Best low calorie chaff for a VERY good doer

C

catherine22

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 January 2006
Messages
1,075
Location
New forest
Visit site
My very very good doer mare is currently having prednisolone tablets to help with her itching, she is only having a tiny handful of Hifi to mix them in but as this is twice a day and she is out 24/7 and retired on decent grass, she is expanding rapidly (only been on them a week)
Is there any otherway of getting the tablets into her or what would the lowest calorie chaff be?
It seems unfair to muzzle her as her weight was static whilst just on the grass (shes not normally fed any hard feed) but obviously I will if there is no alternative, especially as the tablets are steroids i'm worried about her getting laminitus, its amazing what these 2 tiny handfuls a day have done :-(
 
Could it be the steroids making her put weight on as 2 handfuls of hi-fi i wouldnt think would have that effect??

Could you restrict her grazing and give her soaked hay instead and keep up the 2 handfuls?? If you do want a lower cal chaff then maybe hifi light although not very palatable i dont think or the mollassess free smells lovely but not sure on content.

Hope all is well soon


xxx
 
My vet told me last week not to let my filly gaim any more weight.she was having 2 small handfuls of alfalfa,i rang dengie and they told me their hifi good doer is their lowest cal chaff which is for maintaining or loosing,so i got a bag today,it also has all the v+m in they need.
 
Are you sure it is the HiFi - if you really are only giving a tiny handful twice a day I don't think it would really pile on that much weight. I know we have had a sudden flush of grass here, due to the rain followed by lovely sunny weather, so that seems more likely. Alternatively, could it be the steroids making her gain weight - I would ring your vet and ask if that is a possibility.

I would definitely work on restricting her grass intake in some way, whether that is by muzzling or putting her in an electric-fenced track or paddock.

If you want to change what you are putting her medication in, then you could try very watery Fast Fibre.
 
I was also feeding d+h suregrow which vet said probably caused alot of the weight gain as it has alot of protein n cals in,more than an average balancer so ive cut that out n changef to a few hi fibre cubes in with chaff each day
 
Simple Systems do Ruff Stuff - basically a hay chop with nothing in it and it is not like their Just Grass which is higher in protein and cals.

Thorogoods in Essex do a oat straw chaff - again nothing in it but oat straw.

It may be the steriods - I know when I had them whilst having chemo I ballooned - put on over 2 stone from March to July. Some low lifes in the showing world feed steriods for this reason - to get an animal really bulked up.
 
What about foggage, re-growth after hay. Basically poor quality grass. Unless it's had a strong re-growth after warm weather. Mine are out all year round though. I suppose it's difficult on a yard. I've been toying with the idea of getting a chaff cutter and am keeping my eye open for one. I'm sure it would pay for itself. That way I can try different bulk forage in it. Could you not get enough people to go in on a share for buying one. Me and my neighbour share some equipment now but he doesn't want a cutter.
 
As already mentioned, I'd be thinking it was the medication or a late flush of grass making her put on weight.
Have you tried the new dengie mollasses free chaff instead of the hi fi ? Just thinking that if she's itchy, reducing the sugar/molassed content of her diet might help.
 
Thank you everyone for all the ideas, I agree - now thinking about it, it could well be this sudden flush of new grass we've had coming up. She's also suddenly grown her coat as well (but I haven't noticed any moulting) so I was then starting to worry about cushings and laminitis and steroids
She doesn't normally have any hard feed which is half the reason it is so difficult to find out the casue of her itching, which is why we have finally ended up at the tablets
I think I will end up muzzling her, while the grass is here, as I'd rather she was walking around as much as possible (she has arthritis) rather than standing in a bare ish paddock with soaked hay
I have the vet out tomorrow so will ask his opinion then.
 
It's almost certainly the steroids causing the weight gain as this happens to most animals who take them. Two handfuls of chaff a day would not cause such a sudden gain in weight so you probably need to start restricting her grazing a bit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top