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| To start I am feeding Bluebonnet Intensify Omega Force (to her and my other 2 mares), along with alfalfa and aloe vera juice. I started them on this feed a relatively short time ago - approximately 12 weeks. Mid-January he 2 yo acted very strange/colicky and didn't eat her grain (devoured the hay though). She went to the vet and had worms and ulcers. Now the worms are cleared up (checked by a clean fecal) and she was treated for ulcers for 30 days with omeprazole/randitine paste. After the worms were cleared she started eating again (so about 3 weeks of eating just fine). This morning she went off her feed and hay entirely. She ate perfectly fine last night - licking her bowl - today, nothing. She is drinking/peeing but hasn't pooped all morning; but other than that, her behavior is fine.
The vet is going to run a full bloodwork panel on her - but quite frankly she is stumped. Were starting with the bloodwork and going from there. Were considering treating for ulcers again also.
I'm thinking that the feed has a lot to do with this. Which concerns me so naturally I am wanting to follow the trend of removing processed grains. I'm really not sure where to start with what I should choose... i see talk about alfalfa+rice bran+oats. What do yall suggest and how much? Whatever I switch this filly to i would like to switch my 4 yo (in training) and 15 yo rodeo mare to something similar. |
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 Expert
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| Readytorodeo posted on here last week that her horse acted exactly like yours on the same feed!!!! |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Ideally, I would use the best quality forage you can find, and use the oats and rice bran as only a medium in which to add any supplements you choose to do. Oats (or any grain) should be fed at less than 2 pounds per feeding, really less if possible, as 2 pounds should be the max. Whole oats are dense, so be sure to weigh them. I personally only feed a half - 3/4 scoop of whole oats with a cup of flax seed or BOSS one time daily to mix in my Cur-OST. My horses get alfalfa hay morning and night and stay turned out most of the time. I have one horse that comes in at night. During the summer, they do get some grass, but right now there isn't much to much on beyond weeds. I have bumped my alfalfa up to 2 flakes in the evening and one flake in the morning and all have sustained well. |
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| FLITASTIC - 2016-02-17 11:38 AM
Readytorodeo posted on here last week that her horse acted exactly like yours on the same feed!!!!
I did read this thread! It's weird because my other 2 horses have no problems at all (or at least they haven't shown me any problems...) |
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| Herbie - 2016-02-17 11:40 AM
Ideally, I would use the best quality forage you can find, and use the oats and rice bran as only a medium in which to add any supplements you choose to do. Oats (or any grain) should be fed at less than 2 pounds per feeding, really less if possible, as 2 pounds should be the max. Whole oats are dense, so be sure to weigh them. I personally only feed a half - 3/4 scoop of whole oats with a cup of flax seed or BOSS one time daily to mix in my Cur-OST.  My horses get alfalfa hay morning and night and stay turned out most of the time. I have one horse that comes in at night. During the summer, they do get some grass, but right now there isn't much to much on beyond weeds.  I have bumped my alfalfa up to 2 flakes in the evening and one flake in the morning and all have sustained well.  Â
The alfalfa I have is the best I've been able to find in my area. I have heard (from the vet and other sources) that oats are not digestible but I haven't done my own research on the subject... Are they?
I've fed rice bran before as an additive for a hard keeper and been very pleased. Im feeding 1 flake morning and night right now, so if I did just rice bran and flax seed (and maybe oats) would you think I need to up the alfalfa or I should just play that by ear? The older mares are getting Animal Element right now |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Yes, they are digestible if the hind gut is functioning as it should, but that is the case with any grain we feed. Oats are just more visible in manure than other grains or pellets. Even if seen in the manure, doesn't mean they aren't digestible, just that the hind gut could be improved. I have no issue with oats in my program, however I feed them in very small amounts. If I need more energy, I will increase the amount I feed, but so far, all of my horses are doing great....they aren't hot, but they aren't lethargic like they were on the high fat diets.
I think you'd be fine with your current regimen. I feed the feed you're feeding prior to going this route also and was very concerned with my horses maintaining without the BB feed. I haven't had any issues. |
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| achildres - 2016-02-17 9:45 AM
FLITASTIC - 2016-02-17 11:38 AM
Readytorodeo posted on here last week that her horse acted exactly like yours on the same feed!!!!
I did read this thread! It's weird because my other 2 horses have no problems at all (or at least they haven't shown me any problems... )
Unfortunately with feed contamination issues one horse may be fine and another can get really sick. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| FLITASTIC - 2016-02-17 12:20 PM
achildres - 2016-02-17 9:45 AM
FLITASTIC - 2016-02-17 11:38 AM
Readytorodeo posted on here last week that her horse acted exactly like yours on the same feed!!!!
I did read this thread! It's weird because my other 2 horses have no problems at all (or at least they haven't shown me any problems... )
Unfortunately with feed contamination issues one horse may be fine and another can get really sick.
I thought blue bonnet was an ionophore free facility? |
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 Elite Veteran
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Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I would re treat for ulcers. You cant scope for hind gut ulcers, so that could be the case. Also switch to Renew Gold if you can. It's amazing- I will never feed anything else again. |
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| JLBerry - 2016-02-17 1:07 PM
I would re treat for ulcers. You cant scope for hind gut ulcers, so that could be the case. Also switch to Renew Gold if you can. It's amazing- I will never feed anything else again.
i had all of mine on renew gold for a very long time, but they started looking worse and worse as time went on, so i changed them out of it |
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| The vet just came out, shes running a fever. Poor girl is just sick! Im still considering switching feeds though... |
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| FLITASTIC - 2016-02-17 12:20 PM
achildres - 2016-02-17 9:45 AM
FLITASTIC - 2016-02-17 11:38 AM
Readytorodeo posted on here last week that her horse acted exactly like yours on the same feed!!!!
I did read this thread! It's weird because my other 2 horses have no problems at all (or at least they haven't shown me any problems... )
Unfortunately with feed contamination issues one horse may be fine and another can get really sick.
Blue bonnet is ionophore free. define "sick" when it comes to this though... |
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Expert
Posts: 5290
| achildres - 2016-02-17 11:55 AM
JLBerry - 2016-02-17 1:07 PM
I would re treat for ulcers. You cant scope for hind gut ulcers, so that could be the case. Also switch to Renew Gold if you can. It's amazing- I will never feed anything else again.
i had all of mine on renew gold for a very long time, but they started looking worse and worse as time went on, so i changed them out of it
Me to!!!!My horses went down hill and looked like crud on Renew gold. There have been quite a few others I have talked to said same thing |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| I am sure that it was the feed. I switched her to Triple Crown Sr and Renew Gold. You can use any Sr feed. I feed 2 cups a feeding of the Sr and 1/2 of a 32 ounce cup of Renew. I feed 1 flake of Alfalfa and 1 flake of Timothy twice daily. Jen on here was a big help. I starterd her on the Oxy Ulcer and Oxymax, She started nibling on feed but did not start back full force till I changed the feed. Oxy Ulcer will get both hind and fore gut ulcers. omeprazole will not. Jen is a rep for Oxygen and she can help you. My horse is eating like a pig now. i give her the oxyulcer before her nightly feed. i know a lot of people on here suggest oats. if you have a ulcer horse, you do not want to feed oats. The starch is way too high. She was on Curost before, but nothing has worked as well as the Oxygen.
Edited by readytorodeo 2016-02-17 2:52 PM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I have had several vets tell me that oats are fine to feed a horse with ulcers. My horses had ulcers and I fed Omni cubes which have whole oats in the cube and they really turned around. You just don't need to feed them very much like Herbie said. |
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Expert
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| GLP - 2016-02-17 3:23 PM
I have had several vets tell me that oats are fine to feed a horse with ulcers. My horses had ulcers and I fed Omni cubes which have whole oats in the cube and they really turned around. You just don't need to feed them very much like Herbie said.
I asked my vet and he said definetly no oats. I did the change to oats after talking to Dr Schell. Knowing that it was the wrong thing to do. I had a colic in a matter of days. Vet told me that oats were too high in starch and that to never give to a horse that is a known ulcer horse or ulcer prone. I have had a lot of experience with ulcer issues. And have asked nutritionist and even the vets at A and M. All have said the same thing, no oats. And you want a ulcer horse to have hay in front of them 24/7. Depending on the horse even a a small amount of oats can make them not feel well.
Edited by readytorodeo 2016-02-17 3:42 PM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| readytorodeo - 2016-02-17 3:40 PM
GLP - 2016-02-17 3:23 PM
I have had several vets tell me that oats are fine to feed a horse with ulcers. My horses had ulcers and I fed Omni cubes which have whole oats in the cube and they really turned around. You just don't need to feed them very much like Herbie said.
I asked my vet and he said definetly no oats. I did the change to oats after talking to Dr Schell. Knowing that it was the wrong thing to do. I had a colic in a matter of days. Vet told me that oats were too high in starch and that to never give to a horse that is a known ulcer horse or ulcer prone. I have had a lot of experience with ulcer issues. And have asked nutritionist and even the vets at A and M. All have said the same thing, no oats. And you want a ulcer horse to have hay in front of them 24/7. Depending on the horse even a a small amount of oats can make them not feel well.
Well, all I can say is I did feed a small amount of oats to mine that had ulcers and they are doing great now. It wasn't Dr. Schell who I was referring to but my own personal vets. In fact, one of the vets laughed at me when I asked him about oats being bad for ulcer horses. He's an older vet who works on many performance horses and competes himself. |
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Veteran
Posts: 111
| Change your grain again look into tribute kalm ultra. And forefront equine foredigest as well as the collostrum. Pm me I would be happy to go into detail on the forefront products ?? |
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| She was treated with antibiotics today and some banamine and gobbled up her hay and grain this evening.... UGH shes frustrating and shes not quite 2 yet!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| Just a thought - Bluebonnet is good feed.
When you treat for ulcers with rantidine and omprazole - what happens in the stomach? Less acid is produced to give the lining a chance to heal. What happens in the gut? Less acid = less initial digestion which then can change the downstream hind gut fermentation that happens in horses.
If your ulcer problem is big enough, and in the hind gut, you may need to clean up the ulcers to help prevent colic. And yes, sometimes colic can present with fever and going off feed.
Pull the grain all together, get your ulcer issue fixed (30 days treatment may not have been enough), and up the quality of hay you're feeding - maybe even go to free choice forage too.
There could be a multitude of problems going on that are not all related to just the grain you're feeding.
JMTC. |
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