Possibly pregnant mare wont eat grain

[chandab]

Ulcer Guard is the OTC version of gastro-guard, its dosed in prevention doses, rather than treatment doses; but still might be a very good choice to get her past this episode. Once the ulcers don't hurt her, she'll probably start eating pretty much any of the feeds you've tried. I don't think I've ever had a horse that won't eat alfalfa of one type or another. Get her ulcers healed than she'll probably eat anything, once you are there, perhaps try Calf Manna, horses seem to love the flavor, and maybe it'll work to get her eating again. [To me, the Nutrnena Safe Choice Special Care, smells much like Calf Manna, so perhaps it could be an option.]

 

[sundancer]

We mixed the ulcer pills with aloe juice for the race horses that had ulcers. You can syringe it down that way. You can get the Aloe juice at any grocery store, walmart or drug store.

Julie

Victory Pass Stable

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

I think you need to fully treat for ulcers, and rule that out. It's not fair to pass her on yet again.

 

Ulcers is my guess as well. Ulcer-guard, or even an extra strength Tagamet/Maalox or something like that is fine to give. Don't just do for a few days, carry it forward for a couple of weeks. You can add some probiotics to it and syringe it in. Do it several times a day.

I'll bet she'll make a turn around, and start nibbling at her grain and other foods. Make sure you offer her some small meals of grain -- and I'd add a "light-soak" of some alfalfa pellets to a small ration of grain -- even during the "treatment" as her appetite may make an appearance, and you want her to have something nutritious to nibble on.

Praying for a full recovery for her.

 

[Miniv]

Add me to the list of people who recommend treating for ulcers. Alfalfa hay has been known to help...small amounts at a time, but this is in combination with the meds.

If, after a few weeks her appetite is improving, but not her coat? Have your vet run a blood test for thyroid issues too....just a thought.

 

[amysue]

I have a colt with ulcers and he had the same symptoms as your mare. I would recommend using ulcerguard as you dont need a script and can literally order and have it shipped from almost any horse supplier, its even always on ebay. Your vet will be able to give you the accurate treatment dose. I wouldn't recommend otc omeprazole only b/c the dosage comes out to so many pills that it is not cost effective compared to the ulcerguard paste. I would deworm her but watch she does not get impacted or more sour due to the ulcer. Alfalfa will benefit her greatly as its high in calcium, its a stomach soother and it may put some weight on her. If you can get purina, buy omolene 300 growth formula. Its part of my grocery list for skinny horses who come to me in bad shape. Give her time to adjust to her grain, switching it too quickly will put her off too. She may benefit from a fat/weight supplement or coca soya oil (if she'll eat it). Ill bet once her ulcer heals she'll pack the pounds on. A blood panel is worth the money as it may save you in the long run from just guessing and throwing ideas at her. She may have EIA and be immuno deficient or have a metabolic condition. Instead of scoping for ulcers, I'd just treat and wait as its cheaper and less stressful and cant hurt her. Dont give up on her yet. If you do sell her, be sure to fully disclose her condition to her buyer.

 

[BSharpRanch]

When my big stallion, who had been attacked by a dog, started bad behavior, it was suggested that he could have ulcers. I could not afford to have him scoped so my vet did a poop blood test, which came back positive. Treated him (I cannot remember what it was) and kept him on alfalfa plus all the grass hay he wanted. My vet said that he needed to be able to eat 24/7 if he so chose, and without having pasture, that was the only way to do it. After a month he was back (mostly) to his old self.

 

[Allure Ranch]

She has ULCERS and you need to start treating her for that.... Everything that you described points in that direction. The other thing is I'd use GastroGard so she can get on the road to recovery quickly.

 

[LRMiniatureShetlands]

Ulcers....

Treat with Gastrogard or Ulcergard for a full 30 days so the ulcer can completely heal. Do not stop the meds just because she shows improvement - the ulcer needs 30 days to heal completely.

I would not give grain for at least a couple weeks, grass is fine or alfalfa hay.

 

[HGFarm]

I would have her teeth checked again by someone you trust. Also, would run a course of psyllium and check for sand issues. That she doesnt want to eat and picks in her food though seems to me like a mouth/tooth problem.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I have ordered ulcerguard for her, should be here in a few days.

I trust my vets opinion on teeth, never had him proved wrong and he isn't worried about them. With the sweet feeds she is picking through eating the pellets and leaving the oats and such.

 

[targetsmom]

Sounds like ulcers to me also. You can try to diagnosis your self with this video but I would just treat for them because that can't hurt;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Fr05hMmLCY4

Some other things to try: Stomach Soother, which is pureed papaya - see below. You should treat with Omeprozole (I used Ulcergard because you don't need a prescription but it's the same as Gastroguard except for the labeling) for a month. I have used Ranitidine pills when the symptoms were caught early but it sounds like you are way beyond that point.

Sucralfate (another prescription) can also be used to coat the lining but can't be given at the same time as the Omeprozole. Costs a lot less.

Slow feeder hay bag, hand grazing or pasture, all of which keep the saliva flowing and simulate nature!!

Soaked alfalfa cubes or any form of alfalfa that the horse will eat. We found ours all like the soaked cubes, to which we would add Stomach Soother if needed to get them to eat them. Stomach Soother is so great tasting that we use it for medication and find that we don't even need to halter the horse after a couple of days and that the horse in the NEXT STALL wants to know what he's missing (and it's not always the same horse).

Good luck. Ulcers are not something to fool around with.

Sweet feed is one of the WORST things to feed a horse with ulcers because of the high sugar content....

Tums, Maalox or OTC human treatment might help while you wait. The reason alfalfa is so good is because of the high calcuim content, which is why TUMS are so good for people with digestive issues.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I am going to try to get her to eat the alfalfa pellets again tonight.....wouldn't touch them last time but I'm going to try hand feeding.

My vet said to try putting some butter flavored pancake syrup on some pelleted feed (its safe choice performance) to make it sweeter for her to like it more....will this aggrivate the ulcers?

I let her out after the rain today and she tore out of her stall bucking and playing with the yearlings and went to munching on the coastal hay.

Thanks for all of your help....I really appreciate everyone's advice!

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I just really don't want her going without grain considering she is about half bagged up and due anytime according to her breeding dates....will her and the foal be okay on just alfalfa pellets (if she will eat them) and hay?

 

[targetsmom]

Another reason to get more calcium into her - either in the form of alfalfa or however you can. She will need that for milk production. One of our mares got "thumps" when her foal was 2 weeks old from lack of calcium, and she had been getting (and eating) plenty of grain and good quality hay.

My experience is that minis hate alfalfa pellets but most like the soaked cubes.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

She won't eat any soaked cubes or grain....I'll see if I can get some alfalfa pellets into her tonight and report back here

 

[sfmini]

Something you need to understand is that ulcers can be fatal. Getting meds in a few days isn't good enough, getting them yesterday is going to give you a better shot at saving the mare and foal. Hand feeding isn't going to do it. Changing feeds isn't going to do it. You need to understand this is a possibly fatal situation if you don't get the treatment started now. The next problem you could run into with her being a bred mare especially is hyperlipemia which will kill her if you don't act quickly.

Been there done that, have lost horses to ulcers. Pepto is cheap and will get her to start eating until the ulcer guard starts working. Get ulcer guard or Gastroguard from the vet now and start treating now.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I have already ordered the ulcerguard, my vet does not carry gastroguard on hand - the package should be here Monday.

When the vet checked her out he was not overly concerned about it and said that it arriving Monday is no problem.

No offense, but I am trying to do the best that I can with the situation I am in. I have had the vet out, ordered the meds, changed her diet because of them and personally hand feeding her over the course of two hours is better than watching her not be interested in the alflafa pellets at all.

I have already administered pepto this morning and afternoon and no change in her appetite.

I love this mare dearly as she was bought for my son. I fully understand this a serious problem, hence everything I've tried to do to get her well.

 

[Margo_C-T]

I understand and appreciate that you care for your mare and want to do the best for her! I fully agree that she is very likely to have ulcers, and from personal experience, can attest to how serious ulcers can be. I agree about not using ANY 'sweet feed'(grain mixes w/ molasses, basically); they are generally now agreed to not be the best choice for horses. I have several years' experience in feeding a STEAM extruded, FORAGE-BASED, concentrate,"Total Equine", which is very safe, very digestible, and has an excellent overall nutritional profile. The 'pellets' are more like a light, crunchy but not 'hard', nugget, which breaks now very quickly in the presence of liquid, including saliva. It is safer than most GRAIN-BASED concentrates, as far as referring of thin,even emaciated, horses. The primary ingredient IS alfalfa; it can be fed along with pasture, alfalfa hay, or good grass hay. Some horses may take a bit to accept the difference in texture, but I've yet to have one reject it over time. I am currently keeping an almost 32 YO mini mare, whose teeth just aren't very effective anymore(even w/ regular tooth care for the 29+ years I've owned her), in good condition on a diet of about equal amounts of RABBIT PELLETS and Total Equine, along w/ daily ground flax, @ 3 c. of soaked beet pulp, and a handful of alfalfa leaves; she cannot effectively graze, and risks choke on any sort of hay(and refuses any soaked pellets.)Alfalfa is indeed a good choice now; it is probably the most nutritionally complete forage(Hay)plant available for horses; of course, should be weed, mold, and dust-free and of good quality. Absolutely agree about sticking with the ulcer treatment for as long as it takes...30 days AT LEAST, IMO.Read up on how much is a TREATMENT dosage, and on when to dose in relation to when she is fed/eats; the timing 'can' make a big difference.I read just recently of a 'new' product for 'hind gut' ulcer treatment(they can have stomach ulcers, AND ulcers in the hind gut; takes different strategies AND different 'stuff' to treat, so I've read); name of it is 'Equishure'? or similar: am sure you can google it.I also have become a strong advocate of slow feeding; it is a HUGE benefit to ANY horse not able to be on 'full-time' suitable pasture, IMO.

I ended up having to euthanize a gelding I raised, trained, and dearly loved to drive, as he was my very BEST mover and had the heart of a lion...due to ulcers, which despite years of battling them, finally made him so he wouldn't even try to graze,much less eat any other form of feed. It was one of the saddest things I've ever had to do: I learned a lot from the experience, though, and hope that any input might help spare others from the awful experience.

Best wishes

Margo in NM

 

I have already ordered the ulcerguard, my vet does not carry gastroguard on hand - the package should be here Monday.

When the vet checked her out he was not overly concerned about it and said that it arriving Monday is no problem.

No offense, but I am trying to do the best that I can with the situation I am in. I have had the vet out, ordered the meds, changed her diet because of them and personally hand feeding her over the course of two hours is better than watching her not be interested in the alflafa pellets at all.

I have already administered pepto this morning and afternoon and no change in her appetite.

I love this mare dearly as she was bought for my son. I fully understand this a serious problem, hence everything I've tried to do to get her well.

Katie, you're doing just fine. We know how concerned you are about the mare, and we know you're doing the best you can. For many of us who have had bad experiences with ulcers in our minis, we may get a bit "too much", but please take it as we are concerned and just want the best outcome for you.

Keep up the pepto until the ulcerguard arrives, and the key is to keep up the ulcer meds for at least 3-4 weeks, even when she appears to be doing better. It takes a long time to really "heal" an ulcer.

Meanwhile, we know you are doing everything possible to help her along.

If you'd like to start a thread for her over on our MareStare forum here on LB, we'll be happy to "watch" along with you as we wait to see how she's doing with her eating dilemma, and with wondering if she's pregnant or not.

Try to keep up the Alfalfa -- in any form. It is a good tummy soother, and a good protein boost, which will help her and also help "baby" along until she's back on a good eating program.

Hang in there. You're doing just fine!

~~Diane at Castle Rock