PLEASE Help. Emactiated Horse!?

Question

My 3 year old mare has been staying out at my grandmothers since we moved into a development.

I came to see her and when i got up there she was STARVED.
I couldnt belive how emaciated and just...horrible she had gotten. Im so scared. Im getting her OUT of there within the week but i need some help and how to to get some weight back on her before we start the Psiphillyn [sp?]

QUESTIONS
:Mashed bran- Good at getting the sand moving out?
:Vegitable Oil Supplement-Good at getting fat back on her?
:How much alfalfa. I dont want to over feed her!
:Exercise helping the sand get out of her stomach?

Please please please help me. She is my world and i cant believe they didnt take care of her.

ps. Im also worming her. But should i do this after ive gotten some weight on her??

Thank you so much! anything helps :(

Just to clear some things up for you guys.

The last time I saw my horse, was about a good 4-6 weeks ago. and before we moved, she was a bit skinny, but i figured she was in that stage....

She's in a small round pen with nothing but sand. and i know that as kids, they have the need to eat sand. So thats why im concerned, if my grandpa is "forgetting" to feed her, she may eat more of it.

Im going to buy a salt lick so she is entertained throughout the day FOR SURE

and contact the vet....Im just scared he will call the animal controll on us or blame it on someone. I DONT want that to happen. Their good people...but...their old...

He buys nothing but alfalfa. So i'll go ahead and get some oat hay exclusively for her =[

sugarcubes, bran, carrots, apples,grain, and corn oil WILL be added to her diet TODAY

we are currently looking for an open pasture to put her in.


Thanks so much <3
I wont wont wont wont wont let her die.

Answer 1

First, don't deworm her just yet...you could shock her system being very underweight. Okay, you need to start feeding her S L O W L Y. Consult with a vet for a good program to bring her back. I would also have her teeth floated ASAP to help her utilize any food she gets.
Start with just small amounts of good quality hay(I would not give her alfalfa just yet) and gradually work her up to free choice hay and correct amounts of grain(preferably a high quality, high fat/high fiber/low sugar pellet such as Nutrena SafeChoice). You could also give her soaked beet pulp as an extra forage source. Do NOT start throwing tons of hay and feed at her as that can make her worse. I cannot emphasize enough consulting with a vet to get a good feeding schedule and when to up amounts and add other items. Some other good things to add to her feed when the time comes are rice bran(like Nutrena Empower) and alfalfa pellets...and make sure she had free-choice minerals.
Also, bran mashes are not great for horses as they can throw their calcium:phosphorus ratio out of whack and are only recommended as a treat every now and then.

If you need any help or have questions, feel free to e-mail [e-mail]. But please get in touch with your vet tomorrow first thing. Good luck.

Edited to add...you mean psyllium for sand in the gut...don't worry about it....the mash nor that will be of any use right now, neither of them work as well as they are reported to.

Answer 2

My brother got a four-year-old a about a year ago who'd been neglected since birth. It was mostly a mercy purchase; the animal desperately needed a new home. Like in your situation, the owners didn't realize they were doing anything wrong- they just didn't know anything about horses, and neglected him out of ignorance, not out of meanness. But neglect is neglect to a horse. I have never seen an animal in worse condition; it was horrible. The vet told us there was no way he'd live much longer, and all we could really do was make his last days comfortable; he hung on for a month or two, but then he was gone. I think you've got a good shot at pulling your horse through this, though; it sounds like you've gotten to her before too much time went by, and you're taking the necessary actions. You're working with months of bad management where my brother was working with years, so you'll probably do just fine. Bran mash is great for the stomach. Corn oil is good for fattening up, but don't overdo it. I don't recommend alfalfa, though; a grass hay would be better. Worming is necessary; worms could be part of the reason she's so emaciated, if they haven't been worming her regularly. I'd get her out of the sand pen and onto open pasture ASAP. Do talk to your vet; if it's a question of your horse's health, his advice will be necessary. Just explain the situation to him; he might tell you it was a bad idea to entrust your horse to your grandparents, but that's nothing you don't already know. Good luck! You'll get her through this!

Answer 3

Bless your heart I know how you feel I lost my house in Hurricane Ivan and had to board all my horses several hours away, and was unable to see them regularly due to work and rebuilding, when I picked them up. I had major problems mainly worm infestation, they were skin and bones. The 1st thing I did was immediately quarantine and wormed each and everyone of them, they were slowly given pasture and grain as in several times a day for about a week until I was able to release to full pasture then to a twice a day feeding program I immediately saw a difference, but I did need a vets help. 1st go to a reputible vet that you feel comfortable with explain what has happened and ask for his or her help in putting your horse on a feeding and deworming program at this point the primary worry is the horses health and you need help, if you are reported then so be it you will have to explain the situation and verify that since the horses return it has been under a veterinary care, most humane associations will try and assist you especially if the horse is under a doctors care. You should take it to the vet as soon as you pick it up not after you take it to the pasture releasing it into a pasture could cause it more harm, plus you will infect your pasture with parasites. Take a deep breath call a vet in advance and make some arrangements. Don't be too mad at granny and pappy I am sure they meant well, but old folks have diffrent ideas about animals sometimes and the care they need. just do what needs to be done do not beat yourself up over what is already done just look toward improvement. best luck and God Bless. I am sure you have many more happy trails ahead. Also depending on the age it could possibly be that the teeth need floating the horse could have gotten feed but dropped alot of it so get the teeth checked too. 3 is not old at all and it shopuld'nt have teeth problems but a check never hurt.

Answer 4

I would wait atleast a week to worm her. If she is malnurished as you say she is you will want to start out small with food and give her plenty of water. What I mean by this is horses can colic very easily if their belly empty or over filled, so I would only feed her a little grain starting out maybe 2 cups and then a clump of hay and every 2 days you could increase it. After about a week of increasing her feed and monitering her grashh intake ( which also needs to be started slowly ) that is when I would give her wormer. If she is already so weak, she needs to get a little nourishment and protein in her system before worming because if she is full of worms all that medicine will make her do is use the bathroom more until they get out of her system. They also sale certain powders that you can mix with feed to get sand out of a horse system. Good luck with her and just remember take things slow - you may not notice a change in her weight for 3-4 months depending on how she handles the changes, good luck again.

Answer 5

Get the horse off the psyllium, theres no need for that right now

Horses don't get like this overnight, exactly how long has it been since you have seen her??

The damage is done and hopefuly the horse can still make it a week, did you leave food out there for it?

Equine senior and beet pulp and quality hay are you best bets. If you have grass hay give it to her free choice, alfalfa be more cautious with the senior being added, but 2-3 feedings a day of it.

What makes you think she has sand in her stomach, did a vet listen and make that diagnosis?

Answer 6

First thing I'd have a vet evaluate her. I wouldn't worm her unless the vet said it's ok. If she is weak it could cause problems. Also, feed in small amounts several times a day at first. Too much too fast can cause her to colic. Only a little grain at a time, slowly increasing it. Be careful with the bran mash as it can cause diarhea if given too much (just like in people). I had a thin horse that I gave a product called Strategy. See if you can find it in your area. It is designed to compliment your feeding program and provides any missing nutrients. It's great for a situation like yours. But make sure you get the right kind. There is one designed for people who feed grass hay, one for people who feed alfalfa and I believe one for grain..... I would feed alfalfa as her regular feed and provide her with a good quality grass hay in between. The great thing about grass hay is that once you get her back to eating on a regular schedual you can feed it as freely as you wish, and it'll help tremendously in putting weight on her. I know it's terrible seeing your girl like this but she should be ok assuming there is no underlying reason for the weight loss (that's why it's important to have the vet out...) . Just don't rush things, start slow and work your way up. If you get over eager you will only make matters worse. Best of luck to you and I hope I have been of some help...... P.S. Veg oil is great for packing weight on and helps the coat, but be careful because it's adding fat not muscle.... it would be like you eating candy all day. No more than a cup top dressed on her hay per day..... I would split it per feeding.....

Answer 7

Please, get your vet involved. Horses can lose weight very quickly, but they need to be brought back more closely. Feeding a horse too much too quickly can cause cholic which can easily kill a horse. Before you start her on a feed plan to put weight back on, get her examined by the vet.

As for the sand, again you need to have the vet involved. She won't pass the sand by exercise and unless she passes it on her own, it could lead to impactions and cholic. If the problem does not resolve itself on it's own (and you'll notice sand in her manure), the vet may want to drench her. A tube will be inserted down her nostril into her stomach and an oil will be administered to lubricate the impaction and allow her to pass it. This is NOT something you should even think about trying to do on your own.

I'm glad to see that you are going to take the steps needed to help your horse, but you really need to ask your grandmother some very hard questions on how the horse was allowed to get into that condition. If there was someone paid to take care of the horse, or you left money for the horse's feed, you may have a criminal case on your hands. But you may also be dealing with an elderly person who doesn't know about caring for animals and thought that the horse could just graze.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Remember not to suddenly start feeding her mass amounts of food or you’ll only make her seriously ill.

You can worm immediately.

Flax seed - you can buy it whole or “ground” some say its better ground than whole, but it really doesn’t matter (just don’t boil!). This will help with hoof growth, skin/coat, and help with the passing of sand/dirt/etc. 1-2 cup(s) a day with grain. Her hooves will be in bad condition from malnourishment.

Vegetable oil: Do not feed vegetable oil. I think you mean corn oil. Corn oil is preferable. I wouldn’t suggest it for fattening her up. The fat in corn oil (some people use veggie oil, but corn is better if you’re going to use it at all) isn’t as good as the fat you can get from a good supplement.

Hay: I wouldn’t feed alfalfa, its really not good for your horse. Feed oat hay instead and grass hay, because the grass hay she can eat all day without having to worry about over feeding her (but take it slow at first, a flake of grass in the morning with out, a flake of grass in the afternoon, and then morning feed at night ie: grass and oat.) You can give big flakes that look more like two than one, but don‘t go too overboard with it.

Supplements: Buy a good weight gainer. A good one, even if you have to pay 50 dollars for a bucket of it. Weight Gainer, Focus WT and Hard Keeper are good ones. Have a farrier check her hooves, you might need an extra hoof supplement aside from the flax seed.

Grain: get a good supplement grain that has all the nutrients she needs. Also, get some sweet cob, above all this is what did the trick for putting weight back on my rescue horse. Give a big scoop of each.

Get a mineral lick (like a salt block) and make sure she has plenty of water (check it often).

Also, get a vet out as soon as you can to have her checked up. She’ll need a full check up, and have her teeth checked as well. She might also need some shots (and there is the chance of help issues).

If you have really green grass in the pasture right now, keep her in a stall. That super green grass is badbadbad for malnourished horses. It will cause them to colic because they’ll go butt crazy eating it.

Exercise her every day. I know you might feel bad because she looks all sickly, but its movement that helps a horse digest. If she just stands around and eats all day, it won’t be as much as help as it would be if you worked her. Walk her once in the morning and again at night, even in the afternoons if you can. Then as her shape increases, pick up the pace of the exercise, like some lunging.

Answer 9

Not sure where the idea of sand in the stomach came from, did the vet diagnose this? The best way to fatten them up is soaked sugar beet, boiled barley and boiled linseed with some mollichaff thrown in for bulk. Small meals 3 x per day with adlib hay.It's non heating and will quickly put weight back on her.
Before worming her, send a fecal sample over to the vet's and wait for the results before doing anything on that end. You should also have her teeth checked because this is obviously going to impact how she eats and digests food.

Answer 10

FIRST - get her a good physical checkup from a good vet. All kinds of things can cause your horse to drop weight.

Worms - Primary suspect
Poor feed - Primary suspect
Breed - some horses, especially racing stock, are naturally skinny
Age - a 3-year old is a "teenager" in horse years - some of them get awfully skinny before filling out despite the fact that you pour grain into them.
Finally, and I really hope this isn't the case - neglect. Is your grandmother well? This might be something for the family to discuss - Alzheimer's can cause a person to firmly believe they fed the animal but in fact, they hadn't. This is really serious enough for intervention.

Now, as to put weight on her? Again, your vet can help you design a good feed/deworm/exercise program to maximize weight gain - but it should be done gradually. Feeding too much or gaining too much weight too fast will lead to its own set of health problems (founder, colic etc.)

So talk with a good vet right away. I know this is tragic - for everyone - get your grandmother to the vet - er doctor - too.