Cushings pony dropping off

[poiuytrewq]

He is in during the day, ad lib hay. Out overnight, still has enough grass to pick at that hay would be left so i don’t yet bother.
He gets a tiny handful of chaff as he isn’t keen on unmolassed, Thunderbrooks, honey chop and I suspect Alfalfa makes him itch! That makes chaff difficult ?
He also gets a handful or so of basic nuts as it’s the only easy way to give his prescand.
The cushings is under control, last test was about 6 wks ago and we upped his dosage slightly.
He has had a great summer/year but previously been footy/laminitic on and off so I’m hesitant at changing his feed as I know this currently suits and seems safe *though wood!
He’s almost 30, happy, active shiny coat, rugged as he does feel the cold, but I do feel I’d like a little more condition on him especially at this time of year.
Safe ideas?
I can up the nuts, speedibeet? (Can’t recall but I suspect he’s not keen!) linseed? Oil?
Thanks!

 

[AmyMay]

Could a simple swap in management help? Out in the day, in at night?

 

[Tiddlypom]

More protein?

I've got my two PPID mares long term on Charnwood's micronised linseed, plus more recently also on Forageplus pea protein. It's helped their general winter condition a lot.

Whey protein isolate is an alternative to pea protein, but is more spendy.

 

[meleeka]

Micronised linseed should help. There are low calorie grass nuts available (maybe Emerald?). Mine are on Veteran Lite with Honeychop and the poor doer gets Speedibeet with a small amount of Dengie Grass nuts mixed as she’s not keen on Speedibeet on its own.

At 30 he might not be getting the most out of the hay even if hes still able to eat it, so I’d be looking to up his fibre if linseed doesn’t work.

 

[I'm Dun]

More protein?

I've got my two PPID mares long term on Charnwood's micronised linseed, plus more recently also on Forageplus pea protein. It's helped their general winter condition a lot.

Whey protein isolate is an alternative to pea protein, but is more spendy.

You can feed tri aminos from progressive earth which is cheaper again

 

[Micky]

Linseed and speedibeet

 

[TGM]

I'd add micronised linseed and Speedibeet too.

 

[blodwyn1]

I find cushcare condition from d and h works well. A mug full soaked morning and evening.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Rather than feeding pony nuts, I would swap to good quality grassnuts, like Emerald Green and maybe their dried grass chaff. In addition to those, we gave our30 yr old linseed and a splodge of molasses to encourage her to eat but she didn't have Cushings.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Could a simple swap in management help? Out in the day, in at night?

Maybe. My problem here is my field is across the road (otherwise I’d let him follow us ) If he’s out by day then they are in a group of 5 and I can’t get them all in together. This pony is uncatchable unless everything else is caught first and held at the gate (at which point he will almost put his own head collar on!, if however I take others out of sight he go’s bananas and Is totally uncatchable anyway!
Fine if I have help to lead them across but not an option by myself.

We aren’t talking loads of weight so I’ll give the above suggestions a try, starting with linseed which I’m off to buy now! ?

 

[ester]

Most grass chaffs and nuts aren't suitable for metabolics (I've just been back through them all recently )
Chaff wise I think I've got it down the agrobs options (aspero + lite one) and simple systems timothy (I won't feed thunderbrooks).
Nuts wise emerald green meadowmagic is also ok.

I'd absolutely go down the linseed and speedibeet route with yours.

F has some eating issues so my recent searching has been to consider what would best suit as a partial hay replacer.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thanks. I’ve been and got some linseed which he ate a handful of this evening with out thinking I’m poisoning him so can up it bit by bit.
Agrobs isn’t a brand I’ve used, I’ve looked a few times but yet to try, maybe I’ll have another google of that.
Grass nuts, I was advised to feed a laminitic a few years ago but I can’t quite get my head round the fact that I have to limit his grass intake but then give pure grass nuts, is it not counter productive?
Also do they need soaking? He will only really eat proper hard feed!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I dread needing to find a hay replacer for him and really hope we don’t have to go there! He’d be impossible!
He’s a tiny elderly Welsh A but as neurotic as an TB I’ve known ?

 

[splashgirl45]

have you tried fast fibre for an extra bit of bulk

 

[SO1]

Pink mash most horses love it and it has protexin in it. Suitable for laminitics as low in sugar and starch.

 

[ester]

You want the sugar+starch combined to be <10% which most grass products dont manage and yes I'd always soak grass nuts so that cuts that out anyway.

I'm waiting to get a mum report about how Frank won't eat the pergolide ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

have you tried fast fibre for an extra bit of bulk

Yes, it’s too soggy apparently! ?‍
I’d imagine pink mash to be the same!

 

[poiuytrewq]

You want the sugar+starch combined to be <10% which most grass products dont manage and yes I'd always soak grass nuts so that cuts that out anyway.

I'm waiting to get a mum report about how Frank won't eat the pergolide ?

It’s awkward stuff! We have been through a multitude of ways to give it. I used to be super strict about alfalfa, soya, molasses so classic pony nuts were a definite no. However they have worked at tablet hiding now for over a year which is a miracle!

 

[meleeka]

It’s awkward stuff! We have been through a multitude of ways to give it. I used to be super strict about alfalfa, soya, molasses so classic pony nuts were a definite no. However they have worked at tablet hiding now for over a year which is a miracle!

Mine gets a table spoon of 16+ mix in her tea. I know it’s a no-no for a cushings pony, but it’s a compromise.

 

[ester]

vet suggested a carrot but he finds them quite difficult so we will do some experimenting! For feed he has agrobs weisencobs soaked he much prefers herbs with his grass apparently, and the french alps ?

 

[COldNag]

We used to take a big out of the carrot core and hide it within the carrot

 

[Tiddlypom]

I used to grind the Prascend tablet into a powder between two dry spoons when the senior mare was being picky about eating them.

The destructions said they shouldn't be ground down, but at one point it was the only way she'd take them. I think the advice is more to do with protecting the human from potential skin contamination from the powder rather than from reducing efficacy.

She's hoovering them whole now in her token feed of soaked Agrobs weisencobs + Agrobs aspero chaff + linseed, pea protein and various supplements.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine gets a table spoon of 16+ mix in her tea. I know it’s a no-no for a cushings pony, but it’s a compromise.

I can imagine. I used to feed my old pony years ago D&H mix and it’s really lovely, smells amazing and looks good (to me as a human ?)
It’s definitely going to be my next trick when the nuts fail.
Carrots worked for a few months, as did apples and many other vegetables!

 

[poiuytrewq]

*there is a paste now which is given like a wormer if that’s any help to anyone having trouble?
No good to me I don’t think as if I did something “horrible” to this pony on a daily basis I’d definitely never catch him again!

 

[ester]

yup the grinding is 'only' a human exposure issue.