Suggestions needed urgently - adding "sweetness" to feed taste

[disneyhorse]

Interesting taste test article

Here's an interesting article.

Andrea

 

[Marty]

This is a long shot and I feel like a jerk saying this in public but as a last ditch effort, have you tried another bucket?

Maybe buy her a new one or a different type?

I'm also wondering about a couple more things: Can you wash out her feeder with baking soda? There could be some odor lingering in there and baking soda is very good to clean buckets with and remove odors. And also sometimes maybe she is smelling something in the bucket or with all the food she doesn't like to smell.

Last but not least I know you know about feeding probiotics and Dannon and Yoplait yogurt are good for that too. I've also had fed some Activia in all the flavors and holy cow my horses could live on that stuff alone. Maybe try some of that?

 

[chandab]

I mixed that in with 1lb (by weight) of her ground up Equine Senior. She ate about half of it before moving on to the chopped alfalfa. It's not nearly enough, but it's more than zero so I'm thankful for small steps of progress. Am going to try additional suggestions for tomorrow.

Please keep Oscar in your prayers. He means everything to me and I can tell he feels terrible, just don't know why.

Have you tried a different brand of senior? Just a thought. I went through 2-3 brands with my senior before I settled on mixing the one I liked and the sweeter one he liked; it worked. [The one he liked had enough molasses sprayed on it, that it clumped/caked in cold weather (I asked the company about the clumping, and they told me that molasses was sprayed on the outside plus what was mixed inside).]

 

[Bess Kelly]

You say she likes grass...one of my old guys does also. While he has only 4 jaw teeth he can't masticate "hay" well. But has no problem with fresh grass. My observation is that he can bite it off in short pieces, it's wet, he can then chew that soft stuff. I purchased the best, leafiest orchard I could find. Using an old cutting board (as you used to see in offices, to cut paper) I chop this hay into approx 1/2" pieces. Then I wet it to let it rehydrate. It becomes nice fresh grass once again. He loves it! I chop a fair sized bucket full, then wet a few handfulls with a spray bottle. It mimics rain on the hay -- I stir with hands so it isn't all stuck together and he enjoys it mixed in with his senior feed pellets. Doesn't get it at every meal but most. Taste treat, calories, eats the other feed, etc. MAYBE this would tempt her ? You could use scissors to cut it to try. Or even put in a blender when wet to chop up and mix. The taste is what you'd be looking to ad.

Just as with humans as we age, their taste buds change. Senior feeds have good stuff for them but, often they need a more concentrated input -- the calories are really important. Maybe some rice bran oil or pellets?

Another thought -- since we're "brainstorming" -- is there any competetion for feed? Some horses will eat better if there is another horse nearby (some don't

) Is there any possibility that this could help? An adjoining stall, for instance...maybe this is not good for this mare, it's been tried, she doesn't care -- just a thought about behaviors.

These guys challenge our imaginations. It's all about love

 

[frosthillfarm]

I'm with Mary on the Stomach Soother. I would not be without it! My horses try to eat it right out of the bottle. And when anyone is "off" I add an ounce or two to their meals. Since it is winter, you won't need to worry about the "keep refrigerated" part.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Interesting taste test article

Here's an interesting article.

Andrea

Thanks Andrea! It is very interesting to read. Lots of things I never would have imagined.

This is a long shot and I feel like a jerk saying this in public but as a last ditch effort, have you tried another bucket?

Maybe buy her a new one or a different type?

I'm also wondering about a couple more things: Can you wash out her feeder with baking soda? There could be some odor lingering in there and baking soda is very good to clean buckets with and remove odors. And also sometimes maybe she is smelling something in the bucket or with all the food she doesn't like to smell.

Last but not least I know you know about feeding probiotics and Dannon and Yoplait yogurt are good for that too. I've also had fed some Activia in all the flavors and holy cow my horses could live on that stuff alone. Maybe try some of that?

Marty,

I haven't tried a different bucket, but I think it's worth a try. I did try Dannon in the past and she wouldn't eat it, but that sure doesn't mean she won't now. She changes her mind with the wind.

You say she likes grass...one of my old guys does also. While he has only 4 jaw teeth he can't masticate "hay" well. But has no problem with fresh grass. My observation is that he can bite it off in short pieces, it's wet, he can then chew that soft stuff. I purchased the best, leafiest orchard I could find. Using an old cutting board (as you used to see in offices, to cut paper) I chop this hay into approx 1/2" pieces. Then I wet it to let it rehydrate. It becomes nice fresh grass once again. He loves it! I chop a fair sized bucket full, then wet a few handfulls with a spray bottle. It mimics rain on the hay -- I stir with hands so it isn't all stuck together and he enjoys it mixed in with his senior feed pellets. Doesn't get it at every meal but most. Taste treat, calories, eats the other feed, etc. MAYBE this would tempt her ? You could use scissors to cut it to try. Or even put in a blender when wet to chop up and mix. The taste is what you'd be looking to ad.

Just as with humans as we age, their taste buds change. Senior feeds have good stuff for them but, often they need a more concentrated input -- the calories are really important. Maybe some rice bran oil or pellets?

Another thought -- since we're "brainstorming" -- is there any competetion for feed? Some horses will eat better if there is another horse nearby (some don't

) Is there any possibility that this could help? An adjoining stall, for instance...maybe this is not good for this mare, it's been tried, she doesn't care -- just a thought about behaviors.

These guys challenge our imaginations. It's all about love

I hadn't thought of trying to chop my own hay. My hay is orchard with some timothy and brome mixed in. She seems to like it here and there but really can't chew it. But heck, I'm already putting her grain in a blender, I guess I could try chopping and wetting some hay. She does seem to like the chopped alfalfa I'm giving her; she just doesn't eat enough of ANYTHING to keep her weight on. And no, she has no competition for food. She gets to eat by herself and then she also gets in the lot when the rest are eating so she picks at their feed (Strategy) too and also their hay.

I'm with Mary on the Stomach Soother. I would not be without it! My horses try to eat it right out of the bottle. And when anyone is "off" I add an ounce or two to their meals. Since it is winter, you won't need to worry about the "keep refrigerated" part.

I know Mary has told me before, but can someone remind me where is the best place to get this?

Thanks all so much!

 

[Julie/Azariah]

I have one of those too...I find something that works... then...he decides he doesn't like it any more...

So I started mixing my own feed, it is the only thing he hasn't gotten tired of.

My vit/mineral package is Progressive Pro Advantage Grass Formula.

I put oats, corn(advised when he was very sick... but now limit the corn) beet pulp, Progressive Envision Classic (Omega fats) and then I add molasses and cut it in... it doesn't get real sticky because I don't use that much molasses... but it has been the food that 2 very picky eaters have decided they love.

Message me if you want the recipe I use. Our Progressive Nutrition Representative who visits our farm every few mos helped me when deciding how to mix this so that it was balanced and we were sure that he was getting the nutrients he needed

 

[targetsmom]

Parmela-

For the Stomach Soother, you can order it direct from them at www.stomachsoother.com, from Smart Pak, or you might even try a local equestrian shop. Some around here carry it.

In the same vein as seeing if having a buddy to eat with will help, I just tried hanging Max's Busy Snacker on the fence next to the weanlings and they all seemed to enjoy munching hay out of it. I found Max will eat out of the slow feeders (this and a Nibble Net) while he will leave hay on the ground. The small bites are like grazing even though, of course, it isn't grass.

 

[chandab]

My vit/mineral package is Progressive Pro Advantage Grass Formula.

I put oats, corn(advised when he was very sick... but now limit the corn) beet pulp, Progressive Envision Classic (Omega fats) and then I add molasses and cut it in... it doesn't get real sticky because I don't use that much molasses... but it has been the food that 2 very picky eaters have decided they love.

Message me if you want the recipe I use. Our Progressive Nutrition Representative who visits our farm every few mos helped me when deciding how to mix this so that it was balanced and we were sure that he was getting the nutrients he needed

This is essentially my horses' ration (fairly recently added the extras to the grass formula, as our grass hay wasn't as nutritious this year, it grew too fast with all our rain). I feed Progressive grass formula, with oats, Envision, and an alfafa-based complete pellet (I can't get a straight alfalfa pellet around here that anyone will consistently eat). They get soaked beet pulp daily in a separate meal mid-day.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Another thought -- since we're "brainstorming" -- is there any competetion for feed? Some horses will eat better if there is another horse nearby (some don't

) Is there any possibility that this could help? An adjoining stall, for instance...maybe this is not good for this mare, it's been tried, she doesn't care -- just a thought about behaviors.

These guys challenge our imaginations. It's all about love

Bess, I misread this the first time. I hadn't thought of it that way. I was keeping her to herself so she didn't have any competition, but I have seen this behavior I think. What I may try is giving her her portion by herself, first, and then after I put her back, feed the rest of the herd and see if this encourages her to eat for a longer period of time. Currently she starts at the same time they do, but she loses interest so quickly (walks away from the feed and alfalfa) and just stands there, so that's when I put her back in the group where they are halfway through their feed. Mostly she joins in, but it's usually only for a few mins and then she loses interest again and goes into the barn or just stands and stares.

I do think she is experiencing some dementia in addition to her eating issues. I've talked about this for a couple of years, but she will wonder off or stare off into a direction where there is NOTHING to look at. Sometimes she evens trots the fenceline (nothing on the other side) and calls to some imaginary friend.

The bright spot in all of this is she seems happy, still has life in her eyes and still has a light, prancy step. Yes, she stumbles sometimes and isn't as nimble as she was years ago, but she'll give Raven or one of the younger mares a bit of the business every once in a while and that makes me smile. She also calls to me when I come out the back door because she knows I'm coming to let her out into the backyard where she gets special treatment. I take her blanket off and scratch her for a few mins each day since that thing has got to get itchy and heavy after a while.

 

[mizbeth]

That is a GOOD idea switching buckets, as the flat one I fed my old stallion in, he would turn it over and dump the feed out. He was eating out of the feed bin for a while (mentioned in my other post), and now eating out of a large green hanging bucket.

 

[GrullaBlue]

I haven't read all the replies...but I feed soy oil in my feed....and I have one mare who is hard to medicate....and with soy oil in it, she'll eat ANYTHING. It puts a shine on their coat like you wouldn't believe, and my farrier commented on how much nicer their feet looked after I started using it several years ago.... it's my "miracle supplement."

Angie

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Skipped to the end, so apologies if something like this has already been said.

Rabbit has no teeth, so this is his feed regime:

3 cups barley (plain)

1 cup full fat soya. (oil would do if you cannot get the grain)

Half cup peas (cattle feed. Any dried pea would do)

BOSS (handful)

Flax(Handful)

All this goes in the liquidiser and is ground down to powder, onto which I pour boiling water and then pop in the microwave for five minutes to bring out the flax and to turn in into gruel. I pour this onto:

Soaked Alfalfa pellets, soaked into a powder he does not like mush!

Beet pulp pellets also soaked. (I shall not say the exact amounts as you would have a fit, suffice it to say he has a lot as this is his only feed source!)

Rabbit is the fussiest eater out, he always has been. If he goes off his feed I separate everything out and feed it in separate bowls, so he can mooch around and snuffle through and pick out what he wants. I pour a generous amount of honey over the top of everything as it is a brilliant source of energy, contains only "natural" sugars, is easily digested, and you can actually live on the stuff, although I should not wish to!

I also add grated (in the processor) carrot and potato (in moderation they are a great source of protein and carbohydrates) although I usually cook the potato in his gruel.

He is not a lover of apple sauce, and neither am I, although he does like grated, real apples.

I can get away with adding a tiny bit of finely chopped grass hay chaff, but he is not keen on it and I do not wish to put him off eating so I am careful what I add.

I feel for you, I do know how frustrating it is, when Rabbit stopped eating just before Christmas I was sure I was going to lose him. You cannot make them eat.

 

[MountainMeadows]

Hi Parm

A friend of mine had a mare get hyperlipemia with a 2 week foal at her side - we ended up pulling the foal and hand raised her. Mare was picking up while at the clinic - enough to let her be sent home after racking up a monster vet bill -- her owner was going crazy trying to get her to eat at home - like your mare, one day she would eat, the next day no way. She ended up syringing 10-20 cc's of Karo syrup into her and about 30 minutes later the mare picked up her appetite - she needed a "boost" to get her in the mood I guess. Long story short, she kept up that routine several times a day and eventually the mare's appetite returned to normal and/or she finally got balanced out again - worth a try!

Good luck Parm!

Stac

 

[MountainMeadows]

Hi Parm - read more replies -- could she be Cushings prone - I would wonder based on her "dimentia" attitude if there isn't something going on in that vein of thought

Stac

 

[Helicopter]

Have you tried Speedibeet, soaked and added to her chaff. My serial founderer took a while to get used to it but is happy with it now and my old arab mare flies up the paddock to the tune of speedibeet, speedibeet, speedibeet.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Some questions...what are the tests for cushings and hyperlimia? Her teeth were last floated 8 months ago. Is it possible she could have tooth issues so soon? What is the best probios to use?

As for the suggestions, I've ordered stomach soother, I've bought agave, molasses, karo, honey, yogurt and oat bran cereal. The agave was a big not doing! But the ground up cereal mixed with her ground senior worked. Of course, she still only ate a small amount.

I have started feeding her first, letting her decide she's finished and then I feed her mates and she does seem to eat some more with them. They are eating Strategy.

Thanks again.

 

[Reble]

B12 as an appetite stimulant.

http://www.agripurina.ca/Screens/horseplus.aspx