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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
  
Location: Canada | Hey we just recently purchased a new horse that is HORRIBLE for drinking water. He'd been out in a pasture with a dugout and seems to refuse to drink from anything but a puddle. Problem is... no puddles and no dugouts here. He has 24/7 access to fresh clean water and refuses to hydrate himself.
Last night at 8:00pm he started to colic. Gave him banamine and started walking until the vet arrived. Did a rectal exam and think it's just a mild case of impaction. Tubed him and gave him mineral oil, electrolytes, and epson salts hoping to move things along. I also put three buckets of water in his stall, one clean water, one iced tea (Canadian version), and one with cherry Gatorade. All night he drank less then an 1/8 of one bucket.
This morning he was still bright and gums good. He had one small dry pile of feces but because he didn't drink what I considered enough so I hauled him to our vet clinic and had them check him over again. Another rectal and while still full of fecal balls they were starting to get shiny from the oils. We tubed him again and this time include more fluids to try to help him along.
Vet doesn't think there is a twist or serious impaction and his gums are good, pain is easily managed, good gut sounds in four quadrants but still nothing. He still not drinking and while he's not dehydrated I'd wish he'd drink something.
Anyone have suggestions for those that refuse to drink??
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Expert
Posts: 1226
| I have one that is like that and always drops weight in summer. I had a friend tell me to give him a tablespoon of baking soda in supplements for 5 days and it really worked. It cleaned him out and he is drinking well and looks a lot better |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Texas home again home again | Put a shallow trough in with him. Fill the bottom with about an inch of sand. Sandbox sand is heavy and you can buy it at the hardware store. You may have to borrow some water from a neighbor to get some that has been sitting out. Then as he starts to drink you can add clean water and eventually you can do away with the sand as well. Keep salt for him to consume free choice. Good luck with him. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I had a vet also recommend baking soda to encourage drinking. I was having one colic from not drinking enough and put him on soaked (very soupy) molasses free beet pulp for the fiber and moisture- kept him from impacting. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 164
| Until you can figure out how to get him to drink, make sure you drench all his food (hay, grain, etc) so at least he is getting some fluids! I'd try putting different flavored gatorate mixed in his water for taste. I don't know about the sand in a water trough idea, but that's not something I would do for fear of them drinking sand. Just a personal opinion though. But a low water trough does make sense, given his background of drinking off the ground. Sprinkle salt on feed as well. |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Get some hydration hay by purina. I have an old mare that goes off water when it gets cold. Works wonders.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | Thanks all for the suggestions. He has a low trough and I put buckets with different flavors of water in to try to encourage drinking. I've never heard of baking soda so I'll give that a whirl.
He needs weight so since he's on 24/7 hay he's only been getting concentrates in small amounts. I've been adding oil but I think I'll start really adding it for a while to ensure we don't have another colic episode soon. He finally passed some mildly shiny fecal balls just now so I'm hoping more starts coming and that we are past where I need to really worry.
Once he starts having some decent loose bowel movements vet recommends watery beetpulp/bran mash for the next three days with only a flake of hay soaked two times per day. Not exactly the calorie count I'd like for him but better to be safe (and hungry) then sorry.
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 Ones with the Hotties
Posts: 1451
Location: Centerburg, OH | I add alfalfa hay or cubes to his wateq. And salt feed. Let the bucket get kinda dirty |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Find a galvinized tub bucket I had one if it was plastic he would drink from he the ole galv fixed the problem |
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Expert
Posts: 1226
| I had never heard of baking soda either but it sure did get him to drink. Good luck it's very frustrating when they don't drink |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| Did you administer an ulcer preventative prior to and throughout the transition of him into your herd and location?
My mare's first symptom of her ulcers bothering her is to stop drinking water like she normally does. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | SuckerForHorses - 2014-09-18 9:22 AM
Did you administer an ulcer preventative prior to and throughout the transition of him into your herd and location?
My mare's first symptom of her ulcers bothering her is to stop drinking water like she normally does.
My first thought was something is wrong with his gut, to use a probiotic....but the ulcer treatment is a great thought, something doesn't feel right. |
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Won't drink water --- Suggestion