Big horse failing...thoughts?

[Field-of-Dreams]

Bert is our 26yo QH. He's a been there, done that guy. He's stopped eating very well- nibbles hay and grain. Will take a coookie or piece of apple, but then doesn't want anymore. We did have him at the vet's last week, they couldn't find anything wrong. We've tried senior feed, the complete pellet we feed the minis, coastal hay, alfalfa cubes; nothing seems to tempt him. We are going to try a bale of alfalfa today. (Was going to get it yesterday, had car problems)

So, any ideas? I've told him when he's ready to go, let me know and we'll help, but....

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

I had to make that decision just a few months ago with one of my big horses,never easy

.It sounds like you're doing everything right,Bert is in my prayers.

 

[chandab]

Have you tried probiotics? When my old guy started getting pickier and not eating as well, I added a probiotic/prebiotic to his feed. I tried Probios, but he really didn't like their dispersible powder, and I didn't want to have to use the paste daily, so I tried SmartDigest from Smart-Pak (they do offer free samples, so you could try it without committing to a bucket), I really think it helped improve his appetite. I did lose him this June to really bad colic, but he was fat and sassy to the end. I also started catering to him, he got a sweet tooth as he got older, so his senior feed was one with more molasses in it. He wasn't a fan of wet feed, but would eat 1# beet pulp pellets (soaked after weighing).

You might need to try different brands of senior feed, if you have more than one available. [i have two senior feeds available locally; one has real ingredients (alfalfa, beet pulp, oats, barley, soybean meal), the other has by-products and non-specific ingredients (this one has more molasses). He preferred the molasses laiden brand, so I bought both and mixed the two; I got the better ingredients I wanted and he got the sweet he wanted).]

Good luck.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Have you tried probiotics?

Yes, he's on that, too. I will try the sweet feed next!

 

[BBH]

You might try Wendlands all in one or total equine.....we just switched to Total Equine for our sr. horses and they are eating well and have picked up some weight......hope you can get them in your area.

 

[Miniv]

Try puting some straight Karo syrup on his tongue. It may help jump start his appetite. I'm worried he may get hypolypemia (fatty liver disease).

Watch his face. When the light goes from his eyes and his face is "clouded" (not sure how to describe that), he is telling you something.

 

[vvf]

I thought I was going to lose my 29 year old mini stallion when he quit eating right before Thanksgiving. He has been on Purina Senior and was doing quite well on that...but, he just quit eating.

So I started mixing alfalfa cubes, alfalfa pellets, and beet pulp in hot water... making a slop for him... He loves it and his appetite has greatly improved. I also add Probiotics 3 times a week.

Last summer he also went off his feed and at that time he had been on Nutrena Senior..... So I switched him to Purina. and he seemed to love that.

You might want to try switching to a different brand of Senior feed,

 

[Reble]

Wondering if syringing electrolytes in his mouth need to be careful

or add it too his food.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Having several elder minis I know that you have tried all you can think of! Every suggestion valid and great -- many you have already tried and they might work at one time, then not another.

My thought is to have Bonnie talk to him and see if he has any "complaints or considerations" for you to work with in his current situation. We all know it helps if they will talk about it!!!

I wish you and him to best of outcomes. Please keep us updated, we all care.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

He did eat pretty well tonight, and ate all of his apple. He even ate some hay while I watered. He seems to eat better if I hold his bucket, so I stood there with him for easily ten minutes.

 

[mydaddysjag]

syrup on his grain, sweetfeed, B12, syringe of kayro

 

[horsefeather]

We have had this happen with an big horse as well as a mini. We have used Clovite for years, for various reasons. But, one of the things Clovite does best (in my opinion) is give the horse an appetite. It's always worked for us for this. It takes very little, is powered, can put it in anything. I have a 26 yr. old QH also. So far she will eat anything we give her....but I worry about her....so I understand your position. I second the idea of talking to Bonnie. I plan on doing just that when Susie starts downhill. Good luck with your old boy.

Pam

 

[Marty]

That's a great clue that he ate for you while you held his bucket up. Sore neck perhaps? Sore something? Maybe its become hard for him to bend over and elevating his feed/hay/water may help. Try flipping him a bute for a couple of days. You know a horse will not eat if he's in pain so I'm opting that he is hurting somewhere somehow that has gone overlooked.

Another thing is also checking for lesions in his mouth. He probaby is up on his teeth floating but lots of times they leave sores inside the mouth. A little tip I got from my BIL the thoroughbred breeder is to give him some panacur. For some reasons it has properties that heal problems in the mouth. Worth a try.

I hate sweet feed myself but if all else fails, I'd give him what he wants at this point.

 

[stormy]

For my really old guys I make pellet soup, equine senior or TSCs All Stock dissolve very quickly in warm water and even my toothless old guys can slurp it up, has worked on several older horses that had been loosing weight and appetite and recently on a teenage mare who ate only very slowly...was very thin but now is fat and active again.

 

[GrandmaC]

And the vet checked his teeth real good to make sure no bad or sore ones? Sore jaw?

Like someone else said sore neck?

How is he acting other wise? Does he look forward to seeing you when you go up to him?

Not sure where you live but in cold climates sometimes horses don't get enough water and

when they don't get enough to drink they tend to not eat.

I read there is more chance of dehydration in the winter than the summer,

Frozen water trofts, etc. Or could a sore neck be keeping him from water? Do you see him still drinking?

I hate to say this but in humans and elderly, as they get closer to passing they tend to eat very little to nothing.

But just maybe this could be something simple.

If he is in with others could you separate him to monitor his water intake?