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Discussion on Diet for aged cushings mare
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New Member:
mellazar
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 13, 2011 - 1:17 pm:
I am soo confused! I have a 32 yr old mare who has had Cushings for years. I have her on 1.5 mg pergolide a day, she really doesn't look too bad except for long hair and she's lost a little weight this year(down to ~975lbs, is 16 h). I keep her clipped in the summer and ride her several times a week usually just light work. But she doesn't eat hay, is starting to just pick at her hay stretcher and is currently getting Poulin challenger grain(29.8 NSC). I've read about timothy/alfalfa cubes to replace the hay stretcher, and would like to get a lower NSC grain, but then I think why change what is mostly working? But I don't want to come down one day and find her w/ laminitis or something else, I'd rather be proactive. Oh and she's a very picky eater. I've had her on all sorts of low carb diets in the past, sr, feeds, etc. Thanks for your help.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 13, 2011 - 8:29 pm:
Welcome Mel,
A few questions. Has your mare had laminitis before? Do you know why your horse is not eating forages well?
DrO
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New Member:
mellazar
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 13, 2011 - 9:14 pm:
Dr. Oglesby, no she's never had laminitis. As for the forage,she balls hay and grass a lot:I had her teeth checked in May and they were'fine'(she has lost some). She just seems to get tired of her feed and stops eating it. I just started making a mash out of the hay stretcher, but it takes her all nite to eat it. I just bought alfalfa/timothy cubes to replace the hay stretcher and add some protein. Mel
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 14, 2011 - 7:21 am:
I think it is her dentition that is causing the chewing problems Mel as missing a few teeth can be important and may indicate others are subclinically painful. This seems to be a bigger issue than the potential of laminitis in a horse that is thin and no history. Being Cushing's laminitis may or may not occur what ever you do but there is no sense worrying about it. More important is to stop the weight loss and return to a condition of 5. Soaking the cubes may provide a good level of digestible forage but if she cannot handle those I certainly would add a "complete" senior feed to maintain condition. Most of these are based on a processed beet pulp base which is easily chewed and digested.
DrO
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