Underweight Mini

[Beth Kokoruda]

I pulled a senior mini from the pens a couple months ago. He has been slowly losing weight so I am desperately trying to find something to feed him to get some weight on...

I've tried Reliance, SafeChoice Maintenance, SafeChoice Senior, Senior Carbcare, Orchard Grass & Timothy pellets, Hay stretcher - all dry and soaked.

He'll eat about 2 cups and stop.
He's been wormed and get's free choice hay.
I have him on some pasture now too...

What else can I try? A textured feed? Thoughts?

 

[Cayuse]

Have you had his teeth thoroughly checked? My other thought is maybe he has Cushing's. That can cause muscle wasting that looks like weight loss and is fairly common in older horses. It can be rule out with a blood test and if by chance he is positive, medication can help.
Is he eating his hay?
Lucerne makes chopped bagged hay as well as (I think) Triple Crown Feeds. Sometimes that is more palatable than regular hay.

 

[Cayuse]

Just checked the Triple Crown website and Triple Crown Safe Starch forage was what I was thinking of. My guys found it tasty.

 

[chandab]

Since he's senior and you pulled him the pens, get a vet check and have his teeth thoroughly checked, which may take contacting an equine dentist, but start with your vet.
In the meantime, have you tried soaking his pelleted feed? While some don't like wet feed, if their teeth are bothering them, most will eat soaked pellets. I'd go with a good senior feed, and perhaps try alfalfa pellets, they seem to be tastier to most equines. I've found not all brands are accepted equally, just like us, they have preferences.

 

[JanBKS]

My Sr mini, still a stud, lost weight before winter so he went into winter thin, not good in Michigan, I put him on Tribute's Kalm Ultra and the mill's fat and fiber, plus I was still giving him about 1.5 c Sr feed tribute textured, a heaping handfuls of soaked beet pulp, and he had hay too, so with all that twice a day he finally has his ribs covered good for summer, that took about 2 mths to do, now to build him up more for the coming winter, he is 32, I do have him right now on tractor supply's compete feed about a lb and 2 cups Sr plus two large handfuls of soaked beet pulp, twice a day he is holding the weight so far, hope that helps

 

[plaid mare]

You might try oatmeal. I agree with all the advice so far, but warm cooked oatmeal is mild, and will stick to his ribs.

 

[Beth Kokoruda]

His teeth were checked so all good there. He's been wormed. He does not like soaked feed. I tried Purina mini feed and SafeChoice senior and he ate all that so that's a good start. Thanks for all the info!

 

[goatkisses]

I agree with the others above that a vet check would be a good idea, and having blood drawn would be good, too. I'd test for any metabolic issues and also for Cushings disease.

When the vet visits I'd ask about ulcers as well. Some metabolic issues and ulcers will result in poor appetite, poor condition and weight loss. Before you start on any type of feeding plan it would be important to know what the issue is, or at least rule out any metabolic or ulcer condition, because feeding the wrong thing could make things worse.

Depending on what the test results say, you can start treatment from there.

 

[Willow Flats]

His teeth were checked so all good there. He's been wormed. He does not like soaked feed. I tried Purina mini feed and SafeChoice senior and he ate all that so that's a good start. Thanks for all the info!

When I fed mine the purina mini feed they gained weight. Hope it works for yours.

 

[Tammy Katz]

I recently got a mare that was malnutrished. My feed place recamended Mana pro. It has been helping her.

 

[Kings Settlement Farms]

I have had phenomenal results with the Blue Seal Sentinal Line putting weight on a hors. I've used SS, LS, and LT.
I had a lean mini mare nursing a foal who DID NOT LIKE those feeds (never had an issue with palatability before...) that I used Blue Seal Charger to bulk up. Coupled with soaked alfalfa pellets, it worked nicely.

 

[Tammy Katz]

Thank you. I have been using Mana pro, and mini horse feed. 1 cup each, and T/A hay. And forage. The ribs are no longer showing and the hips are not as sunken. We are making progress.

 

[WhooptyDoo]

I feed my senior Triple Crown Senior and rolled oats. He was on Purina Senior for a while. But he started loosing weight, his coat went full and dry, and he acted kinda dumpy. Switched feed and he has filled out, has a soft and shiney coat, more energy and seems to feel better over all.

Weight your feed. It can be a pain, but it is worth it. If anything weight it and Mark on your scoop were the weights are.

 

[Hafkrazy]

I have had phenomenal results with the Blue Seal Sentinal Line putting weight on a hors. I've used SS, LS, and LT.
I had a lean mini mare nursing a foal who DID NOT LIKE those feeds (never had an issue with palatability before...) that I used Blue Seal Charger to bulk up. Coupled with soaked alfalfa pellets, it worked nicely.

We have also had excellent results with sentenial the lavender bag for our 30 yr old mini gelding. Nothing else worked. We had almost given up hope of keeping him another winter. Now he is a great weight can outrun anything in the pasture. He gets a little soft hay but will waste most of it. Not many teeth left but in good care dentistry wise.
He's even going to the fair this summer.