Dizzy updated at 21/05/09 - piccies

[MrsMozart]

Disclamier/Note thingy: I know she looks bad, she is! A five year old DW that has a pelvis issue; lost loads of weight when she went to Newmarket for a week of investigation; her breeding means she should put on her bulk etc. when she is si/seven; despite teeth being done in September before I got her, they are very bad now; her hocks are her weakest point - I've just got vet's approval to have hind shoes with extensions on.

Okay, so she's had five days solid on good grass. In RL I can see a slight improvement; there is slightly less dipping between the last rib and flank.

I don't think the pictures reflect the improvement though: the sun was quiet strong, hence strong shadows

Dentist came today, but vet was called to a colic, so we've re-booked for next Wednesday morning (I hope, waiting to hear back from the vet).

First picture is from 24/04/09:

Picture at 06/05/09:

Latest, as of yesterday:

This is her on 21/12/08, the day I got her...

She's not had the hard feed due to her teeth being so bad, she's not able to grind it down properly

. The plan was, teeth done today, then back onto her normal feed (Blue Chip Pro; Bailey's Outshine; Bailey's No. 4; Alpha A Oil; soaked oats; something begining with G for her joints and tendons; Milk Thistle; Brewers Yeast). Two days off to give her mouth time so settle after the dentist, then onto two days ridden, three days Pessoa'd, two days off per week for the next six weeks. Will have to wait 'till Wednesday now to start it all, in the meantime, she's back to Dr. Green and generally chilling out and not having much asked of her

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[Ziggy_]

Those ribs definitely look a little bit more covered than they did!

Fingers crossed, looks like she's heading in the right direction

 

[TGM]

If her teeth are part of the problem, can you drop the Alfa A Oil (which is coarse and requires much chewing) and replace with unmolassed beet for now? Put all her feed in with the beet to soak, so is nice and soft for her.

Does her appetite seem good?

 

[libbyandblue]

Good for you for taking on the challenge! She's looking so much better - you should be very proud!

 

[BobbyMondeo]

She is deffinately looking better. Well done.

at that mud in the last pic

 

[canteron]

Lucky horse to have found such a good mum!!

 

[lensmith7]

Oooo I love the look of your girl so much! There's just something about her.

She does look better though, doesn't she? Those ribs are def more covered, and just think, thats how she's done on just grass with bad teeth. Once she had those gnashers done and back on the grub, there'll be no stopping her

x x x x

 

[MrsMozart]

Z - thank you

TGM - good plan

. Happy to try anything! Forgot to add, also has sugarbeet normally: Bailey's suggested lowering the No.4 and increasing the Outshine(!), as it has more energy and takes up less bulk, Dizzy being a bit of a pain to get to eat. I have to admit to having left her totally to Dr. Green for the last four days - I thought that if she was totally chilled and happily trolling about the field (big, sheltered, friends), then it would do more good than bringing her up, feeding, and turning her out again - she tends to equate stables and me with going out and about and gets all hyper and bouncy

.

LC - thank you

. I have to admit that when I got her (see last piccy), she looked fine. A bit light, but I knew her breeding and that bulk and muscle would come with time and with work. Now, I feel guilty for her teeth being so bad and her not being able to eat properly!

 

[MrsMozart]

TGM - sorry, missed a bit off your post! She's a bit of a stress head about feed, she's not really that bothered about it

. Will eat a bit, then go to the door for a look see, then a bit more before wandering off to sniff at something else, then back again. It's rare that she will get fully stuck in. Her previous owner says that she used to have her feed in for a couple of hours, so she never had to rush and therefore just eaten as and when. When she is in the box, I put diffent feeds in different buckets to try and get her interest, and it's usually all gone within an hour or so.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

She definatley looks better

- nothing like loads of lovely grass to help her fill out!! When her fangs are sorted I'm sure she will soon catch up - is she turned out with others?

or can you feed her in the field so she can eat at her own pace and still stuff her face with grass without getting excited at coming in.

We are lucky as they have individual turnout - so they can munch away without being bothered - not that it slows down either of mine

- they just shovel it down like they have never been fed!!

 

[annret]

I love how her feed covers absolutely every possibility and suggestion - can't wait till you figure out what works + can cut back accordingly!

lucky girl to have a mum feeding blue chip AND outshine; must be costing a bloody fortune.

Definate improvement there although certainly not putting it on too fast for her poor joints to cope but cannot wait to see her by the end of the summer.

Good luck, anyway - you're doing a fab job - though I wouldn't stop with the hard feed just because she's on grass tbh.

 

[Cliqmo]

Hey MrsM she looks stacks better, you must be really pleased?

I can't wait for another update in a week or so when she's been back on the hard feed with her teeth done

 

[Cash]

She does def look a lot better- notice there's been a sneaky mane tidy too!!

 

[MrsMozart]

SU - no, she is with friends and feeding her in the field is not an option. If it were more than a few days away before her pegs are done, I'd bring her up and feed anyway on the off-chance she was getting something from it!

.

AR - ta, have taken all feed advice on board, talked to all the manufacturers, and this is the optimum that we've come up with so far. She's only been on this combination for a couple of weeks, and with her pegs not grinding it down properly it's not quite a waste, but close

. Ho hum.

The feed isn't stopped 'just because she is on grass'! It's stopped because she is a stress head and the excitement of coming in counteracts the little good she's getting from the feed given the state of her teeth - if she can't grind it to 4mm or less, then her gut can't deal with it and it comes out the other end practically unused

.

And yes, it costs two arms and four legs to feed her, but hubby is very understanding, and I like beans on toast

.

 

[miss_c]

Aww she looks MUCH better! :-D

 

[Nuttymanxmare]

There's definatly an improvement there. As others have said you dont want the weight going on too quickly.

It too about four to five months for C to get her weight and condition on (she looked very similar to Dizzy in the first pic)

Just you wait till those gnashers are done too.

 

[MrsMozart]

A_M - ta hun. Will be doing a weekly update with piccies - aiming for Fridays. Back man will be out again in five to seven weeks and he wants to see an improvement

.

M - ta. Who? Me? Mane tidying

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[Ranyhyn]

MM she looks better, it will take time as you know - but take heart that she is improving x

 

[MrsMozart]

FH - thank you

.

NMM - I know! I could whack on the weight with milk powder and all sorts of things, but she is still growing, apart from her wonky pelvis and the slight secondary damage to her SLs - whilst I would absolutely love to see her covered properly, it has to go on slowly

. Do you have piccies of C? Have you already posted them and I have a memory like a sieve?

 

[MrsMozart]

K - thank you

. Patience... a virtue I'm trying hard to utilize

.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Its not an easy virtue, seen as everything you have had thrown at you of late

 

[annret]

[ QUOTE ]

AR - ta, have taken all feed advice on board, talked to all the manufacturers, and this is the optimum that we've come up with so far. She's only been on this combination for a couple of weeks, and with her pegs not grinding it down properly it's not quite a waste, but close

. Ho hum.

The feed isn't stopped 'just because she is on grass'! It's stopped because she is a stress head and the excitement of coming in counteracts the little good she's getting from the feed given the state of her teeth - if she can't grind it to 4mm or less, then her gut can't deal with it and it comes out the other end practically unused

.

And yes, it costs two arms and four legs to feed her, but hubby is very understanding, and I like beans on toast

.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oops, sorry for offending you - I guess I just came across very differently from how it sounded in my head...

I didn't really mean 'just because she's on grass' - it's just from my very limited horse knowledge my stresshead needs a strict routine to minimise problems but although I've seen in your posts that her teeth need done again I didn't realise the extent of the wasted food as a result because I know you had her teeth done just a few months ago...

You always do the best for her anyway & my view was only a subjective 'I wouldn't' but again sorry for causing offense!

 

[MrsMozart]

[ QUOTE ]
Its not an easy virtue, seen as everything you have had thrown at you of late

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, I use my other virtue to help me through, it's the Hide-my-head-in-a-bucket-of-sand one

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Ta hun

.

 

[Ranyhyn]

LOL I like hiding in sand too

I do find it does get up ones botty though!!!

You are doing every thing you can for her - soon she'll be back to her former glory and this will all be a bad memory xxxx

 

[MrsMozart]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL I like hiding in sand too

I do find it does get up ones botty though!!!

You are doing every thing you can for her - soon she'll be back to her former glory and this will all be a bad memory xxxx

[/ QUOTE ]

And I wasn't going to mention the botty issue

.

All crossed! Can't wait to post those pictures

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[Nuttymanxmare]

I have them somewhere will try and dig them out. I took about a million pics each month so I could see how she improved.

I just had C on lots of long grass (as recommended by dentist ) kept her out 24/7 rugged and fed her twice a day. (although she was on Blue chip amongst other stuff!!)

 

[MrsMozart]

Ta NMM - the Dizz is on long grass

. She usually won't eat twice a day

. The only times she has, was if I fed her before riding, then again afterwards. It may be a teeth issue; I'll try again to feed more often once her pegs are done. I've been keeping her rugged, to the point of warm but not sweating.

It's worse than having children!

.

Look forward to the piccies

 

[Flame_]

She does look better Mrs M.

Long way to go still, but you know that, sadly it can't happen over-night. She looks on the right track to me though.

 

[Donkeymad]

My goodness MrsM, you must have been so worried, and probably still are, but she is definately improving. Well done you,once the teeth have been sorted I expect she will come on in leaps and bounds.

 

[cellie]

I must post pics of my mare she looked just like dizzy.She is a bit /very fizzy so hard to keep weight on and tbx.She looks fab now actually has a bit of belly and good muscle tone .I swear by allen and paige calm and condition it doesnt need much chewing which would be good for Dizzy.My mare looked like a toast rack in sept she is a different horse now.