advice needed please, at my wits end!

spottyfilly

spottyfilly

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I have a rising 4 year old who is having problems with her teeth. this has been ongoing since january when the it was first diagnosed. She is having monthly treatment from the dentist for the gaps and gums etc. She is not allowed to have haylage as this is getting stuck in the gaps and making her gums sore. She is out during the day and now has a big tub of topspec grass overnight. She is fed twice a day on sugar beet (full molassed variety) build up cubes and mollichaff extra. However she is losing weight still. She isn't skinny but too lean in both mine and my vets opinion. She is growing too which doesn't help at the moment. I have done some research (read that as lots!!) and went and bought some ready mash extra yesterday to slowly introduce her onto to. My problem is that it is very high in starch and cereals and I don't really want to pump lots of this into her but im at a loss as to what else I can feed her to make sure she gets plenty of fibre but also lots of calories to help her gain weight. any help/advice is very very welcome!
 
We had one that had gaps at the front that needed cleaning, we never stopped feeding hay though, just carefully picked out the debris every day with a cocktail stick of all things and rinsed with diluted corsodyl. It sorted itself out pretty quickly, also rubbing olive oil onto the gums is supposed to help.

What does your vet say, has he come up with any alternatives if he is worried about weight loss?
 
foxeefilly said:
I have a rising 4 year old who is having problems with her teeth. this has been ongoing since january when the it was first diagnosed. She is having monthly treatment from the dentist for the gaps and gums etc. She is not allowed to have haylage as this is getting stuck in the gaps and making her gums sore. She is out during the day and now has a big tub of topspec grass overnight. She is fed twice a day on sugar beet (full molassed variety) build up cubes and mollichaff extra. However she is losing weight still. She isn't skinny but too lean in both mine and my vets opinion. She is growing too which doesn't help at the moment. I have done some research (read that as lots!!) and went and bought some ready mash extra yesterday to slowly introduce her onto to. My problem is that it is very high in starch and cereals and I don't really want to pump lots of this into her but im at a loss as to what else I can feed her to make sure she gets plenty of fibre but also lots of calories to help her gain weight. any help/advice is very very welcome!
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Similar to what touchstone says, is the only time her teeth are being cleaned out when the vet sees her? Get some corsodyl original, dilute it as instructed, clear gaps everyday - twice if possible and syringe mouth with corsodyl

With regards to feed, I would be more inclined to use linseed meal for the calories, and fast fibre for the fibre. That way it can all be fed as slop and you don't have the issues of starch and sugar. I would also consider a blood tonic, I use haemavite b plus, it will really help your horse utilise the feed she is getting. Keep off grass that has just been covered in snow... If you do turn out on such grass you must feed adlib haylage/hay in field, this type of grass is burnt from the snow and incredibly tough and makes diastema worse.

Ebony was on the verge of having to have the holes drilled to make them larger, with the above approach we managed to close the gaps completely. If they are not closing with a twice a day approach, you may have to have them drilled to stop feed packing in them.
 
They are at the back (molars). They have been widened and packed with putty to try and help them heal. She has had bloods ran and were normal.
 
I will try her on a blood tonic thanks queen bee. She is upto date with worming etc we think the weight loss is down to her teeth. She has always had adlib haylage throughout winter and was on calm and condition and chaff before changing to the most recent diet for mroe calories as she was losing weight
 
Perhaps then add some Linseed meal to her current diet for additional calories without the additional starch. So she has already had them worked on. Ok, well in that case I would still be looking to flush them at least once a day with corsodyl... the bacteria that gathers is awful and may be harming her immune system if it is able to build up, so get a large syringe (one of the monster ones) and syringe a solution of corsodyl to the back molars. If she is a tit about it, which she may well be with the work thats been going on in her mouth and the potential discomfort, I would reccomend headcollar on, lead rope on the floor and stand on it, this stops her flinging her head around, that way you can open the mouth and syringe, its really important to keep the bacteria down as this WILL affect her tummy, My EDT even asked if I was pregnant when my mare got diastema, and if I was would not have let me go near her mouth - its that bad.

Haemavite is fantastic stuff as a blood tonic, it works and raises the immune system, enhances appetite and gut mechanics.... basically helps her digestive system work at its super doooper level. Feeding wise, soak whatever you can. I see you are giving a 'hay substitute' Fast fibre is also an excellent product for this, could you not make up a huge vat of it and pop it out in the field with her during her turn out? Also a probiotic such as protexin..,. really rate that.
 
Infact OP I have just read this re mollichaff:

requiring up to 8000 chews per kilo to eat compared to as few as 1200 for concentrates.

So perhaps not best for your girlie at the moment.

I would look at getting something along the lines of Fast Fibre, Add 1 1/2 cups of linseed meal per day, additional beet if you want although fast fibre contains beet as it is. Haemavite b plus and a pro biotic. split into three feeds and if more calories are needed go up to 2 cups of linseed.

As a forage replacer I would be using fast fibre as well.

My friends old mare had NO teeth, she literally survived on FF, and she did it really well.
 
thanks queenbee thats really helpful. Ill have a look for haemavite b now and order some. will also get some corsodyl first thing tomorrow. she has had work done about 4 times now since jan, the gaps have been widened twice and putty added 3 times now to try and help the gums heal. she has been on anti b's for a week after having each lot of work done but ive requested some more long term to really get on top of the inflamed gums. Poor girl :(
 
Fast fibre and micronised linseed simple systems do instant linseed for I think £15 for 5kg or Charnwood milling is 20kg (I think!) for about £26
 
Have you considered A&Ps Veteran Vitality? It contains fibre like Fast Fibre but also contains linseed so has a much higher calorific value. It is aimed at elderly horses with poor or missing teeth so is soaked (3 mins) and is designed to cover their fibre and nutritional requirements.
 
LynH said:
Have you considered A&Ps Veteran Vitality? It contains fibre like Fast Fibre but also contains linseed so has a much higher calorific value. It is aimed at elderly horses with poor or missing teeth so is soaked (3 mins) and is designed to cover their fibre and nutritional requirements.
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Ha Ha, this made me chuckle... OP pm'd me and I changed direction half way through my pm... full on rambling as I was typing, anyways I think OP is going to go for VV for feed with SB, linseed, Haemavite & probiotic (mare is on antibiotics at the moment)

She is then going to look at FF as a forage replacer.
 
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