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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 871
  
Location: Bama | I have an older horse (20yo) that is loosing his topline. Beside checking teeth and getting a fecal done, what else can the vet check? I had his teeth checked about two months ago by my vet and was told they were fine. And I've dewormed him twice over the past four months (ivermectin then quest plus). He gets a pelleted feed with rice bran, joint supplement, and forco twice a day and is on a pasture with grass up to his knees. He's still losing his topline and is a bit ribby. I'm going to take him to a different vet to check his teeth again and possibly any other testing he may need. Any advice or suggestions would be awesome! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| Probably unable to digest properly and absorb nutrients, I would try a probiotic, besides forco |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | How much fat and calories is horse getting.. possibly he needs more..what grain? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 871
Location: Bama | He was getting app 8lbs of
http://www.tuckermilling.com/senior.html
With two solo cups full of rice bran which I think is about 3/4-1# each. That is split into two feedings. Plus all the grass he can eat.
After reading about all the issues with feed companies I contacted Tucker Milling, and they sent theirguidelines etc. However for a month, I was finding corn in the feed, so I switched to total equine about a week ago and am still adding rice bran. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| When I switched to Total Equine my horse totally lost his top line. I have struggled to get it back. Feeding alfalfa, Renew Gold a good vitamin/ mineral supplement and some pasture time and grass hay and it has come back somewhat. Also the vet said his teeth weren't bad, just needed to knock off a few points. A couple months later a good vet/equine dentist came down and couldn't believe I had had his teeth worked on at all. I did notice a difference after that, too. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 871
Location: Bama | GLP - 2015-07-19 10:38 AM
When I switched to Total Equine my horse totally lost his top line. I have struggled to get it back. Feeding alfalfa, Renew Gold a good vitamin/ mineral supplement and some pasture time and grass hay and it has come back somewhat. Also the vet said his teeth weren't bad, just needed to knock off a few points. A couple months later a good vet/equine dentist came down and couldn't believe I had had his teeth worked on at all. I did notice a difference after that, too.
I've heard the Total Equine makes them gain muscle/loose fat but this is my first time trying it. I'm planning to give it two months or so. If I don't see an improvement or if things get worse, I'll try something else. He's only been on it for a week. Hopefully it'll work well for my guy and not make him worse :( |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| The young horses looked amazing on it but my then 7 year old fell apart so bad. I even talked to the vet who designed the feed. I didn't get any satisfactory answers/help so I quit feeding it. My suspicion is that the corn in the feed upset his particular digestive system. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | there are a few feeds that make horses loose muscle and looks danky on and I feel TE is one.. but thats just my experience.. alot of elders do start losing them though.. I add soak beet pulp and alfalfa cubes to my older horses and it helps wonders
Edited by Bibliafarm 2015-07-19 4:04 PM
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | If any of the feed contains creatine supplement pull him off it. It pulls the fat off a horse to create muscle, fine for a young horse but an old horse needs that fat. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | Ivermectin and quest plus are in the same "family" of dewormers. you may want to alternate with a fenbendazole or pyrantel in-between. But I am a firm believer of doing fecal egg counts and then fecal egg reduction tests to see if your dewormer worked in the first place. Say he doesn't respond to ivermectin, odds are he won't respond to moxidectin.
Edited by casualdust07 2015-07-19 3:58 PM
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | My horse had EPM - her declining top line was the only indicator of it.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 871
Location: Bama | How was your horse tested for epm? Blood? CSF? What's the treatment?
Out of nutrena, purina, and triple crown, what's the best? Or should I mix my own? |
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Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | palominopaintlover - 2015-07-19 4:38 PM How was your horse tested for epm? Blood? CSF? What's the treatment? Out of nutrena, purina, and triple crown, what's the best? Or should I mix my own?
Tested and treated through www.pathogenes.com via my vet. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | Honestly, we switched ours to safe choice original and alfalfa cubes, 1 scoop feed and 1/2 scoop cubes and I've never seen a better Topline on our two and that was before they were being used at all! They're on good pasture as well, and recently daily essentials from formula 707 and they're looking better every day! We switched from omalene 200.... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 871
Location: Bama | Brrlracengirl - 2015-07-19 7:09 PM
Honestly, we switched ours to safe choice original and alfalfa cubes, 1 scoop feed and 1/2 scoop cubes and I've never seen a better Topline on our two and that was before they were being used at all! They're on good pasture as well, and recently daily essentials from formula 707 and they're looking better every day! We switched from omalene 200....
I'm thinking I may do something similar for this guy. I was actually looking at the alfalfa pellets and different types of safechoice on the tractor supply site a bit earlier. I just hate to keep switching so much. I'm sure that'll throw him out of balance.
How soon have y'all noticed a difference with feed changes? I swear my 4.5month old filly already looks better. Granted she'll scarf down 2-3x the TE than the other stuff I was feeding. |
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