Filly looking potbellied

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Rebels

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I have a tb yearling filly, free from the local stud as she hasn't grown at all and is currently 13.1 hence was on a one way trip to the kennels. She is however fully in proportion, good conformation etc so I've given her a chance. At the moment she is looking potbellied, I've had her 7 months, she was like this when I got her, she has always been wormed and regularly egg counted, no probs there. I was hoping a less intensive diet would help her digestive system settle (she sounds gassy) but although she has enough weight over her she does look very tummy-ish. Has anyone used a pre/probiotic on a youngster? I'm wondering if her lack of growth could be due to an absorption issue but she is a lively, healthy baby so don't really want to poke and prod too much unless I have to. Any advice?
 
She was on D & H yearling cubes. At the moment out with plenty of grass and getting HiFi cubes. Previously on terrifying quantities of stud mix/yearling prep mix - she alone was getting 2-3 buckets (water bucket type) of food a day and still the same shape
 
I'll try and get a new picture tomorrow. Otherwise well covered over hips, along her back, she was a bit ribby (still big tummy) but now lightly covered. I'd like to improve her neck, its a bit thinner than I'd like but I dont want to over feed her after the huge amount she was on, trying to get her system settled down. She now has a ridge in each hoof from where her diet changed radically, my farrier says the hoof growth has got slower but stronger, she had nasty tb feet already which have now got stronger and a better shape.
 
There was a thread about a foal recently in breeding, it was recommended that a probiotic was fed as they are on such huge quantities of cereals that it can affect their digestion. It would be worth trying and should do no harm.
 
We've got a very pot bellied foal with us who we had the feed team out to look at who they're currently doing a casestudy on [mini-shetland weanling colt who was an orphan]. He's kept on ad-lib hay and a balancer and has been wormed fully - hence why we didn't understand the belly he was getting! He needed more of a neck/covering and his feet were also changing.

I can't very well describe this as I'm not a nutritionist but can get a better explanation if mine doesn't suffice lol!

They said that he was essentially starving himself and he was so bloated looking because the hay he was eating isn't full of anything much and takes a long time to digest in his gut, which was making the gut work overtime to try and digest something for so long that didn't really get much nutrients out of it at the end and was causing the bloated look.

He advised to put him on a kg of CoolStance a day [as you can't overfeed it] and within 2 weeks he should start losing the pot belly and start to look more normal again.
He's been on it a week now and there's been a noticeable difference already - the belly is slowly going and he's looking a lot better.

Might not be any help but thought was worth a mention!
 
my yearlings have been worm counted and wormed accordingly regulally since i bought them a year ago. i recently noticed an ascarid in the droppings. i habe double doses with strongid-p a week ago, they now look much better,my cats have also suddenly got wormy sand needed worming too. i put it down to the mild damp weather after such a dry summer,the worm eggs are hatching in the pasture,and the weather conditions must be suitable.
 
Try putting charcoal in her feed my foal is the same i wad advised to feed pony cubes 8lbs a day split between 3 feeds and all the haylage he can eat all day and i have started putting charcoal in feed for excessive acid
 
I wouldn't use charcoal for a youngster, there is some debate whether it prevents absorbtion of vitimins and minerals in the gut so wouldn't risk it.
 
Thanks, did debate on charcoal but have heard it can potentially cause issues. Binky01, I was wondering if that could be the case where the fibre wasnt high enough in nutrients and as such have started to bring her in for a few hours a day to get a section of haylage which should help i hope. We do still have grass but it is more fibrous than nutritious and whereas the older horses are being fed properly as in work she is relying on the grass and supplement block. I've also started her on a small amount of Dobson and Horrell Build and Glow which is high oil, normally a prep feed but in smaller quantities has been good to build muscle and get the gut working. be positive, was there a special equine probiotic? Guessing natural yoghurt probably wouldnt do the trick!

Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it.
 
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