Are protein bumps serious?

[Rarah]

As most of you probably know - Logic is on box rest following an accident a couple of weeks ago.

She's normally in pretty hard work for a privately owned horse (at least 5 hours hard schooling a week plus between 4 and 8 hours hacking on a weekend).

Since she's been on box rest I've not decreased her feed (in fact - I suspect she's getting more as she's on full livery and my feed keeps going down at an alarming rate!) as I thought she would need the extra food to help her heal - not really given it much thought.

4 people have commented on Logic's weight over the weekend and my livery yard manager says I must cut her feed right down as she's developed a big protein bump in her tum. When I asked what a protein bump is she said it's like gangrene!! When I picked myself up off the ground she explained that it's more like gout!

Vet is coming this afternoon but I won't be around and they don't always call me with feedback.

Can anyone enlighten me please?

 

[shandy84]

"Protein excess - Normally seen as protein bumps. looks a little like hives.
More common, and as equally damaging, is an excess of protein in the diet, especially in mature horses. Protein which is not used immediately by the horse's system is broken down to release the nitrogen atoms and those nitrogen atoms become bound up as ammonia and urea molecules. The ammonia and urea eventually are excreted in the urine, which leads to increased water intake, increased urination, and a noticeably strong ammonia smell in the stall. Standing in a stall breathing high levels of ammonia can be very irritating to the respiratory passages. Before ammonia and urea can be excreted in the urine, they must be filtered out of the blood--which, over time, can tax the kidneys. It's conceivable that this eventually might lead to decreased renal function, which means the unfiltered urea and ammonia in the bloodstream can exacerbate liver and kidney disease. "


http://home.att.net/~horsenutrition101/