Question
I have a four-month-old foal with epiphysitis in the fetlock and possibly in the knees. My vet advised me to wean him early, but I want to make sure that I am feeding him correctly. Can you help?
Answer
The diet for the colt, once he is weaned and confined to keep him from putting too much pressure on the affected joints, will be very similar to the mare’s diet. Here are some key points.
- He should be fine with free-choice, good-quality grass hay. He should be fed little to no alfalfa hay.
- Supplement with 1/4 lb (0.1 kg) of a balancer pellet twice per day (total of 1/2 lb or 0.2 kg per day) to supply the necessary protein, minerals, and vitamins for a growing body.
- Offer him free-choice salt, and watch his intake to make sure he doesn’t overeat salt.
- Be sure he has clean, free-choice water.
I’m sure he will lose some of the baby fat from being weaned and placed on this calorie-restricted diet, but the weight loss will help the joints cope with the inflammation. Once the inflammation diminishes, you can gradually give him more exercise. After he is getting more exercise and the inflammation has subsided, he can start getting more concentrate but you might want to choose a lower starch, higher fat feed for him to start out with until you are comfortable that he will not develop further developmental joint issues.
