Use of the oral sugar test in ponies when performed with or without prior fasting

Abstract

Background It is recommended that the Oral Sugar Test (OST) for insulin dysregulation (ID) is performed after an overnight fast but fasting is impractical in ponies kept solely at pasture. There are few data on OST repeatability and reliability in ponies. Objectives To report: 1) whether OST results obtained in the morning after an overnight fast or without fasting in the afternoon (FASTING/FED) can be used interchangeably, 2) Tmax[insulin], repeatability and reliability of insulin response to the OST when FASTING or FED, 3) dichotomous agreement (ID/normal) within a small sample when FASTING or FED