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Discussion on 30 yr old not eating!
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Member:
winger
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 3:08 pm:
My 30 year old mare has just over the last 2 days quit eating..I give her soaked hay cube which she has done well on..
I will get the vet up but he isn't opened today so I can't do anything..
I know it could be her teeth..she doesn't appear to be colicking..she just seems lethargic.
I don't know what I should feed for now..I don't usually give grain and I don't think she will eat the beet pulp ..I will give her grain if that's what I should do.thanks
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 3:17 pm:
Winger My old girl slowed down on her eating not too long ago also. She did need her teeth done, they were scratching the inside of her cheeks and making her sore. Until I had the vet out for her teeth 1/2 dose banamine paste helped her eat. Figured if she had a bellyache it would help that too. It was her teeth tho.
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Member:
winger
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 3:23 pm:
wow that was fast..thanks for your thoughts.I don't have access to banamine but I do have bute but I know that could be hard on her stomach.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 4:48 pm:
If you can find Equine Senior, or one of the other complete senior feeds, it would be good to try. They are a complete feed, not too rich and easy to digest. Also, the small pellets are easy for an older horse to chew. You can also make a mush out of them by soaking in water.
Is your mare still drinking o.k.? Have you checked her temperature? Is she showing any signs of desease or distress other than not eating? Personally, I wouldn't give her any meds unless she is showing symptoms of pain or disease.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 5:25 pm:
Yes Sara you are right I forgot about mentioning vitals....Always check them before giving meds. I guess I have gotten into such a habit of it I don't think of that!
Mine all went off their feed last year at this time of the year and were very lethargic. They were eating black locust pods! Their vitals were not normal tho...elevated heart rates. Banamine actually fixed that too! So Winger it Could be anything and they make us figure it out!
Hope your mare is better soon!
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Member:
winger
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 6:48 pm:
thank-you..she is doing better this afternoon trying to eat hay although she can't she is showing some interest..I don't think she is sick but I will check her temp and I will get the vet to check her teeth..I will get some senior feed also..thanks again
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Member:
ekaufman
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Posted on Monday, Oct 27, 2008 - 9:29 pm:
Hi winger,
Well, you are the only one who can see your horse, but whenever any of mine go off food I assume there is internal pain that is fairly acute. It takes a lot for a horse to stop eating completely. I have seen horses eat with shattered legs.
If she isn't eating at all, has she also stopped passing manure? Is she drinking?
Granted there can be some problems with NSAIDs, but not eating for 2 days is guaranteed to have side effects of its own. I'd be inclined to intervene rather than let this run its course, if only to spare the mare suffering if something terrible is wrong. Hard to guess w/o vitals etc..
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008 - 6:55 am:
Hello winger,
The key to your problem is to discover why your horse has quit eating and then correct the problem. Besides the lethargy you report I ask the same questions as above: what are her vital signs and is she producing normal stools? If the horse remains inappetant and lethargic, you should have the vet out as soon as possible.
In the meantime I would not switch to a grain diet and would be cautious about rapid changes of any kind as this can cause problems of its own. You can try enticement by adding foods and flavorings your horse finds particularly delicious.
DrO
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