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 Expert
Posts: 2276
  
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | I've posted about my gelding that just didn't have the weight on him like he should. Well, I have him on ulcer meds...I've used several different weight gaining supplements...Ive changed grains..he had his teeth done early summer and now not only is he just not gaining...he is LOSING! I feel like he looks like I'm neglecting him while all 4 other horses look awesome. I guess my last resort is a vet trip to see if he can tell me why this is happening :(
Guess I just needed to vent and have a little pity party over here. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | did you have blood drawn? what is his calories daily? |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Teeth could still be an issue. We had one get skinny in a short time and she had a cap split in two and lodge in her gums. It became infected. I would also do a blood panel. Good luck to you, it is so stressful not knowing. |
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Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | It's just so crazy. I've owned him since he was a 3 year old...he's 7 now and I haven't changed anything and he looked really good up until about this time last year. I haven't had blood work done yet I haven't had him to the vet yet and I'm not 100% positive on calories. I feed oats from the feed mill with molasses added. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | what hay and how many lbs? hiow many lbs oats?
is it cold there and do you blanket.. so many things can cause this.
if I knew he was getting proper calories and was blanketed in winter knowing he was a hard keeper and was provided good quality hay and had teeth done Id do blood. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| What kind of hay, quality, and how much? They get most of their digestible energy and protein from hay and if they're on pasture. The grain and supplements are used to fill in what they're not getting from pasture and/or hay. I know epm has become a "catch all" diagnosis but I would really test for it. I would also look into adding alfalfa into his diet if not already. Helps with ulcer prevention, easier to digest, and he could probably benefit from the extra energy and protein. I wouldn't worry about it making him hot because his body will use it, especially if he's under weight. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | I would have a blood chemistry done to make sure nothing is going on. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | if you only feed oats you need to research and know the proper minerals he needs and hay etc.. |
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Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | He gets 2 regular feed scoops 2x a day. We feed 1st cut alfalfa round bales and he gets a heaping pile morning, when SO gets home around 3 and then another at feeding time at night. He gets 1 squirt of ulcer shield at each feeding and gets 2 scoops of cool calories at each feeding. He is out on pasture during the week for at least 2 hours but the grass isn't much good anymore. On the weekends he's out almost all day and I throw hay out for them. It's been in the 40s-50s here lately. Sometimes a little cooler and he isn't blanketed. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Id be having blood work done and id blanket him when it gets colder and free choice hay.doesnt sound like hes getting enough hay.. a heaping pile am and pm.. and no pasture.. isnt enough.
Edited by Bibliafarm 2014-11-08 12:44 PM
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Wormer? |
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Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | SG. - 2014-11-08 2:09 PM
Wormer?
He's wormed regularly. How much should he be getting? I really think I feed more in hay than when I fed squares. I stopped feeding squares probably 3 years ago. |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| Are you feeding any grass hay? |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I would cease and desist with the oats/molasses. Both can cause digestive imbalance, especially molasses. I would weigh your hay and consider putting it in a net to make sure it lasts longer. Weigh to make sure he's getting enough, you can put it in a net and weigh with a hanging scale (about 5 bucks from walmart). My big horses are eating about 20 lbs alfalfa, and my little cow bred gets about 15 lbs, plus everybody but the cow pony get free choice grass hay.
A great fat/carb source that doesn't cause ulcers is rice bran. I feed 1-2 lbs a day to my ulcer prone guys. Some people on here are totally against rice bran, but I've never had a bit of problem, make sure you get the stabilized stuff. I like Cool Calories too, but you're not feeding enough of it. I really like Ultium, my 1300 lb race bred gets 3 lbs with his alfalfa and is in good shape without any supplements but SmartGut GI and Forco.
Put a blanket on him if it's under 60 degrees.
I'm finally able to get Renew Gold from Tractor Supply. Picked my order up today, switching my ulcer prone horses to it, plus the little cow bred. I haven't decided whether my giant hard keeper will continue with Ultium yet. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| fulltiltfilly - 2014-11-08 12:19 PM
I would have a blood chemistry done to make sure nothing is going on.
This. I just had this done on one of mine. Even though the vet found an infected tooth I still insisted on blood work. Turns out he's early stages of cushings. Same thing, just not bake to hold weight despite good food and dental care. Cushings cam start as young as 7. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| classicpotatochip - 2014-11-08 2:08 PM
I would cease and desist with the oats/molasses. Both can cause digestive imbalance, especially molasses. I would weigh your hay and consider putting it in a net to make sure it lasts longer. Weigh to make sure he's getting enough, you can put it in a net and weigh with a hanging scale (about 5 bucks from walmart). My big horses are eating about 20 lbs alfalfa, and my little cow bred gets about 15 lbs, plus everybody but the cow pony get free choice grass hay.
A great fat/carb source that doesn't cause ulcers is rice bran. I feed 1-2 lbs a day to my ulcer prone guys. Some people on here are totally against rice bran, but I've never had a bit of problem, make sure you get the stabilized stuff. I like Cool Calories too, but you're not feeding enough of it. I really like Ultium, my 1300 lb race bred gets 3 lbs with his alfalfa and is in good shape without any supplements but SmartGut GI and Forco.
Put a blanket on him if it's under 60 degrees.
I'm finally able to get Renew Gold from Tractor Supply. Picked my order up today, switching my ulcer prone horses to it, plus the little cow bred. I haven't decided whether my giant hard keeper will continue with Ultium yet.
That's how I feed, too. Good advice. Why in the world are some against rice bran? |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| Rice bran cause Floyd to get diarreah... Just because you wormed him doesn't mean he doesn't have worms... Have you powerpacked him... I wormed Floyd and the had fecal done... He still had baby worms and was suggested I do a power pack on him. AND like many have said 2 scoops HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH? So many people say scoops but feeds weigh differently it is extremely important to know the weight of YOUR feed in YOUR scoop... a horse that should weigh 1200 pounds but currently weighs 1000 pound needs to be fed like his weight should be.. This calculates to 24 pounds of FOOD per day... that is hay, grain and any supplements he's getting. |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Also have vet evaluate for EPM. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would treat the horse with omeprazole for ulcers, I don't use herbal ulcer meds.
Also I would be giving him atleast 30lbs of hay
For a pelleted feed, I would feed a high protein, I like buckeye grow and win, I feed the recommended amount, then I would add flax I feed about a cup per feeding. I would put the horse on probiotics to get the gut working at the max
For worming, I would have a fecal done and worm as directed
Teeth, I have one horse who needs hers done every 6 months especially if I am riding her.
I would no longer ride the horse till he is gaining weight.
I would also get the hay tested to see what the nutrient value is, since it is only first cut, the content may not be as high as you think.
After I test the hay and that comes back good then I would do blood work |
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Blessed
Location: Here | lexyy12 - 2014-11-08 1:17 PM SG. - 2014-11-08 2:09 PM Wormer? He's wormed regularly. How much should he be getting? I really think I feed more in hay than when I fed squares. I stopped feeding squares probably 3 years ago.
What kind |
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 Expert
Posts: 2041
Location: home for the winter...what a dumb idea | Drop molasse add raw soybean oil. Much better has B vitamins and omegas. Also if you have over wormed you could have killed off the good bacteria in his hind gut ....try starting him on a probiotic . Don't just worm him have a fecal done. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I would just to rule out epm. Go on pathogenes, dr. Ellerison in florida. Test is 40.00 you can pull you on blood. Get a red top tube from dog vet. Send to her 38.00 there is a form on website. She has 2 other test one is lyme also. The uc davis test came back neg. Hers is supposed more sensitive test. My horse failed nero, and when uc davis came back negative. Vet changed his mine tried to tell me horse had back problems which i knew was bs. Treated horse no,soreness in si now that has been non stop for over a year. Now when i do tail pull he really pulls away and his hair coat looks better and he looks like i have been riding him, hemis getting muscles. I haven been riding because i hqve been sick for 3 weeks. I,will get him ridden this week even if imhave to,pay someone. I will know in 2 weeks i,have him entered i a show. I know he is better, but it will take time for him to know better. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | as for amounts of hay. I was always told that you know you are giving enough when you find scraps left in the stall or feed area when you go to put out more. Providing it is good hay. So if you feed in a stall at night and go out in the moring to feed if that stall is free of every scrap of hay he could use more. I try to do this unless I have a horse that is just a beast and a hoover vacuum then they get a slow feed hay bag to try to stretch what they can have for as long as possible.
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I'm just so confused