Things You'll Need
- Veterinarian
- Trailer
- High energy horse feed
Instructions
How to Test for Insulin Resistance in Horses
Contact your veterinarian and make an appointment to have your horse tested. Only a veterinarian can test the horse for insulin resistance. This is not something you can do at home.
Make sure your horse has not eaten before his appointment. Haul him to the vet and give the vet your high energy horse feed. Make sure this is a feed your horse has eaten before, to avoid causing colic.
Allow the vet to test your horse. The veterinarian will feed your horse a large meal of the high energy feed, then, within 60 to 90 minutes after the horse has eaten, the vet will draw blood and screen it for hyperinsulinemia (overly high levels of insulin).
Leave your horse with the veterinarian for further testing if the blood results come back abnormal. Additional testing may take a few days.
Schedule further testing as needed. The veterinarian will administer an oral challenge of glucose to the animal and measure the blood insulin levels over a period of several hours. A proper diagnosis of the cause of the horse's illness will allow for a more effective treatment.