Enough water intake on a sloppy mash diet?

[now_loves_mares]

This is about my millionth post on the subject of my poorly horse, so bear with me . For the approximately 4 of you that haven't heard, my mare is box-rested due to a fractured pedal bone; but had a bad reaction to her Danilon, so suffered from Colitis, Gastric ulcers and recurring colic. 2 weeks ago we took her off all hay for the colitis, and started hand grazing her in the garden (nearest grass to stable). She has had one colic since, on Friday, but I had started feeding her readigrass dry to try to slow her down. I *think* that is what caused the latest colic. So she is currently grazing for 15 minutes, 4 times a day. Plus is eating regular small-ish feeds of either soaked grass nuts, sloppy sugar beet with her balancer, or soaked Spillers High Fibre cubes. So other than the grass and a mug of balancer, everything is 100% soaked and normally fairly wet. I did see her half drinking, half trying to eat her nuts yesterday, they were that wet

Anyway, the down side is she now doesn't seem to be drinking water at all. Her poos look fine, and I presume as she isn't getting hay and is eating so much wet food, she is fine. She has a bucket of electro-salts and a bucket of fresh water at all times. She also has an automatic waterer, but I know she isn't using that, as there is a layer of dust on the surface now. She drank about 2" from her electrolyte bucket yesterday, but that was it in 24 hours.

Should I be worried? Dehydration skin test seems fine. She gets something sloppy to eat every 1.5-2 hours during the day, plus I get up once in the middle of the night. 2 days a week neither of us can work from home, so my neighbours pop in, so she goes from 8.30 to lunchtime without her mash, but then gets fed at 12.30 and mid-afternoon and as soon as I get home.

If she goes a couple of weeks on this diet without colicing I will try to introduce the (very soaked) readigrass again. But I'm just so paranoid now. Will she be getting enough salts if she isn't drinking her electrolytes (not something I normally provide as a matter of course, but it was on vet's advise due to her legion of problems).

Any advise welcome

Cup of Earl Grey and some chocolates I found leftover from Christmas available for all contributors.

 

[[42010]]

I am so sorry to hear about your mare, sounds like you are both having a really tough time at the moment. f you are worried about her fluid intake, and want to ensure she drinks more and drinks regularly, you could try giving her a bucket of water and putting a new product in it that gets horses drinking immediately. I have a vested interest in offering this advice as I sell one of the available products but I won't say which one (as I don't want to flaunt the advertising rules here). A lot of vets as well as customers are using this product with horses recovering from colic and other ailments (as well as to prevent impaction colic) and when horses are on box rest etc to keep them hydrated. Please feel free to PM me if you are interested. Just a small word of warning with electrolyte water, it's great, but if this is all your mare is drinking, the electrolyte water could make her more dehydrated as it increases urination.

 

[now_loves_mares]

Thanks - if it's the one I am thinking of (thanks for your honesty!) I tried it, and she wouldn't touch it She is being particularly picky right now though!

That's a fair point about the electrolyte. I presume that if she is on a balancer she might not need the electrolyte water? The vets started her on it when she was first hospitalised as she was eating so little, plus had an impaction. I might take it away from her overnight or something.