encouraging a sick horse to eat....

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Honeypots

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She currently has:
dry mix
soaked mix
herbal treats
bread
dry nuts
soaked nuts
good doer
dry hay
soaked hay
horsehage
molassed field lick
grass

This will be her 4th day without food and she's looking weak ...any ideas?
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How about adding some warm speedibeet and slices of apple and carrot to her food?

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Am off to farm shop soon so will get some speedibeet..thanks. Problem I've had is she's been ill over Christmas and everywhere has been shut so I've had to try her with what I've had to hand. She pretty weak now so I need something she just can't resist before she gives up completely
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I would be more worried about her getting dehydrated. What about sloppy soaked sugarbeet or alfabeet (most horses find Alfa very palatable), as will help with the fluid intake too. Make sure feeds are raised off the floor a bit if possible, so she doesn't have to reach for them.
 
I used to add mollasses to hot water a mix in with feed when i was tryiny to get one of my horses to eat a few years ago.
Have you tried just apples and carrots, try hand feeding them to her.
Best of luck hope she gets beter soon.
Debs x
 
Grass, grass and more grass... That is the only thing Grace would eat when she was colicking (before we knew what was the matter with her) and she wouldn't touch anything else. The vets at Leahurst said that Doctor Green is one of the best things for sick horses because it is so natural to them. She also has been having some high energy food, another idea for your horse, called something like Soft Soak??? I would definitely try her on something like this to get her energy levels up.

I am so glad you found out what was the matter... it is so worrying when you do not know what you are dealing with
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Poor horse.Hope things improve soon.How about syringing some warm molasses into her mouth.Or a bag of readi grass.Or some honey on bread.

ETS i did put bran mash but there is not much goodness to it.
 
My lad has just had a virus (we think) and the only thing that tempted him was molasses added to feed- ate the lot once that went in.

He really went of Speedibeet so I swapped for a bag of molassed shred instead and that helped

Hope your horse feels better soon
 
Try Ribena tipped on top of her mix. Make it up as though you were going to drink it yourself. They seem to prefer it when it is made with hot water. I had a youngster that had strangles - noses was really snotty so couldn't really smell much but the Ribena seemed to do the trick and encouraged her to eat
 
Is she drinking?

What has the vet said at this point? Is there no option of having her on fluids via an IV at least?

ETS is pneumonia the only problem or has it arisen from another primary disease process? Pneumonia often arises in an already sick animal (or even person) as a result of a weakened immune system.
 
I can't think of anything else to suggest that hasn't already been done so - but just wanted to send some hugs and Get Well Soon Ellie vibes.
 
chopped, crushed clove of garlic, sugar, salt steeped in boiling water & mixed warm & smelly into a little bit of oats & soaked sugarbeet & fed by hand; this worked on one of mine. The warmth & smell seemed to be the thing.
 
Is she on a vit & min supplement as well? A high-spec one?

Otherwise, try adding different things to her feed like Guiness, molasses, herbal smelling liquid, dried mint, carrot, apple, sugar beet water etc.?

Hope she gets well soon. x
 
My friend used to add apple juice to her mares water when she was ill and was worried about her dehydrating - she sure started drinking then. You could try a little apple juice in her feed - though not too much as I suspect it is very sugary.
 
Thanks everyone... Ellie is very sick this evening and may not make it through the night. If she does I have a big decision to make
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It seems her liver is in trouble as well as the pneumonia and vets are struggling find the cause atm. She is blind and is head pressing and uncoordinated now. My head is mush atm so won't go into all the gory details now but will try and update in the morning...
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Oh no, poor Ellie & poor you. I will be thinking of you both and hope she improves overnight and the vets have some good news for you tomorrow.

Get well soon Ellie xx
 
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