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Discussion on Yearling - hackney colt - No appetite - thin - rough coat | |
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 4, 2000 - 12:32 pm: I have some friends that raise hackneys and have for years. They have top quality ponies. Last Sept. 1999 they had a colt born. He appeared normal up until they weaned him. They weaned him at about 4 months. He had a VERY long shaggy coat, very small and he refused to eat grain and very little hay. They started him on Calf manna and wormed him. He still didn't eat very well and stayed thin. They finally decided to turn him back out in April. They let him run on 35 acres with some other wealings and yearlings. They just got him back up about a month ago. When they brought him home, they had him turned out on pasture not at their farm. He was sooo THIN, very small the size of a miniature horse. His hair was rough and dull and he never really shedded out over the summer. I noticed that he seems to be very weak in the back end area and he almost walks on the fetlocks in the rear, they are very low to the ground. They have wormed him and started him back on grain and calf manna. They put him out during the day to eat grass. He still does not have an appetite. He does eat the grass and he will eat alittle grain, mostly leaves it and the hay, he eats it but not very willingly. He just looks very weak and unhealthy to me and the owners are concerned. They had the Vet out the other night and he suggested first to just feed him good and they had already wormed himand the Vet said he would look at him later after they had had him up for another month, unless he started to loose more weight. He does not have any diarrehea, but his stools are very little if any. Doesn't drink alot of water. He just basically looks BAD! Can thyroid malfunction cause him not to have an appetite? Any suggestions would be appreciated. They are quite concerned and need to know what other steps they should take. |
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2000 - 7:07 am: Cheri,I have quit doing second hand recommendations. To often in the past they turned out to be exercises in futility. With such general symptoms the "what if's" should be temporarily discontinued and continued and more complete physical exams and labortory work needs to be persued. DrO |
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