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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 937
  
| Updated with his one month pictures.
I bought a ten year old gelding that is pretty underweight as a project. What is the best feed, hay, supplement to get his weight back up? We have a 12 percent protein textured feed that we get from the local mill, doesn't have molasses. I believe it is 6% fat. I was thinking of feeding free choice hay, alfalfa pellets, and rice bran along with that. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
Edited by sourkiss378 2015-04-27 12:31 PM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
 
Location: Kansas | when my gelding was underweight, I fed gleam & gain 60, then forco as well. Also ultium because it was higher fat/low starch. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | I think you're on the right track, I would have said rice bran and alfalfa! Also, deworm (for new horses I like to do a "modified" power pak. I tube of safegard and follow up with another tube in a week-10 days) |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | I have a hard time keeping weight on one of mine so I treated him for ulcers and then changed his feed to Ultium, with added Amplify, some alfalfa hay, and Equisure and boy did he pack on the weight. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | If you think he might have ulcers I would treat him for that first.I like GastroPLUS but you can use what you like. But if not then I would use THE Muscle Mass. Has helped a whole bunch with my horses. Was pleased at the changes within the first month. Also have you tried feeding him some beet pulp? This also helps add weight. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I think you're right on the mark. The best bang for the buck I have found has been alfalfa cubes or pellets or top notch alfalfa hay. But I think it takes an all around approach like you're doing. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 937
| I won't be picking him up until this Friday but I am getting his teeth done next week and his feet done this weekend. I will talk to my vet about getting him some medicine for Ulcers just in case. I've tried the amplify in the past and had pretty good results so I may try that again. Thanks for all of the suggestions ladies!! Pray for me & him both please. Its going to be a long hard road! |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | You could also add a little oil for added calories without much bulk. I have had great results with just cheap corn oil but you can also get flax oil and other oils that are probably better for them but I haven't had any negative effects from just corn oil and for the price you can't go wrong. I use it just long enough to get the weight on that I like and then I take them off of it. Once I get the weight up it is pretty easy to maintain with alfalfa. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 937
| The poor guy is much more underweight than I orginally thought he would be when I picked him up this past Friday. As of now I have him on a 12% protein 3.5% fat textured feed. He is getting rice bran and standlee shredded alfalfa/timonthy mix and a farriers formula hoof supplement. He is also getting free choice hay and the grass is starting to show up in the pasture now & has been wormed.
My question is when can I safely put him on omperazole to treat for ulcers? Also I have been thinking that I would eventually like to put him on T.H.E. Muscle Mass with special blends to cut down on supplements and have an all in one. When would be a safe time to add this to his feed?
Thanks everyone! |
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Omeprazole ASAP! I don't care when you add the supplement. Just a piece of advice you can take or leave, take pics if you don't see improvement in 2 weeks, I think you should head to the vet for blood work and or fecal. |
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Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | maybe a ration balancer? But in my opinion......3% fat in your feed just isn't going to cut it.. You need a feed with a higher fat content than that if you want to see results. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 937
| LMS - 2015-03-26 2:45 PM Omeprazole ASAP! I don't care when you add the supplement. Just a piece of advice you can take or leave, take pics if you don't see improvement in 2 weeks, I think you should head to the vet for blood work and or fecal.
Since he is so underweight the omeprazole won't cause any complications will it? This Saturday he is scheduled at my vet for vaccinations and to get his teeth floated. I will go ahead and have him do blood work or a fecal while I'm there. Thanks for the suggestion! |
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Hoofs:
The extra fat is coming from the rice bran.
I'm wondering if you shouldn't wait for the vets opinion on starting ANYTHING new, I had assumed you had his teeth done already and have been feeding him heavier for 5-10 days, if that were the case then yes to the omeprazole ASAP, but if you're going really soon, wait for the vets thoughts, it wouldn't hurt.....
Is he eating all of his food? |
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 Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | I bought a mare that was on death's door she was so skinny and we have her on a 12% feed, alfalfa cubes soaked and rye, oats and clover grass periodically and she is putting serious weight on. We did have some rice bran thrown in to begin with, but had to stop it because she was gaining so fast that I didn't want to over do it. I'd use THE too, but we haven't put her on it yet because she is doing fantastic on her own. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | He isnt emaciated is he? Where would he be on the body scale? Just a word of caution,,,,IF he is bonafide starved, you have to be very very carefull adding food back into his diet. They can/will go into organ failure because their body just cant process feed efficiently anymore. Small meals often is key if this is the case and build up slowly. They tend to do well at first and the crash about the 10th day. I would have the vet evaluate him immediately and let him advise you. Typically one of the first things is a blood builder like Lixotinic or red cell, small meals often, bloodwork and build from there. |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but please make sure that the mill you are getting your feed from is ionophore free. |
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Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | I can't see the picture and I really wanted to.... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 937
| I just got him this past friday on 3/20. I don't want to overload his system at all. I'm not sure what body scale he would be considered. I can't post pictures from my work computer but can text them to somebody if they want to post them for me.
This is his pedigree.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/victorysgotalotahope
Edited by sourkiss378 2015-03-26 3:34 PM
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Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | sourkiss378 - 2015-03-26 3:33 PM I just got him this past friday on 3/20. I don't want to overload his system at all. I'm not sure what body scale he would be considered. I can't post pictures from my work computer but can text them to somebody if they want to post them for me.
I'll try.
[email protected]
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Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | sourkiss378 - 2015-03-26 3:33 PM I just got him this past friday on 3/20. I don't want to overload his system at all. I'm not sure what body scale he would be considered. I can't post pictures from my work computer but can text them to somebody if they want to post them for me.
This is his pedigree.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/victorysgotalotahope
It's a nice pedi. I'm not a Holland Ease fan, but lot's of people really like them and my experience with them is limited so....
I think the trick, if there are no underlying reasons for the condition that he is in, is just slow and steady. Watch him close. You can add THE in anytime. That's why we backed up on our mare. She was putting it on fast and, truthfully, that was the problem....they didn't feed her anything. So, we just watch her and don't let her over do it. |
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