Temporary pellet diet for mini

[NoahG]

Hey everyone,

My vet's favorite customer Aggie has a new infection. Her socket apparently didn't heal properly and it has become infected and is possibly spreading to her sinuses. Vet came out and believes there's hay getting caught in her socket causing infection. While it looks infected vet is optimistic. For now she wants Aggie on an all pellet diet for a week. I use the Purina mini horse & pony pellet mix. Aggie's a great weight right now so I plan on just giving her a couple cups of pellets spread out throughout the day and make sure her weight stays good and her behavior and temp stays normal.

Any advice or concerns when putting a mini on just pellets?

Thank you all in advance. Aggie's been on a tough long road but hopefully we're headed in the right direction. We'll see what the blood tests show.

-Noah

 

[LostandFound]

Is that a complete feed? If not you might want to add hay pellets to that. I would add water to them first for 2 reasons. First being that it will add volume to it and make it seem like more to her. And second that she won't get pellets stuck up in the socket, which is probably as bad as hay.

 

[Cayuse]

Yes, add hay pellets like LostandFound suggested. And soak them to a mush. Timothy pellets will do just fine. I'm pretty sure Purina Pony and Mini is a complete feed and what you want to add is plain old hay (pellets).
You might want to ask the vet about packing the socket with dental impression material once the infection is under control, it will keep food out and let the socket heal from the top down.

 

[NoahG]

Yes, add hay pellets like LostandFound suggested. And soak them to a mush. Timothy pellets will do just fine. I'm pretty sure Purina Pony and Mini is a complete feed and what you want to add is plain old hay (pellets).
You might want to ask the vet about packing the socket with dental impression material once the infection is under control, it will keep food out and let the socket heal from the top down.

The vet had just pulled the dental packing 2 days prior when her nose started to stink unfortunately.

 

[HersheyMint]

Poor Aggie, What strong girl she is. Do you think keeping a fly mask on her would help protect her eye?

 

[NoahG]

Poor Aggie, What strong girl she is. Do you think keeping a fly mask on her would help protect her eye?

She wears a fly mask almost 24/7. Her eye is doing great!

 

[HersheyMint]

She wears a fly mask almost 24/7. Her eye is doing great!

That is so good

 

[HersheyMint]

I did feed Purina Mini and Pony when I first got my minis with hay. I just looked on Purinamills.com and it shows it is a concreted feed designed to be fed with hay or pasture. They suggest adding beet pulp. I would ask your vet if it a complete feed for her.

 

[NoahG]

I did feed Purina Mini and Pony when I first got my minis with hay. I just looked on Purinamills.com and it shows it is a concreted feed designed to be fed with hay or pasture. They suggest adding beet pulp. I would ask your vet if it a complete feed for her.

Will do! Thanks!

 

[MaryFlora]

Goldie has a pellet diet but, in her case, she has primarily hay pellets with a dash of senior feed for added flavor and does very well. (She is a 34”, 25 year old mini.)

She does get about 8 hay cubes at night for added crunching time. Not sure hay cubes soaked would be an alternate source for Aggie. Would they also pack up her socket?

Aggie is a real little trooper!

 

[NoahG]

Goldie has a pellet diet but, in her case, she has primarily hay pellets with a dash of senior feed for added flavor and does very well. (She is a 34”, 25 year old mini.)

She does get about 8 hay cubes at night for added crunching time. Not sure hay cubes soaked would be an alternate source for Aggie. Would they also pack up her socket?

Aggie is a real little trooper!

She is. Just talked with the vet. She says Aggie could have Timothy hay pellets. I flush her socket twice a day with a dosing syringe (Also use warm water to lessen discomfort).

 

[chandab]

Hay pellets can replace long stem hay pound for pound, perhaps a little less due to less waste.

 

[NoahG]

Aggie loves the addition of hay pellets!

 

[NoahG]

Aggie's lost some weight so I've added one extra scoop of hay pellets. I'm wondering if in addition to her 2 servings she gets if I should add a smaller serving around lunch time.

 

[LostandFound]

I would. They are designed to eat all day and it's hard to do that with just pellets. It will help put weight back on her too.

 

[NoahG]

Thank you. I felt horrible coming back from out of town and seeing her weight loss. I had friends feeding her and had gave her instructions. Hopefully I can get her weight back.

 

[LostandFound]

It's so scary leaving them alone, even with someone you trust. How much longer is she going to be on a pellet diet?

 

[MaryFlora]

I’d definitely give heran extra feed. Goldie gets 2# of pellets in two feedings plus one of hay cubes.

 

[HersheyMint]

I agree with #LostandFound It is tough when you depend on someone else to feed. Hoping for the best for Aggie

 

[NoahG]

You guys are the best. Aggie only needs all pellets for another 4-5 days. Vet wants to ensure the socket seals up without hay poking into it. Thank you everyone. Aggie's breathing has gotten really bad with the heat. Vet next wants to do a Bronchiolalveolar Lavage to check her lungs.