Insulin Dysregulated Horses Metabolic Responses to Forage Pellets.

Hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis (HAL) is the primary concern for insulin dysregulated (ID) equids and their insulin response to the consumption of oral, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) has been shown to be a risk predictor for HAL development. This randomized, crossover study's objective was to examine the insulinemic responses to 3 forage pellets (1 g/kg BW) (timothy hay, TH, 9.5 % CP & 10 % NSC DM; alfalfa hay, AH, 16.3 % CP & 9.8 % NSC DM; timothy-alfalfa hay; TAH, 17.2 % CP & 9.8 % NSC DM) along with a positive (dehulled oats; OG, 14.7 % CP & 59.7 % NSC DM) and negative dietary challenge control (low-NSC; LNSC, 12.8 % CP & 5.4 % NSC DM) of ID (n = 8; 16.1 +/- 2.2 yr; 565.4 +/- 99.1 kgs.) and non-ID (NID; n = 7; 17.0 +/- 2.8 yr; 583.6 +/- 57.9 kgs.) horses. ID horses had higher positive incremental area under the curve for insulin (IAUCi) (ID: 890 +/- 925 mu IU/mL*minute vs. NID: 225 +/- 228 mu IU/mL*minute), peak (ID: 101.5 +/- 80.72 mu IU/mL vs. NID: 25.7 +/- 7.2 mu IU/mL), and delta (ID: 45.5 +/- 77.1 mu IU/mL vs. NID: 4.9 +/- 5.3 mu IU/mL) insulin for all forage pellets compared to NID (p < 0.01). ID horses IAUCi for the forage pellets was not different compared to the LNSC (218 +/- 327 IU/mL*minute) but was different from OG (10,522 +/- 4,565 mu IU/mL*minute). ID horses' lack of an augmented insulinemic response to the low NSC forage pellets (fed in small amounts) indicates that they could be a safe feedstuff for ID animals.