, wait until thanksgiving and use it again in late march when the spring grass arrives.

09/23/08

Steps to Feed Beet Pulp with Molasses to Horses with IR  (How we prepped):

1.  1 cup of beet pulp into a bowl with 4 cups of water.  Soak this for 24 hours – This is just what you will do in the real world for making it up in the morning to use the next day.
2. Next, we poured it into a colander (K-Mart $6.00) and hand pushed it down for 5 seconds to squeeze out water.
3. Then, we rinsed it in cold water for 30 seconds and squeezed it out again for 5 seconds.
4. All done – ready to feed.  Easy, quick, inexpensive.

Conclusion:  Prepped Beet Pulp is a safe product for the Insulin Resistant horse.

            Also, you should soak plain beet pulp because dry, plain beet pulp has a simple sugar of 9.2 which drops to 2.4 if soaked.  Go to the Equi-Analytical site to see this additionally surprising fact!

07/16/08

The benefits of Biotin (Vitamin H) have been shown in several studies and it is a great product to add to your horse’s diet. Two easy sources for Biotin are brewers yeast and Biotin 100.Biotin is not stored in the body, so a daily supplement is a good idea. Biotin, like many vitamins, will not maintain stability forever.  At twelve months old, it has only 58% of the initial activity under normal storage (it has 76% at six months), so throw it out if it gets one year old. Biotin has “not shown to be detrimental if fed in excess”, so if you feed your horse 3 tablespoons instead of 2, you are ok. You don’t need Biotin that has a bunch of vitamins and minerals thrown in.  You just need plain Biotin. For more information and dosages check out the farrier section of our insulin resistance article.

3/24/08

Mites in poultry have recently been proven to attack horses also. Mites are what cause mange and are not species specific. The horse effected was cleared up with permethrin which is in our RK Topical Horse Fly Spray.

This study points out why you do not want poultry roosting above horses and why you do not want pigeons in your barn. Wild birds, like sparrows, were not the cause of the problem.
Source: Veterinary Dermatology 2/08, Equus 4/08.

2/19/08

Bitter Melon No Help

On occasion, you will see information on using bitter melon to treat horses with Insulin Resistance. This herb has not been shown to increase Insulin sensitivity, but only to lower blood glucose levels. We know this from two studies. One study believes the melon increases the function of the Pancreas cells, while the other study believes it helps the liver with glucose metabolism. Whatever the method of action, it is not going to help your horse because they do not get sky high glucose levels. Horses with Insulin Resistance have normal glucose and an herb to help pour out increased levels of Insulin is not the answer. Source: Mosby's Handbook of Herbs and Natural Supplements, 2001.

2/14/08

China plant played role in drug tied to four deaths.

A chinese faculty, which made the active ingredient Heparin in much of the widely-used Baxter International blood thinner, is under investigation after hundreds of allergic reactions and four deaths among users, FDA reported yesterday. There was no FDA inspection ever of the plant but now preparations are being made to do so. Front Page, Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2008.

2/8/08

Rapid Lowering of Blood Sugar not the answer - caused increase in death rate.

"Investigators called a halt to the intensive blood sugar lowering group and put all of them in the less intense group." Why? Rapid lowering "actually increased risk of death" in Type 2 diabetic people. This group also took pills to lower blood sugar. "Years ago researchers discovered that lowering blood sugar very quickly in Diabetes could actually worsen blood vessels decrease in the eye, but reducing levels more slowly protected those blood vessels." New York Times, February 7, 2008.

Dr. Reilly comment: This study points out why we talk about grass, hay, grain, and snacks for your horse. If you see web sites talking about only feeding low carbo hay and cutting off everything else, you are getting wrong and possibly dangerous advise. This study also points out why we do not advise people to take human drugs to lower blood sugar - Insulin Resistant horses have normal blood sugars. The goal is to increase Insulin sensitivity and, therefore, naturally lower Insulin levels which can be proven in post HEIRO™ tests.

2/7/08

A client asked about Jiaogulan (Gynostemma Pentaphyllum). Do not use it. A study out of the Department of Medical Biochemistry in Stockholm Sweden found it increased blood Insulin levels.
J. Biol. Chem 279-40. 41361-41367. October 2004, Dr. Norberg.

2/4/08

From the 2007 Laminitis Conference which Dr. Reilly attended in Florida:

1. Dr. Donald Walsh (USA) - high Insulin levels but no lameness yet is a "smoldering" problem.
2. Dr. McGowan (Australia) - in horses studied, the mean resting Insulin number in Insulin Resistant horses was approximately 156 and if they had Cushings on top of that, it was 188 or higher. If combined Cushings and Insulin Resistance, the horse usually had Laminitis within two years.
3. Dr. Tom Divers (USA) - Turnout is a natural exercise. There is often too much emphasis on diet and not enough on exercise. Turnout is helpful to Insulin Resistant horses. Cortisol blood level testing is of little value. Insulin Resistance is an "important and rapidly emerging disorder".

2/1/08

After the contaminated dog and cat food problem in 2007, one of the most significant changes is the fact that buyers are looking more closely at labels to see the country of origin of ingredients. Veterinary Practice News, February 2008. Dr Reilly says, "This is why we go with the USDA Certified Organic - it is SAFE."

The Food and Drug Administration is so understaffed that at its current pace, the agency would need 27 years to inspect every foreign medical device plants that exports to the United States, 13 years to check foreign drug plants, and 1,900 years to check foreign food sources. New York Times, January 29, 2008. Dr Reilly says, "This is why we go with the USDA Certified Organic - it is SAFE."

 

1/28/08

Clenbuterol, used as a bronchodilator in horses having airway problems (infection/allergy), will increase Insulin levels, so try to avoid or use small dose or as few doses as possible. JEVS 27:10 446-449.

1/11/08 Daily Local News:

"Prof. Carlo Leifert, at the Tesco Centre for Organic Agriculture at New Castle University in the UK, found that foods grown organically are more nutritious then those produced by conventional methods." Also, "according to the four year study, the organic foods contained up to 40% more antioxidants then non organic foods. The study also found high levels of minerals." This shows why we use USDA certified organic herbs in Heiro™!

1/8/08

From Dr. Fitzgerald, Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, American Journal of Veterinary Research, January 2008.

Endotoxin caused Insulin Resistance in horses within 24 hours. Inflammatory cytokines increased from fat cells if stimulated with endotoxin. Conclusion: "Insulin Resistance develops following systemic inflammation in horses and suggested adipose (fat) tissue may contribute to this inflammatory response. Methods to regulate Insulin sensitivity may improve clinical outcome in critically ill patients."

Also in the study: "Future studies needed to examine the efficacy of Insulin sensitizing agents and pre-op Insulin or Glucose therapy in combination with anti-inflammatory medications in protecting against development of Laminitis in horses.

Dr. Reilly's comment: Insulin Resistance seen in normal horses within 24 hours of endotoxin - what would happen to an already Insulin Resistant horse? This is why we need to keep Insulin levels down, so if sick and get a surge, it does not cause a problem. The body can handle a short-term surge but trying to handle it if levels are already high is asking for trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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