Optimising Equine Liver Health

Understanding and Support

The liver plays a crucial role in a horse’s overall health and performance. Acting as a metabolic powerhouse, it’s involved in various vital functions like metabolism, detoxification, and waste elimination. However, this organ can be under considerable stress and should not be overlooked in your horse’s care regimen.

Is Your Horse’s Liver Under Stress?

Even a well-cared-for horse can experience liver strain. This might not always be immediately obvious but can manifest in subtle signs like a drop in condition despite a balanced diet. Common stressors include intense training, overly rich diets, and the lactation period for broodmares. It’s essential to address these issues proactively, as prevention is key.

The Liver’s Multifaceted Role

The liver is a multifunctional organ, crucial for filtering toxins, storing nutrients, and producing essential proteins and digestive juices. Even a slightly damaged liver can significantly impact these functions. Therefore, understanding and protecting this organ is paramount for maintaining your horse’s health.

Risks to Equine Liver Health

A balanced diet is critical, as dietary imbalances can harm the liver. Factors like excess protein or starch can overload the liver, underscoring the importance of a diet tailored to your horse’s specific needs and activity levels. Poor-quality proteins are particularly harmful. Monitoring liver health through blood tests for liver enzyme levels can be a useful diagnostic tool.

Enhancing Liver Function

Dietary management is the first step in supporting liver health. Ensure that your horse’s diet is well-balanced, with appropriate protein and energy levels. Different physiological stages, like pregnancy or lactation in broodmares, require specific dietary adjustments to avoid liver strain.

Supplemental Support for Detoxification

Beyond diet, liver support can be enhanced through supplements containing lipotropic factors like choline, sorbitol, and methionine. Natural remedies like black radish and artichoke are beneficial, offering vitamins, amino acids, and other compounds that promote liver health and function.

Comprehensive Liver Care Solutions

For comprehensive support, consider products like ALGUA DIGEST by Paskacheval, which combines plant and algae extracts known for supporting liver function.