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Discussion on Wood chewing
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Monday, Jan 9, 2006 - 11:37 pm:
Dr. O, I have read the article on wood chewing and was curious if the products designed for stopping wood chewing, Quitt by Farnam, for one, will help. Levi has quality free choice hay all day, is out in a pasture with pals all day, but still eats his door, debarks trees and has chewed on a wooden wheel in the pasture. I was not that concerned, because he is a busy body, but recently, a friends horse was diagnosed with "wooden tongue". Apparently, cows get it more often than a horse, but it is from splinters that get infected and cause infection in the tongue. So of course . . . now I will worry. They have a huge grove of trees to chew on so covering trees will not work. Restricting his area, would obviously cut down on his exercise. At what point is wood chewing excessive. they have a salt block, he is fed oats and Safechoice grain, 2 x day, grass hay and alfalfa, or alfalfa/timothy/orchard grass mix. We will cover his stall door with metal flashing. I have tried to put a horse passifier in his stall, a jolly ball, and hanging apple thingy. Just wondered if I should try the Quitt, and if anyone has had luck with supplements added for this problem. Clyde the new guy also eats poop. Ground is covered with snow and ice.
thanks
sorry for rambling
suz
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006 - 11:33 am:
I tried Quitt and it didn't do anything as far as I could see. I also tried Chew Stop, red hot sauce. (even the non chewers were licking that off the walls!) What did seem to help was loose minerals (not a mineral/salt block) in a bucket hanging from the fence. Once the chewer had that, he quit chewing.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006 - 12:55 pm:
Hello Susan,
First the basis of the product seems pretty weak and the reviews in Horseadvice have been mostly negative (run a search to find several discussions). Recently I attended a conference on equine behavioral problems and wood chewing was addressed along with other problems. In the audience there were about 300 equine vets and the moderator in response to same question, queried the audience. 6 had tried Quitt and none had seen any benefit.
Try this add 2 ozs of loose salt and a general vitamin supplement (Care for Horses » Nutrition » Vitamins an Overview) to the feed. If a month later he is still chewing you know it is not nutrition.
Note: Wooden Tongue (Actinobacillus lignieresii) is not a likely sequlea to chewing wood and is thought to be a primary infection, not secondary to wounds or splinters, though I guess this is not impossible.
DrO
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006 - 3:01 pm:
Thanks Sara and Dr. O. Anytime I can save a few bucks on unnecessary products the happier camper I am. I will try the salt, is it just regular table salt? The other horses have mini salt/mineral blocks in their stalls and lick them, but Levi never does, so maybe that will help. I will read the article on vitamin supplements and follow through with that.
That wooden tongue thing was wierd sounding. I just assumed it was from splinters, How do they actually contract it?
Also, I am not sure you if you all have heard, (hopefully all of our members are aware) about the contaminated Diamond Brand Dog Food. Apparently moldy corn was used in production and over 100 dogs have died. Liver complications. I know that most of our horse people have dogs who they would like to protect, so we should spread the word!
thanks
sue
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Member:
Equus75
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2006 - 9:58 am:
I just thought I'd add my experiences with chewing, and recommend something that's worked for me. My darling Contessa was, in fact, a beaver in a past life. She would not only chew on would, she would eat it...when I purchased her, she had literally chewed up 1 1/2 FEET of her stall door. :S I had just about tried everything to no avail. Now, I don't know the exact verity of this, but my trainer had told me that wood chewing can often be associated with a vitamin/mineral deficiency, and that if she were given an appropriate supplement, the wood chewing would reduce dramatically. Boy was she right on! I started using Discovery Plus vitamins and I've noticed that she doesn't chew at all (with the exception of occasionally biting wood in frustration when I girth her). Eureka! I know I sound like a cheesy testimonial for some Dynamite infomercial, but I have been very impressed with the supplement's influence on her behavior (the supplementation was the only variable that had been changed in my dealings with her). It might merit some further investigation.
Good Luck!
Dawn
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2006 - 10:26 am:
I think any good vit/min supplement would do the trick.
btw Dawn, why does your mare bite the fence when you girth her up? Have you tried to figure that one out? I think there could be more to it than frustration on her part. (always something if you have a horse 
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