Mini crested up

[Bossmare11]

Hi I have 2 minis and a mini donkey typically I was giving them 2 slow feed nets with 2 flakes of hay 1/3 cup Triple crown Balancer (2x) and 1/2 day pasture my chestnut crested up the other day i pulled them off of pasure bought remission started soaking hay and i have been hanging 2 nets with 1 flake of hay in am lunch and pm I gave teaspoon of Remission and 1/3 cup balancer (2x) i was reading people were giving ground flax? I have some but thought it was too much fat? Should I be giving that? Should I be giving anything else to them? I appreciate any help they are only 2 so I have to figure this out

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Perhaps talk to your vet. My vet put my mare on Thyrol.
How are their feet? Any sign of separation?
Good for you to be pro active.

 

[Bossmare11]

Hi thanks for reply no feet are great I think they have just had too much grazing/hay I thought 2/2days were ok but she formed this crest realy sudden

 

[Bossmare11]

I didnt think the chestnut was heavy the paint has always been chunky with a think body style since I got her at 4 months

 

[Cayuse]

That's cresty! Weigh your hay. They might be getting more than you think. Flakes can vary in size, therefore weigh differently. They should get 1.5 to 2 lbs hay for each 100 lbs of body weight. My minis weigh just under 300 and get 5 lbs hay in the summer and 6 in the winter. Your doing the right thing by soaking the hay until you get things under control, make sure you soak long enough. I forget the exact amount of time you should soak, but I soak until the water looks pretty brownish from what leaches out of the hay. The Remission is good!
I'd definitely have the vet out and do some bloodwork to see where they are as far as being metabolic (insulin resistant ) and then you'll know how to treat them better. Like Marsha said Thyro-L can help as can another med, Metformin, that will help bring down sugar levels if they are high. I hope this helps as I wrote it quickly before my battery conks out.
Oh, and I'd keep checking their feet for heat and pulses. Beautiful minis !

 

[Bossmare11]

Thick not think

That's cresty! Weigh your hay. They might be getting more than you think. Flakes can vary in size, therefore weigh differently. They should get 1.5 to 2 lbs hay for each 100 lbs of body weight. My minis weigh just under 300 and get 5 lbs hay in the summer and 6 in the winter. Your doing the right thing by soaking the hay until you get things under control, make sure you soak long enough. I forget the exact amount of time you should soak, but I soak until the water looks pretty brownish from what leaches out of the hay. The Remission is good!
I'd definitely have the vet out and do some bloodwork to see where they are as far as being metabolic (insulin resistant ) and then you'll know how to treat them better. Like Marsha said Thyro-L can help as can another med, Metformin, that will help bring down sugar levels if they are high. I hope this helps as I wrote it quickly before my battery conks out.
Oh, and I'd keep checking their feet for heat and pulses. Beautiful minis !

Thank you so much I soaked it for 1 hr I have a system going lol soak hang like assembly line I will have the vet out for sure are the meds yu mentioned above proscribed by the determination of the bloodwork? Or is this something I should look into as a supplement? Im a little concerned about excersise if they have to be in the paddock for awhile

 

[LostandFound]

I like remission, it's worked for me in the past. I would pull them both off pasture, permanently and start them with some exercise. I think it's a shock to their system to go from the all you can eat buffet to slim fast, and I like to do it gradually. So I probably wouldn't be soaking their hay and cutting that back just yet. If your paddock is squarish or roundish, you can just chase them around it for a little bit every day. If not maybe you can get some panels and make it a little better. Not sure about the flax, I haven't ever had good results from feeding it.

 

[Bossmare11]

Thank you so much i will try that

 

[Kelly]

I wonder the size of your hay nets. I use tiny hole hay nets measuring .75 inches for my minis. It really makes a difference in slowing them down and they have hay in front of them at all times. These are the ones I use. The small bags hold about 1 pound of hay and the large ones 3 pounds, so I don’t have to weigh my hay anymore.

https://hayburnersequine.com/product/mini-horse-size-slow-feed-hay-nets/

 

[Kelly]

she formed this crest realy sudden

Just curious, how sudden?

 

[Cayuse]

The Thyro-L and Metformin are prescription only. I'm not sure if the dose goes by bloodwork levels or by weight. They both work differently, I think the Thyro-L speeds up their metabolism so the weight comes off, the Metformin lowers blood sugar.

 

[Cayuse]

Oops, quoted myself so I deleted it

 

[Bossmare11]

The Thyro-L and Metformin are prescription only. I'm not sure if the dose goes by bloodwork levels or by weight. They both work differently, I think the Thyro-L speeds up their metabolism so the weight comes off, the Metformin lowers blood sugar.

I just made a appt for the Vet to come out next Friday so i am guessing she will pull bloodwork and tell me a plan?

 

[Bossmare11]

Hi thanks for reply no feet are great I think they have just had too much grazing/hay I thought 2/2days were ok but she formed this crest realy sudden

Within a few days it wasnt thete and then it was i did not see any gradual increase

 

[Bossmare11]

I wonder the size of your hay nets. I use tiny hole hay nets measuring .75 inches for my minis. It really makes a difference in slowing them down and they have hay in front of them at all times. These are the ones I use. The small bags hold about 1 pound of hay and the large ones 3 pounds, so I don’t have to weigh my hay anymore.

https://hayburnersequine.com/product/mini-horse-size-slow-feed-hay-nets/

I will check into those thank you

 

[Bossmare11]

Just curious, how sudden?

It was fast last week it wasnt there and then it was noticable i did not see a gradually incressing neck.

 

[Kelly]

WOW! Thats crazy! I didn’t realize that could happen so fast. Glad you are having the vet out. Not to freak you out but I’d be FREAKING out


ETA: if they were mine, I’d take them ALL off grass immediately. Dry lot only.

 

[Abby P]

Yes, I agree, dry lot only - that alone may be enough to nip it in the bud. Good job noticing that and acting quickly. I have the same hay nets as Kelly and they are very nice, they slow him down a lot but he's not too annoyed by them.

 

[Bossmare11]

WOW! Thats crazy! I didn’t realize that could happen so fast. Glad you are having the vet out. Not to freak you out but I’d be FREAKING out


ETA: if they were mine, I’d take them ALL off grass immediately. Dry lot only.

Hi Kelly i am freaking out lol I did pull them off of grass they stay in the paddock no grass in there been coming home for lunch to hang a net so they can munch on 1 flake soaked 3 times day

 

[Cayuse]

I just made a appt for the Vet to come out next Friday so i am guessing she will pull bloodwork and tell me a plan?

That's what happened with my two who ended up being insulin resistant. The vet pulled blood and came up with a plan. Fortunately I was able to get them under control with diet only and did not have to do the medication.