Friends horse eating salt lick and urinating too much, any ideas?

[mik]

He just came off of grass and is weeing copiously so they gave him a big lick and it is almost all gone in 2 nights, and he is still weeing as much.
Call the vet no? (all wormed etc)

 

[Bossanova]

He will have drunk more to compensate for the increased salt concentration in his blood so I doubt giving a lick will help.
If the urine is a normal colour and he isnt straining or in distress when he wees then I wouldnt be overly concerned at this stage

 

[Sparkles]

He's probably lacking it if there wasn't much in the grass maybe? More salt leads to more urination to flush out the extra sodium... I think if I remember my biology lessons right XD Don't take my word on this though lol.

Though I'd get the vet to check just to make sure there's nothing wrong in his digestive tract such as a tumor or kidley problems.Just to be on the safe side.

 

[ihatework]

Too much salt is not the best idea.

Remove the lick and see what happens, if still urinating excessively after a few days then speak to vet

 

[cjdjivanovic]

I would suggest giving your horse a mineral block rather than a salt lick, like D&H do for stable and field and let him eat it; it sounds as if he is not getting something he needs. I've heard stories of horses munching their way through 2 or 3 blocks in a few days each before they have made good the deficiency and then they start to get through it at a normal rate. By all means speak to your vet on the phone, but I suggest you don't pay for a visit unless the vet is concerned.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

[ QUOTE ]
Too much salt is not the best idea.

Remove the lick and see what happens, if still urinating excessively after a few days then speak to vet

[/ QUOTE ]

My thoughts exactly.

 

[mik]

Thanks to all above, Im afraid he was urinating heavily before he was given the lick, she says its clear urine (watery) and when she showed me the stable it was soaked but not smelly at all.
I dont know what lick type it is, big red block, so I presume mineral, here they give marine salt sometimes as they make it here, but this seems a proper lick.
I think they should call the vet, dont you, as you say, it could be a general mineral deficiency as here in spain we dont exactly have pastureland.
Thanks to all.

 

[AmyMay]

I'd be terribly concerned if there was no improvement over 24 hours and would be getting in the vet for a little look see.

 

[mik]

Yup, I think I was more worried then she was...

 

[ForeverBroke_]

How old is the horse ?? x

 

[legaldancer]

Is he stiff & is the wee discoloured?
A friend's mare once craved salt after an attack of Azoturia in spring.

 

[kellyeaton]

call vet to be on the safe side! and for the lick it sounds like its an rockies five star mineral lick coz mine is big and red!