Encouraging older horse to eat

[Julia0803]

Dear All,

I am asking advice for a good friend of mine.

My friend's 34/35 year old welsh pony has stopped eating over the past week. This has happened previously in the summer months. He has COPD and struggles with the heat and just goes off his food.

He has cushings, he no longer can mange hay so has fast fibre as a replacement.

Normally, his diet consists of a big trug of fast fibre, fibre plus nuggets, his meds, the odd chopped up apple etc, bran mash, and fibre plus nuggets in his treat ball and is turned out daily. Normally he tucks into the above with gusto.

Over the past week he has stopped eating and his breathing has got worse, probably due to the muggy weather.

I saw him on friday and he didn't finish his FF, but was happily eating everything else.

Just spoken to her today and he has turned his nose up at everything apart from a carrot stuffed with his meds.

Does anyone have any ideas to tempt him into eating again?

Many Thanks

 

[Annagain]

I imagine something sugary and sweet might encourage him a bit more - molasses or treacle? - but the cushings means it's probably not wise.

I mean this in the nicest possible way, but maybe at 35 he's telling you he's had enough? It's a horrible decision but it sounds like he's trying to make it for your friend.

 

[3OldPonies]

My eldest (36 year old) has been struggling a bit with the heat and going off his food a bit. My tips would be:

split his feed up into smaller meals (I separated my old chap, he could still chat to the others, but I could leave a couple of buckets out in the field so he could browse when he felt like it as I can't always get to the yard at lunchtime to feed just him (I'm on my own so don't have a YO who could do it for me)
give him plenty of time to eat
help him take small easy mouthfuls by hand feeding if need be (he'll feel a bit more special and pampered, so might oblige and eat the lot!)
grate his carrots and apples into his feed (mine picks out slices or chunks, eats the goodies and leaves the rest) and be as generous as you can
add a little mint powder (if it won't taste nasty combined with any other supplements he may be on)
make sure the feed is not too sloppy
add some oil (veg oil (I know its controversial but that's what the vet told me to do and it seems to be helping) but not too much at once or he'll get the squits
feed him in the shade, by himself away from others, a stable could be too hot and making him feel even less like eating
don't let the feeds soak for too long, they can soon go off in this weather
try to get him some really good enticing grazing if you can, if not take him for a gentle walk in hand to get some nice grass - nothing like a bit of Dr Green to get an oldie munching

finally - have a shedload of patience!

and ignore Annagain - personally I think she's wrong on this one. He'd just feeling the heat and with cushings as well he just can't be ars*d to eat.

 

[JillA]

Yep, the last thing he needs is sugars as he is probably IR along with the Cushings. My old lady turns her nose up at stale food so I do manage to soak some between times for her and she does eat the fresher mix more than the one which is a few hours old but you don't say whether his is soaked? Try soaked unmollassed beet pulp and grass nuts, that does my old girl well and she likes wearing it too *sigh* and plastering her stable walls with it *sigh*.
Have you checked for stale food in between his remaining teeth, or a tooth that has got infected and loose?

 

[Annagain]

and ignore Annagain - personally I think she's wrong on this one. He'd just feeling the heat and with cushings as well he just can't be ars*d to eat.

I really hope you're right, but I don't say this from a lack of experience

 

[Auslander]

is he on anything for the COPD? If he's having problems breathing, he probably doesn't feel like eating - so i would be addressing that before worrying about his lack of appetite. I'd be tempted to get the vet out to review his meds, if he has them, as it sounds like he needs a bit more help. Sort the breathlessness out, and his appetite may improve

 

[lelly]

I would second the soaked molasses free sugar beet and grass nuts. My old pony now has that as she went off fast fibre. I only put a few grass nuts in as she is Cushing's and IR but it gives it flavour and she loves it. You would have to be careful with the sugar content in grass nuts and monitor how much she can take without getting lammi.

 

[3OldPonies]

annagain - sorry to hear that you've had a saddening experience by the sounds of it.

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I really hope you're right, but I don't say this from a lack of experience

Sorry that happened to you AA , the OP did say that this has happened to him previously so hopefully is normal for that chap.

Great advice so far I would also say check meds as my old companion was wheezing with it being so close yesterday so he has had his Ventopulmin and is already much better.

Hope your friend gets him thru this OP.

 

[twiggy2]

has he been seen by a vet when his breathing gets worse-our old pony who is out on loan has pollen allergies and the occasionally trigger an asthma attack.

I have looked after a fair amount of oldies that were on mashes of one sort or another an often when episodes of non eating start to come and go there is an underlying issue that is causing them. at 35 with breathing problems and suffering in the heat and having periods of not eating quality of life needs to be looked at

 

[splashgirl45]

you say he has cushings. when was his last blood test. cushings can affect their breathing and also their appetite. it may be time to increase his medication...I would get the vet if he was mine and ask for advice..

 

[Puzzled]

Vitamin b can be used to stimulate appetite, you could try this by giving a liquid supplement you could syringe down him or speak to your vet about giving him an injection.

 

[Vickijay]

I had a horse that wouldn't eat and the turning point for her was adding fenugreek powder to her feeds. They are meant to love it and it certainly worked for her. She went from being completely uninterested, to clearing whatever was in the bucket in about 2 days!!

Apple cider vinegar is meant to be tasty too. My friend used to blitz up carrots in a food processor to add to her very old boys feeds, that worked well too