55kg Lost After Diagnosis of Laminitis & Insulin Resistance

Nikki has had her 14-year-old Welsh D cross, Jazmine, for 5 years. Together, they compete in show jumping and cross country.

“Jazmine has always been a bit of a chunk and I put this down to her being a part breed native. Over the summer of 2019 she put on weight, as I was living away from home due to work commitments and unable to keep up her exercise regime. Covid-19 then hit and all competitions were cancelled; we had nothing to work towards.”

In November 2020, Jazmine suddenly went lame. Nerve blocks and X-rays were conducted by the vets and a diagnosis of laminitis was given; she was also found to be insulin resistant.

“I contacted Dengie Area Sales Manager, Adam Ford, who had previously been to our yard for a weighbridge clinic and knows Jazmine well. Adam had previously told me she was carrying too much weight and always suggested putting her on soaked hay. Both myself and Jasmine’s owner always brushed it to the side and thought haylage was a much easier option, how wrong we were”.

Due to Covid-19, Adam was unable to visit Jasmine to weigh her again, but he advised on a diet plan. He also suggested regularly weigh taping Jazmine, although not as accurate as a weighbridge, it would help Nikki to monitor Jazmine’s progress to ensure that she was moving in the right direction with her weight loss.

“I followed Adam’s advice and swapped Jazmine straight onto soaked, weighed hay. I continued to feed Dengie Hi-Fi Molasses Free which she loves, making it great for hiding her medication in. Adam also advised to swap the balancer we were feeding to a powdered supplement to further reduce the calories in her ration.”

When Jazmine was first diagnosed with laminitis, the weigh tape showed her weighing 490kg, within the first two weeks of her diet, she was down to 470kg. At the beginning of February 2021, she was weaned off all medication, started getting back into work and weighed 450kg on the weigh tape.

“Adam kept in touch with me on a weekly basis which was very reassuring, I am so grateful to him for his advice and moral support through it all. Jazmine now weighs 435kg on the weigh tape, I think she is the best she has ever looked and the Hi-Fi Molasses Free has given her coat a brilliant shine, that’s the Dengie dazzle!”