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Laura Miller
Member
Username: Lmiller1
Post Number: 15
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, Oct 12, 2005 - 9:25 pm: |   |
Okay my TB mare is approximately 19 years old. I 2 years ago with the intent to bred her but her weight continues to be a huge problem. When I got her she had just weaned a huge warmblood foal and was very run down. I think I bought her mostly to get her away from her former owners thinking they weren't taking good care of her. Since I've had her she has had her teeth floated and checked twice, wormings, shots, everything a older horse could possibly need but she still doesn't like to eat. She is what my husband calls a nosher. She will only eat a few bites here and there and it will take her all night to eat 3 scoops of sweet feed and all day to eat the same for the morning and sometimes doesn't even eat that fast. Grazing is the same way little here a little there and mostly a whole lot of standing around. Needless to say she is constantly underweight. I've tried extra molasses, veggie oil, corn oil, suppliments, still nothing gets her interested enough to actually eat like most horses do. I've had everything checked and recheck and nothing is wrong with her physically other than she look like a coat rack most of the time. Has anyone else out there run into a problem of this sort? In all my life I've always had to worry about horses eating too much, but I could leave her with an open barrel of feed and she would never eat enough to get even a gas pain. Can anyone think of something that will peak her interest? |
Ann
Member
Username: Dres
Post Number: 627
Registered: 10-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, Oct 12, 2005 - 10:57 pm: | |
have you thought about ulcers...???
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with SPOTS.. |
WTG
Member
Username: Angel77
Post Number: 49
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 13, 2005 - 2:37 am: | |
Dear Laura,
Can you post a photo of your horse?? I have a 28yr old mare with Cushins disease. So I am interested in what Dr.O has to say.
Has the vet who floated her teeth checked for possible signs of a tooth abscess? Or has she been tested for Cushins? I am not saying she has either of these problems. I am attempting to rule out such things.
I had two TB geldings that had to be free fed because their metabolism was such, that-that is what they needed. Both of them were off the track and both did race. Most of the time for the first year they were very nervous about everything. Of course I consulted 3 vets before I began to free feed.
Then I would leave a full bucket of pellets a mix of alfalfa, bermuda & timothy, 1/2 of a trash can of A&M or O&M in addition to their hay which was always 2 good flakes 3X daily(they did not always finish the hay) but they put a good size dent in their buckets and trash cans of food. As a supplement I used Source(Mineral Supp),Mirra coat for fat and always a sprinkle of trace mineral salt,and wormed every other month. It worked for both my horses. We did start out slowly increasing their feed until I got the hang of what they wanted.
Could she be upset about the foal not being around? Does she have a good companion? I have found older horses to be very loyal to their friends and miss them when they are gone.
Is she sound? Does she work? Does she live outside in a large area? Does she live in a box stall?
My thoughts are with you and your mare. I hope you find the answer soon.
Good Luck
WTG |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 13897
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 13, 2005 - 8:18 am: | |
A few thoughts Laura, one being none of things you list a horse usually considers tasty with the possible exception of molasses. You should be experimenting with different concentrates, hays, grains, alfalfa, and beet pulp. You should be trying them dry or as a mash etc...
I think the ulcer idea has merit and for other ideas on dealing with this see, Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Weight Loss in Horses » Overview of Chronic Weight Loss.
DrO |
Ellie Leo
Member
Username: Skye
Post Number: 112
Registered: 5-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 13, 2005 - 11:13 am: | |
Hi, Laura. With a 21-year-old mare who has exhibited identical symptoms, I got great results with Ulcergard. Not cheap, but effective! Gastrogard seems to be more expensive and requires a prescription. Ulcergard is identical in formulation and made by the same company. Talk to your vet; my mare quite possibly had ulcers for years, sadly. What I'm finding, though, is that any stress seems to bring them on again.
I wish you the best. It's so frustrating to have a thin horse turn up her nose at food.
Ellie
Oh, Ulcergard can be bought at medi-vet.com |
Cathy Simmons
New Member
Username: Sashasim
Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 13, 2005 - 7:28 pm: | |
I had an orphan weanling that wasn't very interested in food and it turned out she had an ulcer. I gave her over the counter zantac and it worked wonders. I can't fill her up now. |
Laura Miller
Member
Username: Lmiller1
Post Number: 16
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 13, 2005 - 11:19 pm: | |
Wow! I never thought about an ulcer. That could possibly be the problem and I will try the Ulcergard and see if that helps. Dr. O, thanks for the input and I have tried all the different feeds and feed alternatives and still nothing so an ulcer may be to blame. She really does not exhibit any telling signs of Cushings like excessively long coat or urinating too much. I am really hopeful that it is ulcers and can be helped by antiacids. I am going to start her tomorrow on the ulcergard and see what the next week brings. Thank you all so much for your help and I will make sure to keep you informed. |
