for a friend- horse is drinking large amounts of water

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cellie

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Her new horse 16h warmblood is drinking 2 large trugs of water a night double what her gelding and my horses drink.Could there be a deficiency in her diet.
She is on haylage at night and stabled so not dry hay.She also has wet feed.Any suggestions welcome.
 
My horse drinks 1 1/2 large trugs in winter when he's in at night he's ID my other horse used to drink 2 large trugs a night and both on haylage but used to be the same when they had soaked hay. So I wouldn't worry. Only worry when they don't drink because they'll become dehydrated.
 
Do they pee huge amounts as well.Shes never known such a wet horse.She normally deep litters and the horse is so wet this isnt a option anymore.
 
In winter, because they are eating more dry fibre, hay haylage etc they need to drink more than when they are out eating grass.
 
It may be totally normal for this horse but I would ask the vet to test a urine sample just in case.

Horses do seem to drink more in the winter than you would think. All of the food they get is drier, the grass has less moisture and they are on hay and haylage rather than summer grazing which has a high water content. Horses need water to digest.

Can she contact the old owner to see if the horse has always drunk this much?
 
I was told by my vet that as long as my mare's pee is clear and not cloudy, and she hasn't just started drinking more and more (she has always been a very big drinker) then she is probably fine.
 
She is also drinking alot in the field.She has hay in the field too ,although this could make her dry its the comparison to the other horses that is a bit worrying.The mare is drinking large trug of water in the field thats 3 large trugs a day that seems a bit excessive.What do you think ?
 
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Do they pee huge amounts as well.Shes never known such a wet horse.She normally deep litters and the horse is so wet this isnt a option anymore.

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Well One is 16.1 ID the other was 17.1 ID x Han. and yes quite a lot.

A bit like us really if you drink a lot you wee alot( well I do 1/2 larger and I have to keep getting out of bed) lol
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Has the haylage changed quality recently or her hard feed been been altered? Excess protein causes a horse to drink extra (and pee more) as the body excretes the excess of protein through urine.

I've just reduced my yearling's protein level as she'd suddenly started to drink more at night and her urine was smelling very strongly of ammonia. Very quickly after the reduction and she's back to normal.

Just a thought?
 
I have a 14.2 that drinks 1.5 trugs a night, and an 11.2 that drinks a whole trug that I have to fill to the top or he is out of water by morning, so doesn't seem hugely excessive, but I don't know what mine drink in the day.

How old is the horse? Could be a little cushinoid perhaps, if teenager...
 
[ QUOTE ]
Has the haylage changed quality recently or her hard feed been been altered? Excess protein causes a horse to drink extra (and pee more) as the body excretes the excess of protein through urine.

I've just reduced my yearling's protein level as she'd suddenly started to drink more at night and her urine was smelling very strongly of ammonia. Very quickly after the reduction and she's back to normal.

Good point Spyda Mine doesn't have loads of protein as only does a little work and is 20 years old now. But certainly worth poster checking urine sample if possible especially if stable smelling strongly.
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Just a thought?

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Good point Spyda Mine doesn't have loads of protein as only does a little work and is 20 years old now. But certainly worth poster checking urine sample if possible especially if stable smelling strongly.
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smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Has the haylage changed quality recently or her hard feed been been altered? Excess protein causes a horse to drink extra (and pee more) as the body excretes the excess of protein through urine.

I've just reduced my yearling's protein level as she'd suddenly started to drink more at night and her urine was smelling very strongly of ammonia. Very quickly after the reduction and she's back to normal.

Just a thought?

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That makes sense she has just changed to haylage so more protein.She had to go on a diet when she first had her about 75 overweight .She has lost weight and is fit and healthy.Thanks will pass that on plus the other comment about cloudy urine.
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I agree with Spyda - the haylage we are getting is really rich and ours have started drinking copious amounts of water, far more than normal, as well as being a bit runny. We have switched them to hay for a while and they went back to normal within a couple of days.
 
If the horse is elderly it could be a sign of Cushings, we have had a couple with it and they start to drink loads.

Other signs are a 'curly coat' and in some horses they get laminitus with no apparent reason.
 
I agree with shazzababs....sounds like early signs of cushings....I would get vet to run some bloods....better safe than sorry....
 
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