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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
  
Location: Woodstown, NJ | I rescued a starving pony. When I took her to the vet, he said she's about 25, maybe close to 30. Of course the people I bought her from (yes, I bought her, I wanted to help her--she was only $175 and they were going to take her to the sale) said she was 14. I never checked her teeth. The vet advised me to just deworm her, feed her well and get her out on the grass. She is just a skeleton, skin on bones. But she is clear-eyed and jogs to me when I come with grain. This morning she tripped and couldn't get up. She layed out flat and I thought was was dying. She closed her eyes when I petted her. But she still wanted her grain so I held the bucket for her. Finally I was able to push her up. I saw her go down another time today but before I got out there she got up. Do you think she's dying already (I really wanted to give her a good life for a while) or could it just be she's so weak from being starved? What do they do when they die of old age? And this is morbid, but how do I go about burying the body? I have 110 acres. Thanks. |
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 King of the Hill
Posts: 9061
Location: Florida | she's probably just weak AND feeble... Keep the groceries coming to her, but make sure it's a Senior feed....and I'd also get her on MSM or Cetyl-M...but all this goes for naught if she hasn't been wormed good... |
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 PBR Queen
Posts: 7763
Location: Sams Valley,OR | I agree with Giddy. I think she is just so weak. I would definetly worm her first, and just keep putting the feed to her but being careful not to founder her or get her colicy on you. Get her on some equine Senior and some glucosamine. Get with your vet and ask what he or she thinks would be a good diet for this horse. I would also have its teeth checked and done if needed. |
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King of the Hill
Posts: 9061
Location: Florida | I would suspect her feet are also a mess...so a farrier visit might also be helpful... They're normally a good source of information too...!! |
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  You just got to get mean and mean it.
Location: Arkansas | When you are through worming her, and she seem's to be getting more spry....go back and worm her for tape worm's. Or you could do that at your next round of worming. I'll bet she's full of them. PonyHoney....you got a good heart. |
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 Extreme Snoop
Posts: 8703
Location: Arkansas | We had a elderly pony for my daughter who started falling with her while she was riding. Our pony was not run down and had no health issues. The vet told me she was like a elderly person and not stable on her feet. There was nothing we could do about it so my daughter had to quit riding her. |
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 World's Greastest Gate Man"
Posts: 6239
Location: Nokomis, FL USA | Sounds like you've been getting some good advice. It also sounds like you have a big heart. Glad the old girl has some love in her life. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 2187
Location: Purcell, Ok. | Another idea... If you have just dewormed her & she did have a parasite overload the dieing off worms could be restricting blood flow to her hind end. So GO slow on the wormer @ first. Deworming is good but the actual sudden cleaning out could be harmful all @ once. Did she go down in the rear end first?.. Goodluck. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| KO - Amen - if she's REALLY wormy - Start SLOW - not that this is anything like that - but I killed 2 barn kittys by worming them too much and they couldn't handle it. I felt TERRIBLE - I was trying to help and I killed them. I stayed up all night with them in the bathroom and they just couldn't make it.
SmokinBandits - BLESS YOUR HEART for taking care of this pony - you sound like an angel.71 |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| Sorry, that "71" was SUPPOSED to be this!  Why it did that, I'm not sure! Hey, keep us posted on the pony please! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: Oklahoma | I saw the pony yesterday. Yes, Smokin has a big heart, I'll tell you. But the pony does have big bright eyes, and there's some spirit left there, too! Something I forgot to tell you, which maybe the vet has already done after the worming, about giving approximately half a tube of Probios or maybe starting on some Fastrak, also. I told Smokin' I bet this pony thinks she's already died and gone to Heaven, with the place that she is living at now! |
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 One Smart Cookie
Posts: 6267
Location: Texas | I would wait on the joint suplments. If shes that old and skiny the joint suplments could shock her sistem and kill her. I would wait till shes on her feet more and has most of her weight back. |
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 Happy Go Lucky
Location: Illinois | Originally written by txbarrelracer on 2004-03-21 8:33 AM I would wait on the joint suplments. If shes that old and skiny the joint suplments could shock her sistem and kill her. I would wait till shes on her feet more and has most of her weight back. I totally agree on the slow rehab to bring her back in condition. Oz from the other board has a rescue farm and gives good advice. Bless your heart for taking care of this little gal. |
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Veteran
Posts: 2187
Location: Purcell, Ok. | Originally written by Griz on 2004-03-21 7:27 AM
KO - Amen - if she's REALLY wormy - Start SLOW - not that this is anything like that - but I killed 2 barn kittys by worming them too much and they couldn't handle it. I felt TERRIBLE - I was trying to help and I killed them. I stayed up all night with them in the bathroom and they just couldn't make it. SmokinBandits - BLESS YOUR HEART for taking care of this pony - you sound like an angel.71 Kitties ohhhhhhhh I love kitties!!! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| I love kitties too and I felt so bad about this. Hallie Munroe's girls gave me those kittens. Several weeks after that happened, they brought me one of the litter mates and the oldest girl (probably 6 at the time) said, "Don't WORM this one!" - I named him Munroe and he is a pampered house cat now! |
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 Care for Canines
Posts: 2341
Location: Cap't Shakira the Dagger | Originally written by SmokinBandits on 2004-03-21 12:16 AM
I rescued a starving pony. When I took her to the vet, he said she's about 25, maybe close to 30. Of course the people I bought her from (yes, I bought her, I wanted to help her--she was only $175 and they were going to take her to the sale) said she was 14. I never checked her teeth. The vet advised me to just deworm her, feed her well and get her out on the grass. She is just a skeleton, skin on bones. But she is clear-eyed and jogs to me when I come with grain. This morning she tripped and couldn't get up. She layed out flat and I thought was was dying. She closed her eyes when I petted her. But she still wanted her grain so I held the bucket for her. Finally I was able to push her up. I saw her go down another time today but before I got out there she got up. Do you think she's dying already (I really wanted to give her a good life for a while) or could it just be she's so weak from being starved? What do they do when they die of old age? And this is morbid, but how do I go about burying the body? I have 110 acres. Thanks. Hi Smokin, you are a angel, to take on this cross, what a special pony! Would you take a minute and call Runfast it is a toll free line, 866-oxy-horse. I know there has been alot of talk about this product line. It is disigned to help the body work more efficiently, helps the heart/ circulatory system, and helps the body function properly. This might help and it can't hurt. I feed it to my 29 year old, and he has started gaining his weight back. I agree with the Sr. feed. it has more of what a Sr. horse needs! Good Luck...Prayers |
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Care for Canines
Posts: 2341
Location: Cap't Shakira the Dagger | Also, Smokin....If she was to pass, she would do so knowing, she had an angel and was safe in your care. Prayers w/ you and your pony, my friend....Myrth |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Aw, you guys made me feel great. I have tears in my eyes. I'm giving her Equine Senior. After a while I plan to add supplements and some corn oil. I dewormed her today and here's the good part--she fought me and jerked back her head. I thought that's a sign of life. She also got a little too close to the fence and my other horse tried to give her a little nip and she kicked up a little and jogged a step or two. The vet said he couldn't do much for her teeth and recommended that we don't bother. However, she doesn't drop any grain--I was surprised. Her feet are in great shape for some reason. KO, when she tripped, it wasn't her back end--I saw her front feet hit a bump (she was rushing for her grain, has a very good appetite) and that's when she went down. I didn't see her go down at all today. Maybe she did, but I didn't see it. Runfast, I'll check out your recommendation. I always wanted to save a horse and now I have some property to do it. I'm not just giving; I'm definitely getting. |
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boon
Posts: 4
Location: Dayton, Texas | We raise miniatures and often people bring us their old and malnourished ponies. I would make sure she is on good grass and in a place that the other horses can not antagonize her. More than likely, she's just malnourished to a point that it's now affecting her strength and balance. Ponies can live into their 40's... so 25 isn't that old for a small pony. We've got a 36 year old shetland that is still going good with my 2 1/2 year old riding her daily when I work my horses. Once she's in a pasture eating good grass... she'll spend time resting while she's gaining weight. When she's down... let her lay no more than about 30 minutes... then get out and stand her up. Her body weight can crush her organs. I would also not worm her for her full body weight. We worm our ponys at 1/2 their body weight every 2 weeks, alternating the type of wormer. Quest isn't a good product for smaller horses because it's so strong, but any mild wormer should be good. When a horse is malnourished you should always start off with a low grade hay and work up. You don't want to shock their system. We usually feed a bahia mix... and work up to a good coastal and alfalfa added to the feed. Don't feed the best feed... and start off feeding MANY small meals a day. Also have her checked for protazoa in the stomach and intestinal track. This has to be a fresh (hot) stool sample and it's usually best to do this at the vet. The vet will give you a medication that you shoot down her throat. Also check her for external parasites. They will also pull her down. Have you have her teeth floated? Many pony's have never had their teeth properly floated because the vets usually don't own a small enough tool to rasp their teeth. I would look around for a mini horse breeder in their area (you can check on Lil Beginnings Miniature Horses- Breeders page for your state)... and contact them for a vet referral of someone in your area. I also would ask the vet to grade her on the body scoring table. Each are of the body is graded a 1-9 (1 being exremely poor, 9- being obese)... you grade them at the heart girth, ribs, tail dock , croup, withers, and shoulders... add up the score and divide it by 6. I also would talk call your local vetrinary college nutrician expert (Texas A&M has a very good Dr. who takes calls if he's available) and ask them about a feed plan for your pony. Good luck and please keep us updated on her progress. And kudos for getting her, even if you had to buy her. I bought a 10 month old mini stallion at an auction 3 weeks ago for $260 that was skin and bones. He's already only 10#'s from catching up with my other yearlings body weight. But I just couldn't leave him there to slip away. |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Bethanie, so much has happened since I posted last. I should post an update. The pony is not small, by the way. About 13 and a half hands. She had lice also. I wasn't happy with the first vet who saw her and called someone else. The second vet broke an abscess that was swelling her face that the first vet told me there was nothing you could do about because it was an old tooth. It drained like you wouldn't believe. I am giving her shots of penicillin now. Thankfully my friend Shaunar showed me how. When I got her I thought she had an ugly face, but now I see that she's not ugly afterall. If anyone rated her, they would rate her extremely poor. She is as skinny as they get and very unthrifty with bald patches and scabs and flaking skin. A real mess. But here's the best news. I've only had her two weeks and you read about how she fell down and couldn't get up and I was thinking I was going to have to put her down--but this morning she got anxious because I was feeding someone else first and she actually LOPED along the pasture fence! I could not believe it! She is on 24 hours bermuda grass, and she is not interested in her hay though she ate it when I first got her and put her in the roundpen. I am giving her Equine Senior with corn oil. I am in the tack business so I have a lot of supplements and plan to start her on something soon--I didn't want to upset her system. I have dewormed her with half a tube of ivermectin. I was considering adding beet pulp or alfalfa cubes to her diet to try to get her to gain weight. What do you think? I'm also wondering how much grain I can get her up to without foundering her? |
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