HC Minis - new pics pg 172

[cassie]

Yesterday, Honey went on walk-about further than usual, and was clear over at the main mini barn, which drove poor Topper absolutely nuts. And, she trucked back to her barn when I sent her on her way. Don't know if its the change in diet, the trim, the addition of BL pellets or a combination of all of the above, but she's definitely feeling better. Now, if she'd just start gaining weight before winter.

YAY so exciting for you Chanda!

I really hope she continues to do well! and gets some nice weight on her before the cold sets in

 

[chandab]

Thanks girls. I'm just so happy she is feeling better. I added the mineral supplement to my sorrel mare with some issues, we'll see if it helps her any (I know lack of key nutrients can affect healing, so we'll see).

 

[AnnaC]

Great news about Honey - sounds as though she's feeling a lot better!

Hope she gains a bit more weight for you over the next couple of months.

 

[chandab]

Weighed Honey this afternoon, she's not gained an ounce the last 2 weeks; I weighed her the morning of her vet visit, she was 300# give or take a tiny bit. Weighed her today and she is still 300#, althought probably more give than take this week. She''s only been on the current feeding plan about 3-4 days, so not near enough time to really show a difference, but she is feeling better, so that's a good thing.

 

[chandab]

Took pics of the boys for registration today, and noticed I missed a few poses when I uploaded to the computer, so will need to take a couple more, I guess.

Junior:





MOnte:





Manny:

 

[AnnaC]

Aww they are just so very cute and looking great Chanda.

 

[cassie]

Sooooooo, we'll turn this around to the positive......she's not LOST any weight in the past 2 weeks -- so that's a BIG PLUS! I would bet you will see a difference in the next week or so. Remember, it takes a longer time to gain weight than lose it! Wouldn't it be nice if it was that way for us???

The boys are so handsome -- each and every one! Just gorgeous....and so grown up already!

I totally agree with everything Diane has said!

you poor thing, must be so hard! big hugs my friend!!

hope she picks up weight this week!

 

[chandab]

I'm just so glad she's feeling better, she's walking more and further than she was just a few days ago, so obviously feeling better. And, I think she's enjoying teasing poor Topper; her walk-abouts have involved walking by his paddock more than once a day.

Thinking I better just leave her diet as it is for awhile and see what it does for her given enough time, its quite the combination: extruded feed, beet pulp, rice bran, tim/alf cubes, flax, joint supplement and the vit/min supplement (to make sure she's getting what she needs) plus while she's on antibiotics she's getting a probiotic and ulcer meds. [speaking of which, I need to take the new tub of probiotics out to the barn.]

My farrier thinks she should be on oats, beet pulp and corn oil (and he might have mentioned a vit/min supplement); definitely no to messy corn oil, and not sure I want to give her high starch oats, but it might just be the calories she needs to gain (it would certainly be simple).

 

[JAX]

I agree with Diane, try to stick with her new diet for long enough to see if she will start to gain weight. If she still doesnt ... I have heard that some people with cushings horses have used peas and/or whey protein (you can find it at walmart its for body builders or those that are trying to gain weight) as a safe way to get their horses to gain weight. I mostly hear about it from the owners that have PPID horses who have dropped their top line and need to be brought back up to normal weight. Of course you would have to really watch her for any signs of discomort while trying in case she did not do well with it. I have not tried this myself but just thought I'd pass on the info... I may try it soon on a mare if she doesnt start showing me some weight gain soon. Good Luck

 

[chandab]

I have heard that some people with cushings horses have used peas and/or whey protein (you can find it at walmart its for body builders or those that are trying to gain weight) as a safe way to get their horses to gain weight. I mostly hear about it from the owners that have PPID horses who have dropped their top line and need to be brought back up to normal weight. I have not tried this myself but just thought I'd pass on the info... I may try it soon on a mare if she doesnt start showing me some weight gain soon. Good Luck

I have some split peas for my Cushings gelding, so can try them on the mare, but for now I'll give the current diet time to work for her.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[chandab]

I think I'd stick to YOUR diet for a couple of weeks, since she's feeling better and you just changed her diet. No use in changing her diet too often...especially since she's obviously feeling better.

Tried to go without the BL pellets this morning, not such a good idea, so will put them back on the menu in the morning. She's only been on them a week, will probably take longer than that to get over this episode, so might as well put her back on them for now. She's not pregnant and I don't plan to even try breeding her again til at least next year, if at all, so no problem wiht using the BL pellets.

 

[JAX]

Wow you are fast! I had just edited my post and you had already responded! Couple questions for you now... How much peas do you give your gelding and why did you start to give them to him? Did it help? I have heard of BL pellets but have no idea what they are! What are they and what are they for?

 

[chandab]

Wow you are fast! I had just edited my post and you had already responded! Couple questions for you now... How much peas do you give your gelding and why did you start to give them to him? Did it help? I have heard of BL pellets but have no idea what they are! What are they and what are they for?

The Yahoo Cushings group says to feed the amount of peas needed to make up for protein lacking in their diet (I think a tablespoon provides like 20grams of protein, but can't remember for sure), but since I don't test my hay, I just give him a couple tablespoons or so daily, and I haven't fed them often enough or long enough to see how much they might do for him, cause sometimes he likes them and sometimes he doesn't and I hate to waste food (sometimes when he decides he doesn't like something, it means nothing in the dish gets eaten). He's eating all his feed well these days, so I can probably try the peas again.

BL pellets are an herbal pain reliever; there is also BL solution and BL powder. I like the pellets, as they are easy to feed, and everyone I've tried them on, readily eat them. The main ingredient is devil's claw, so not recommended for pregnant mares. [The product was orginally called "bute-less", but I imagine that caused some confusion, so the name was changed to BL.] Its less hard on the stomach than bute, so can be used longer with fewer (if any) side effects. [My other laminitic mare was on them for 6 months after her first big laminitic attack, then was weaned off and hasn't needed them much since.]

Hope that helps, some.

 

[JAX]

LOL if you are a member too then you probably already knew about the whey protein as well. Do a search with the cushings group and look up AAKG & J Herb (dont feel like looking up correct spelling right now.. Jiagulan??). I have a TW who has DSLD and so I always have both of these on hand. When my PPID mare started to get footy I asked the group what they thought about me trying them on her as she was pregnant at the time. They saw no problem with it and so I did. It worked wonderfully. She finished out her pregnancy in NO foot pain and has not had a foot problem since. It helps with pain and also helps the healing process instead of hindering like bute does. Tried it with a friends horse and it worked with her too.

 

[chandab]

Was your PPID mare on pergolide during her pregnancy as well?

I haven't tried the AAKG and J Herb, yet, I still have so many things in my feed room that I'm trying to weed out, that I haven't bought new items, but may get one or both of these to try. The Cushings gelding isn't footy, so he hasn't needed any type of pain relief; but the mare is, so might have to look into what she can have. [Good to kow the AAKG and J Herb are safe for pregnancy, not many things are, it seems.

 

[JAX]

LOL sounds like your feed room may look similar to mine...or should I say my living room

My PPID mare has actually never even been confirmed nor has she ever been on Pergolide. Shes been underweight all her life, if she starts to look normal she gets footy, her coat takes alot longer to shed out, her eye sockets are puffy if not on IR diet, and she had foundered twice before I got her. She is an older girl at 26 years and seems fine on her diet now so I dont really like the idea of starting another drug on her now. If I have to later for some reason then I will. I would still love to find a way to finally get her to look normal though without getting footy. I think peas will be the next addition and then possibly will try the whey protein. My confirmed DSLD mare is also on the IR diet... UGH

 

[chandab]

While typicaly, IR horses are overweight, if I remember correctly some are underweight, so perhaps your mare is IR, rather than PPID; but regardless, she is now on the IR diet and doing well with it, so that's a good thing.

I'd love to have access to some of the good feeds for IR horses, like the ODTB cubes, but I'm too out in the sticks. I do have access to Triple Crown feeds with special order, but they won't order in the ODTB cubes, cause they don't want to have to order a truckload and not sell them, due to expense. [People are pretty cheap around here when it comes to horse feed. And, the main seller is sweet feed.

And, senior (two brands in my area, one loaded with molasses and one not). ]

 

[chandab]

Weighed Honey this afternoon, she's not gained an ounce the last 2 weeks; I weighed her the morning of her vet visit, she was 300# give or take a tiny bit. Weighed her today and she is still 300#, althought probably more give than take this week. She''s only been on the current feeding plan about 3-4 days, so not near enough time to really show a difference, but she is feeling better, so that's a good thing.

Oh, and while I was at it, I've gotten all the adults weighed. What surprised me the most; the mares weigh more than both stallions, no surprise with tiny little Che` (31" and average of 175#), but quite the surprise with Topper, he's 35.75" tall (280#), so right up there with the mares' heights. Even the two shortest mares (32.25" and 33.25")weigh more than Topper (one is 320# and the other 330#). He certainly doesn't look thin, but definitely doesn't have an extra ounce of flesh anywhere. Most of the mare look good, but definitely have a little padding, especially the two short mares. [b- size mares weighed from 330 to 395#, plus Honey at 300# and needing to gain. The three heaviest mares have foals at side, so definitely not getting pulled down.

]

 

[chandab]

Now why doesn't that surprise me?? Seems like we ladies always get heavier and have a little padding as we age!

Yes, lucky us.

 

[AnnaC]

LOL!! Well for myself, I would just love to know how to find that extra padding, I seem to be fading away everytime I look into the mirror!! But as for my girls - hummmmm yes the padding is progressing nicely!! (just about to post a few pics on my thread of my three golden oldies - you are welcome to check out the 'padding'!!)