Any secret tips for sneaking prascend into super fussy pony?!

Tarragon

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 January 2018
Messages
1,946
Visit site
Pop it directly into the bit between the cheek and the gum. If you get the spot they cannot spit it out and I don't think it tastes so bad! The advantages are that you know 100% that they have had it and they have no association of it with their feed
 
Joined
20 February 2017
Messages
3,724
Visit site
A small amount around 100g, swells into enough tasty mash to tempt a fussy feeder. VV has been a life saver for my horse with cushings.

AA did you find any issues with weight gain on VV for a cushings horse? How much water were you adding to 100g to make the mash?

I'm considering it as a last ditch attempt for our cushings shetland but don't want him to gain too much weight at the moment, a little bit would be absolutely fine but he has arthritis as well so it's a bit of a precarious balancing act. Thank you and sorry for hijacking the thread.
 

windand rain

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2012
Messages
8,517
Visit site
Friend did the putting it in the cheek and hand feeding a sugar free treat at the same time it was the perfect way for her pony as it wouldn't eat it in feed
 

Jeni the dragon

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 August 2019
Messages
2,682
Visit site
AA did you find any issues with weight gain on VV for a cushings horse? How much water were you adding to 100g to make the mash?

I'm considering it as a last ditch attempt for our cushings shetland but don't want him to gain too much weight at the moment, a little bit would be absolutely fine but he has arthritis as well so it's a bit of a precarious balancing act. Thank you and sorry for hijacking the thread.

We found Top Spec High Fibre mash was very, very tasty! Friend had to take her pony off it as he loved it so much was rearing at the stables door! Roger would go through phases of being really fussy, and we found going back to it, rather than their linseed mash which we would have rather he ate, always worked.
 

MyBoyChe

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 April 2008
Messages
4,584
Location
N. Bucks
Visit site
I use just enough dark brown sugar to cover a quarter tablet, with a few bits of grated carrot on top, fed from the hand and with a few more carrot shreds afterwards.
 

laura_nash

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2008
Messages
2,365
Location
Ireland
towercottage.weebly.com
I've no experience (luckily mine will eat anything that goes near him) but Kelly Marks did an amusing piece in the Intelligent Horsemanship magazine on this based on her recent experiences, I think you could have related, 'The Pony and The Pill' or ‘how to teach a pony to be suspicious of any food you give him’. Apparently the solution in her case was freezing the pill (to reduce any smell), putting it in an empty pill capsule, and hiding it in a Trebor Soft Mint.
 

sport horse

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2002
Messages
1,964
Visit site
Prascend is notoriously unpalatable. I gave it to a very special oldie in apples - her very favourite food. In the end she refused to ever eat an apple again. I felt really mean that I had spoiled for her the one thing she absolutley adored and for what? My own wish to preserve her life? Was I actually being kind to her? Would I have been better to fill her with apples for however long she had and said goodbye earlier? I have no idea but I do know I will never ever put another horse onto Prascend.
 

hellfire

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2014
Messages
348
Location
Devon
Visit site
I feel your pain. I’ve had this issue with mini for a few years. He changes at the drop of a hat one day he likes Apple another day he doesn’t.
So he gets something different each day even a bit if bread!
It’s worked and he always eats it hidden in something now. Often tips his bucket feed on the floor and walks away but at least he’s had his meds. Never mind the balancer he really needs too as he’s on such a restricted diet ? The floors often a good place for that apparently!
 

Gloi

Too little time, too much to read.
Joined
8 May 2012
Messages
12,281
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
I think when sneaking prascend into treat foods you need to give those things without the prascend on a frequent basis so they don't get so wary.
 

Mb02

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 June 2015
Messages
64
Visit site
As mentioned popping it inside the cheek is brilliant. Ours used to spit his 1 and a half tablets of prascend out all the time and we tried everything. This was the only thing that worked! Pop it inside the cheek and let it dissolve and they can’t get rid of it! Little reward after, Works every time!
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,784
Visit site
A marmite sandwich worked for getting rather large tablets I couldn't crush into Archie. I've yet to meet a horse who doesn't love marmite. He had to have 3 so I'd take one piece of bread, line the tablets up along one half then fold it over to make a sarnie. I'd then tear it into 4 chunks, with a tablet in 3 of them and give the 3 tablets first, waving the next piece in front of his nose so he was focused on that rather than the one in his mouth - he'd then swallow it quickly to get the next piece. As the last one was always 'clean' he didn't need to be distracted with it. If she's suspicious, you could try three chunks, clean, contaminated, clean?
 

HashRouge

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
9,254
Location
Manchester
Visit site
A small amount around 100g, swells into enough tasty mash to tempt a fussy feeder. VV has been a life saver for my horse with cushings.
Ditto, it's the only feed my cushings mare will eat! She actually has quite a lot as she's not a good doer and she's been fed it summer and winter with no issues. I soak it and just put the pill on top and she eats it no problem, but you could soak it with the feed and stir it in.
 

HashRouge

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
9,254
Location
Manchester
Visit site
AA did you find any issues with weight gain on VV for a cushings horse? How much water were you adding to 100g to make the mash?

I'm considering it as a last ditch attempt for our cushings shetland but don't want him to gain too much weight at the moment, a little bit would be absolutely fine but he has arthritis as well so it's a bit of a precarious balancing act. Thank you and sorry for hijacking the thread.
You could give him a tiny amount and I think it would be fine. I was feeding it to my fattie for a bit to try when I ran out of fast fibre and he just had a handful. Didn't make any difference to his weight but he always looked very pleased with himself afterwards!
 

Laurac13

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 September 2015
Messages
619
Visit site
Hello

my mini used to take his pracend in a piece of carrot with a small hole cut out, he’s now off that so we’ve swooped to a small slice of pear with the tablet prodded in and so far he’s scoffing it daily! I need to feed him quickly with it as the tablet starts to melt in the pear moisture ?
 

Cocorules

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 July 2010
Messages
1,143
Visit site
With my pony I dissolved in warm water and added it to her feed. It worked well for the eight years she was on it prior to her being PTS. The manufacturer's website says that is ok. Much easier than syringing every day.
 

Gamebird

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 April 2007
Messages
8,499
Visit site
Ask your vet to swap you onto the pergolide paste instead of Prascend tablets. It's made up with molasses and very easy to give. It also usually works out a bit (a very little bit, but every penny helps!) cheaper.
 

MyBoyChe

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 April 2008
Messages
4,584
Location
N. Bucks
Visit site
I am feeding a quarter of a tab per day atm and feed it from my hand squished into a tiny amount of sticky dark brown sugar, less than a half teaspoonful. I have a couple of pieces of carrot in the other hand and feed these straight the pill. Hes been on this since August and hasnt refused so far!
 

canteron

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2008
Messages
3,938
Location
Cloud Cockoo Land
Visit site
Mix it up is the only way I could get the tablets down my horse - if you kept to the same thing they got wise. Often I used a sandwich, with different fillings!!!!

Marmite sandwich, apple, carrot, mint, honey, other herbs, etc, etc .........
 

welshpony216

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2020
Messages
145
Location
USA
Visit site
When my pony had to have medication, I stuck the tables into apples, waited for about 30 seconds do they would dissolve a bit and not be really hard and crunchy (you know that feeling when you bite into a cookie or cupcake that has those little pearl things, but you do not notice...:eek:)
 
Top