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Like every other part of the horse's body, the hoof is a living
structure and depends on the nutrients carried to it by the blood stream
for its growth, strength and repair. The rate of growth and regeneration
of the hoof wall cannot be accelerated by any applications to its
surface. Hoof tissue is nerveless and cannot repair itself.
Replacement by way of new growth is the
only solution to a damaged hoof. New growth, and the rate of new growth,
will be stimulated by the nutrients contained in Ranvet Hoof Food.
The blood vessels supply nutrients as
contained in Hoof Food, to all the vital hoof structures and this is how
the hoof grows, strengthens and regenerates. Painting something onto the
outside of the hoof won't make it grow, you've got to feed it from the
inside!
The coronary band is the primary source of growth and nutrition for the
hoof wall. Ranvet Hoof Food provides high levels of Biotin together with
other essential pre-Keratins which are needed to promote hoof growth and
repair. Biotin has been proved to stimulate horn production, and to lay
it down at a faster rate, not only in the coronary band but also in the
laminate, thus improving the strength and integrity of the periople,
hoof wall, sole, frog and white line junction.
Directions and Dosage Rates: Treatment - 30g daily, mixed through
the feed. Routine Prevention: 15g daily, mixed through the feed.
Pregnant Mares: 60g daily, during the last quarter of gestation. A
measure is provided. One level measure holds 30g of Hoof Food added to a dry feed.
Overall improvement in hoof horn growth and strength generally occurs
within 3 to 5 months. In cases of severe hoof damage, and with very
large horses supplementation should continue for 9 to 12 months, or
longer.
Hoof Food is a hoof growth promoter for
horses. Hoof Food aids in the prevention and treatment of cracked wall,
contracted heels, thin soles, bruised soles, seedy toe, shallow heels,
split frogs, laminitis and shelly feet. The active constituents of Hoof
Food are Biotin (500mg/kg), Gelatin (66.6g/kg), Sulphur (133.3g/kg),
Methionine (286.6g/kg), Choline (6.8g/kg), Zinc (240mg/kg) and Magnesium
(164.7g/kg).
Biotin
Historically referred to as vitamin H, biotin is a sulphur containing
vitamin involved in co-enzyme activity during synthesis of glucose and
formation of fats, RNA and DNA in cells. In adult horses, biotin appears
to be synthesised by microorganisms in the colon (Caroll et al., 1949).
Experimentally induced biotin deficiency has been produced in numerous
species, including people, but not in horses. Deficiency effects that
occur include decreased growth rate; scruffy skin and scaly nonpruritic
dermatosis due to hyperkeratosis of the superficial and follicular
epithelia, depigmentation of the hair around the eyes; weakness,
depression or hyperesthesia; decreased reproductive performance;
diarrhoea; anorexia and weight loss; progressive paralysis or spasticity
of the hind legs; soft friable hooves, cracks on the plantar surface;
and anaemia (Lewis, 1995).
The dietary requirements for biotin in the horse are poorly defined,
however responses have been reported in improving the hardness, growth
rate and quality of the hooves and laminae strength, in conjunction with
calcium, at the rate of 15mg per horse per day. Forages and cereal
grains generally contain 0.1 to 0.7 mg/kg, growing forages have over
0.4mg/kg of highly available biotin, however in most cereal grains it is
poorly available. Biotin has been proved to stimulate horn production,
and to lay it down at a faster rate, not only in the coronary band but
also in the laminate, thus improving the strength and integrity of the periople, hoof wall, sole, frog and white line junction and
supplementation may be helpful in enhancing the repair of hoof defects
and in preventing their recurrence. There is good evidence that biotin
supplementation improves hair coat and hoof strength and decreases the
incidence of heel, heel-horn junction, and sidewall horn cracks and
lameness in swine (Bryant et al., 1985). Biotin supplements are widely
marketed and used for improving horses’ hooves and horses with thin
brittle hoof walls, cracks in the weight-bearing border of the coronary
horn with crumbling of the lower edges of the walls with thin brittle,
tender soles, or open white lines that are prone to infection, may
benefit from prolonged biotin supplementation (Lewis, 1995).
Horses with
these hoof conditions were reported to display marked improvement within
5 months of giving 15 mg/day to Thoroughbreds and twice this amount to
draft horses (Comben et al., 1984, Wintzer, 1987). Improvement in the
hooves was reported in all 55 horses treated in these two reports. In
another study, biotin supplementation was shown to be of significant
benefit in a double blind study of 42 Lipizzaner stallions, 90% of which
had the hood conditions described above (Linden et al., 1993). The diet
of the horse showing clinical signs described above should be adequate
in protein and calcium, and 3mg of biotin per 100kg body weight should
be added to the diet daily. Improvements may be evident within 3 to 6
months of biotin supplementation, with continued improvement noted for
up to 12 months, at which time biotin supplementation may be
discontinued (Comben et al., 1984, Wintzer, 1987).
However, an increase
in hoof strength may take 1.5 years to occur and continue to increase
with biotin supplementation for up to 3 years. A small amount (0.2 to
0.3 mg/100kg body weight/day, or 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg of diet) fed
continuously may be beneficial in maintaining good hoof structure and
preventing recurrence in some horses. Ranvet’s Hoof Food provides the
suggested level of 15mg biotin in a 30g scoop.
Gelatin
Gelatin is defined as a "product obtained from partial hydrolysis of
collagen derived from natural sources such as skin, connective tissue,
and bones of animals". It is an easily digestible protein that contains
all the essential amino acids except tryptophan. In the pharmaceutical
health industry, gelatin is used to make the shells of hard and soft
capsules for medicines, dietary/health supplements, syrups, etc. It is
highly digestible and serves as a natural protective coating for
medications (GMIA, 2001).
Sulphur
Sulphur is needed as a constituent of several amino acids (methionine,
cystine, and cysteine) and vitamins (biotin and thiamine), as well as a
number of other body constituents (e.g. coenzyme A, heparin, insulin,
glutathione, lipoic acid, taurine, and chondroitin sulphate (a component
of cartilage, bone, tendons, and blood vessels)). The concentration of
sulphur containing amino acids, and therefore sulphur is highest in hoof
and hair, which contain the protein keratin which is 4% sulphur. Keratin
is necessary for the maintenance of the skin, hair and hoof, helping to
give strength and hardness to these protein tissues. In horses, tensile
strength of hooves was positively associated with sulphur content (Ley
et al., 1998). In other species, a sulphur deficiency decreases
appetite, growth, hair or wool growth and milk production and in the
mature animal results in weight loss (Lewis, 1995).
Methionine and Choline
Methionine is metabolically linked with cysteine and choline and is
necessary for producing the protein keratin, contained in the hoof wall
(TAP, 2001). Methionine is located mainly in the stratum basale and in
the stratum spinosum of the matrix and in the secondary epidermal
laminae of the laminar layer (Ekfalck et al., 1990) of the hoof and is
essential for optimum growth and nitrogen balance and is one of the
major nutrients necessary in the production of premium hoof quality.
There exists an interrelationship between choline and methionine.
Methionine provides methyl groups which can be used for choline
synthesis. This interrelationship indicates that the ration requirement
for choline depends on the level of methionine. If the methionine level
is high enough, it decreases the need for choline. It is important
however to ensure that adequate choline is provided so that methionine
will not be depleted for choline synthesis. Extra choline will spare
methionine which might otherwise be used to synthesise choline (Cunha,
1980).
Zinc and Magnesium
Zinc is a co-factor in over 200 enzymes in metabolism, is essential in
bone, cartilage and hoof formation and health of skin, and is critical
to good hoof health in many species. Zinc improves hoof health through
keratin synthesis and maturation, wound healing, and epithelium
maintenance (Berger). Yager and Scott (1985) reported that a deficiency
of zinc may be a cause of hoof horn defects. Zinc is also reported to be
important in claw horn formation in cattle (Ballantine et al., 2002) and
deficiencies in chicks results in retarded growth and foot abnormalities
(McDonald et al., 1988). University research studies (Moore, 1989) have
shown that zinc methionine provides dramatically improved hoof
condition, i.e., hoof texture, reduces number and severity of cracks,
and reduces infections associated with cracking in dairy cattle.
Magnesium is closely associated with calcium and phosphorus and is an
essential constituent of bones and teeth and is needed in many body
functions as an activator of enzymes (Cunha, 1980). Low magnesium in the
diet has been associated with laminitis (founder) in some species (Pfalzbot,
1005), a term used to describe inflammation of the sensitive laminae
that cover the pedal bone inside the hoof. The condition can be acute or
chronic and is usually confined to the front feet though all four feed
may be involved (Hawcroft, 1990). Supplementation of magnesium may play
a key role in the prevention of laminitis where dietary intakes are
inadequate.
Taken together, Hoof Food provides high levels of Biotin together with
other essential pre-Keratins which are needed to promote hoof growth and
repair. There are a number of Biotin supplements on the market, however
many are poorly concentrated. Ranvet’s Hoof Food is highly concentrated
and will provide the recommended levels of biotin as suggested by
scientific research groups.
References
Ballantine, H.T. et al., 2002. Effect of feeding complexed zinc,
manganese, copper and cobalt to late gestation and lactating dairy cows
on incidence and severity of claw lesions. Proceedings of the 12th
International Symposium on Lameness in Ruminants, Orlando (Florida) pp
241-3.
Berger, L.L. Zinc: Nutritional and Pharmacological Roles. Salt
Institute, University of Illinois. http://www.saltinstitute.org/publications/stm/stm10.html
Bryant, K.L. et al., 1985. Supplementation biotin for swine III. J. Anim.
Sci. 60, 154-162.
Carroll, F.D., Goss, H., Howell, C.E., 1949. The synthesis of B-vitamins
in the horse. J. Anim. Sci. 8, 290.
Comden, N., Clark, R.J., Sutherland, D.J.B., 1984. Clinical observations
on the response of equine hoof defects to dietary supplementation with
biotin. Vet Rec. 22/29, 642-645.
Cunha, T.J., 1980. Horse Feeding and Nutrition. New York, Academic
Press.
Ekfalck, A. et al., 1990. Distribution of labelled cysteine and
methionine in the matrix of the stratum medium of the wall and in the
laminar layer of the equine hoof. Zentral. Vet. A. 37, 481-91.
Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America, 2001. What is Gelatin?
http://www.gelatin-gmia.com/html/qanda.html
Hawcroft, T., 1990. A-Z of Horse Diseases and Health Problems. Lansdowne
Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia.
Ley, W.B., Scott Pleasant, R., Dunnington, E.A. 1998. Effects of season
and diet on tensile strength and mineral content of the equine hoof
wall. Equine Vet. J. Suppl. 26, 46-50.
Linden, J. et al., 1993. The effect of D-biotin supplementation in
Lipizzaner horses. Proc. Equine Nutr. Physiol. Soc. Symp. pp58-63.
McDonald, P., Edwards, R.A., Greenhalgh, J.R.D., 1988. Animal Nutrition.
Moore, et. al. (1989) Effects of Zinpro® Zinc Methionine on Hoof Growth
Rates. Trans. Ill. Acad. Sci. 82:99, Proceedings of 1993 Nutrition
Seminars, Zinpro Corporation. Longman Scientific and Technical, England.
Pfalzbot, G., 2005. Hoof Trimming in Goats. http://www.goatworld.com/articles/feet/footcare.shtml
TAP, 2001. “Methionine” Livestock. National organic standards board
technical advisory panal review for the USDA national organis program.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NationalList/TAPReviews/methionine.pdf
Wintzer, H.J. as reported by Hintz, H.J., 1987. Biotin. Equine Pract. 9,
4-5.
Yager, J.A., Scott, D.W., 1985. Pathology of Domestic Animals. 3rd edn.
Vol 1. Eds Jubb, K.V.F., Kennedy, P.C., Palmer, N. New York, Academic
Press. p 481.
Group One Seal of Quality
Ranvet Hoof Food puts your horses on the cutting edge of high
performance feeding. Products that carry the Group One Seal of Quality
are formulated to meet the requirements of racing at Group One level -
the highest level of competition - by Ranvet; the name you can trust for
quality.
Ranvet's Hoof Food is available in two
pack sizes, namely, 600g (20x 30g doses) and 2kg tub (66 x 30g doses).
Where to get it
Click here for list of stockists
Contact your local feed supplement supplier, veterinary surgeon or for
your nearest stockist call the Ranvet Technical Information Hotline on
1800 727 217.
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