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  Discussion on Suggestions for weight gain after tooth surgery
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New Member:
justy

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010 - 6:27 pm:

My 20 yr old TB sustained a tooth fracture of his front incisor the middle of August. There was no appreciable tooth looseness and my examining vet suggested daily flushing of the divot at the gumline and daily removal of debris in the longitudinal crack in the hopes of maintaining/saving the tooth.. My horse continued to eat, drink, graze and sustain weight for the next four weeks

The tooth has deteriorated to the point that it needs to be surgically removed under general anesthesia next week and I am concerned about the weight loss that my boy has sustained up to this point. The tooth is infected and the bute he is on compromises his appetite.

He has Cushings and had maintained a good weight with unlimited hay and a pelleted complete feed made for horses with Cushings (LMF Complete -2lbs twice a day plus one lb of rice bran twice a day. I also added 1 scoop of a pelleted oil product (Cool Calories) to help maintain weight.

He is a very fussy, picky eater and I am concerned that he is not going to eat for at least two weeks after the surgery, especially if he has to be on bute for pain control.

What suggestions would any of the members have to entice an appetite in a Cushings horse that cannot have any of the yummy feeds that have molasses, oats ect that one could use in a pinch? I am soaking his hay and he has no interest in moistened pelleted feed at this time.

Thanks so much
Debra
Member:
scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010 - 9:10 pm:

Hi Debra, If he likes alfalfa, maybe soaked alfalfa CUBES would entice him. My old girl can be fussy, but she loves them, they do have to be soaked quite awhile until they are soft. Some horses like soaked beet pulp (mine don't). Senior feed??

Good Luck!
New Member:
justy

Posted on Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 - 1:05 am:

Thank you DianE

He would LOVE to have alfalfa but I was instructed to take him off alfalfa and only feed grass hay because of his Cushings. I did read in the Cushings article that alfalfa and alfalfa based pelleted feed is OK...

I am a bit confused regarding alfalfa and Cushings.. If it would be OK to feed alfalfa, I would be willing to introduce it back into his diet.

I have tried the soaked beet pulp in the past... He did not like it at all. Our younger horse eats all the soaked beet pulp he can get!
Member:
scooter

Posted on Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 - 5:51 am:

Is your horse IR too? I give Sam my cushings/IR horse alfalfa pellets (for his hard feed) Maybe ask your vet. I would think if he is not fat and you introduced it slowly it would be ok. FME the cubes seem to be fine for them, but if I give them "real" alfalfa hay they can get footy, our alfalfa Hay around here is pretty rich though and packs on the pounds quickly. They can tolerate a bit of a mix.

Sounds like you want your horse to gain a bit??
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 - 8:08 am:

Welcome Debra,
What specific reason were given for not feeding alfalfa to a Cushing's horse? In these horses with problems keeping weight on it has been very helpful. I have a number of Cushings horses on it.
DrO
New Member:
justy

Posted on Friday, Oct 29, 2010 - 11:45 pm:

Hi Dr O,

The reason given me two years ago was that Cushings horses are prone to laminitis and that staying away from sweet feeds and alfalfa reduce the possibility.

I just retired my old guy 9 months ago to this new barn and am getting to know the local vet. Your comment prompted me to call her and voice my concern. She is all for introducing alfalfa back into his diet and also introducing some other formulated feed options that could help put weight on him.


One suggestion that was given to me (not by the vet) was a product called" Calf Manna". I recall the name from four decades ago (dating myself) Is this a feed that can be given to horses with Cushings?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Oct 30, 2010 - 7:57 am:

While sweet feeds have a high rapidly digestible carbohydrate component this is not true of legumes and perhaps more important legumes are low in poorly digestible nonstructural carbohydrates which feed the bacteria in the cecum that produce founder producing chemicals. This makes alfalfa less founder inducing than some grass hays that are high in these types of carbohydrates.

How all these work together to produce founder is a bit complicated and incompletely understood picture but other than alfalfa will make some horses fat, I do not know of any specific founder predisposing principle in alfalfa nor is my experience that it is a problem when used to maintain a moderate condition in horses.
DrO
New Member:
justy

Posted on Saturday, Oct 30, 2010 - 3:20 pm:

Well Dr O, You have made one 20 year old TB with a toothache one happy pony!! I just spoke to the barn manager and she says he is eating his alfalfa with gusto. He also is enjoying the couple cups of Calf Manna that is getting mixed with his low carb feed.

The new barn manager made the point that perhaps because a number of horses who are overweight and on alfalfa get/got laminitis that that might be the reason that alfalfa gets a bad rap but since Justin has never been close to having a weight problem or laminitis that alfalfa is certainly a good choice to help him gain and maintain weight. They will keep him at a 20% alfalfa to 80% teff hay ratio for the next few weeks and see how he responds as he recovers from his surgery.

I am relieved that he is eating something. I am also grateful for your opinion and your insight. Thank you very much.

I have some anxiety about his needing a general anesthetic to fix his tooth problem but will deal with that next Tuesday. It has been hard to retire him to a place where I can't take care of him daily like I did for the last eight years, but I do have confidence that the barn manager and the vet who lives close by will give him the post op care that he will need. I see him once or twice a week to give him the TLC that he deserves and I miss.

Until he fractured his tooth he was really enjoying his retirement routine. Hopefully this is just a bump in the road....
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Oct 31, 2010 - 9:25 am:

Check the total protein in the diet. With the alfalfa (should be increased slowly!) you may not need as much or any Calf Manna. Roughly...a hot-blooded horse should receive about 3 lbs protein per 1000 lbs of body weight per day.
DrO
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