How to make ned eat his Magnesium Ox?!!

[m3gan]

I have had my ned diagnosed with very low grade laminitus and he is doing very well now.He had box rest for a week, he is now having restricted grazing on small area, with grazing muzzle on part of the time and in at night . He is having bute half a sachet per day in his food and I have also got magnesium oxide, but he is reluctant to eat it. I add garlic to his feed and tried to put a little more in to disguise the taste but he didn't want to eat it.

Any ideas for making it more palatable very welcome!

 

[madeleine1]

i had this with my horse not eating magic. and i found if i mixed it into all her feed she didnt eat it but if i did a hole in her calm and condition and fill it and then cover it over she eats it. wierd but try differant ways u never no what will work

 

[m3gan]

i had this with my horse not eating magic. and i found if i mixed it into all her feed she didnt eat it but if i did a hole in her calm and condition and fill it and then cover it over she eats it. wierd but try differant ways u never no what will work

Thanks i will give it a try!

 

[YasandCrystal]

Are you sure it's not the bute he's rejecting not the mag ox? The mag ox I use is only 20ml a day and powder and none of mine have ever rejected it and I have 3 on it. My mare leaves her bute though - picks through her feed now to avoid it.

 

[m3gan]

Are you sure it's not the bute he's rejecting not the mag ox? The mag ox I use is only 20ml a day and powder and none of mine have ever rejected it and I have 3 on it. My mare leaves her bute though - picks through her feed now to avoid it.

It might be the bute, which is why he has to have it half a sachet at a time, he did eventually eat it when it was bute alone though.

 

[Goldenstar]

Two out of four of mine are not keen on there mag ox.

 

[madeleine1]

also start with smaller measures and up it over a few days

 

[m3gan]

also start with smaller measures and up it over a few days

Yeah I think it was a bit optomistic of me to expect him to eat the full amount the second time I gave it to him, first off I gave him less, so I will reduce it and then little by little increase to the full amount (not that it is that big a dose!).

 

[Oberon]

You're not alone

All the effort we make of our horse's diet - balancing the minerals and such....and they look at us like we've pooped in their bucket
http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/ftopic569-0-asc-0.php

 

[YasandCrystal]

You're not alone

All the effort we make of our horse's diet - balancing the minerals and such....and they look at us like we've pooped in their bucket
http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/ftopic569-0-asc-0.php

This made me smile It's like the kids who aren't allowed sweets - they will gorge themselves at any given opportunity.
Horses are the same they like a mollassed unhealthy base feed - they don't realise how unhealthy it really is.

I am gong over to Simple sytems feeds and I know I will need to continue adding carob as lucerne is so bitter and takes some getting used to.

 

[m3gan]

You're not alone

All the effort we make of our horse's diet - balancing the minerals and such....and they look at us like we've pooped in their bucket
http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/ftopic569-0-asc-0.php

Thanks Oberon,
Those threads made me laugh! I am now wondering if I should try adding some pureed eating apples to his feed - but worry that it might be too high in sugar then?

 

[Cadburys_addict]

I had the same issue, and built it up slowly.....I have also found that I cannot put it into a morning feed which has been made up the night before as he wont eat it....so he only has it in his night feed.....I dont know if it tastes worse after 'sitting' in a small feed overnight.....

 

[Oberon]

I use herbs and spices to add taste - plus they are therapeutic....

Turmeric - joint supplement
Fenugreek - tasty appetite stimulant
Mint - digestion
Chamomile - smells divine
Marigold - skin health and cleansing
Dandelion - detox
Neem leaf - fly repellent

I buy them from http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/index.php

I don't use garlic any more as there are theories that it messes with the gut bacteria - which is very important in a laminitic. Yea-sacc is a great addition - it's like buying the bacteria a beer

Some horses don't like the minerals adding until the last minute. Some like the minerals adding to the water before soaking the feed....

It may be necessary to titrate the magnesium to what she will tolerate at first?

 

[jackessex]

we have a fussy cob and just add a tiny bit of apple juice into feed and he licks the bowl clean

 

[Littlelegs]

Not sure what your feeding but try making a mash out of something he has with hot water & blend the mag ox in then add it to the rest & stir.

 

[neighneigh]

I had this trouble when feeding bute to one of my old boys (laminitic too).

I bought a bottle of peppermint essence (less than a pound from the supermarket, by the baking stuff).

I diluted a couple of drops with lots of water in a spray bottle and wet his feed with it!

He loved it!! It's a cheap option that goes a long way, provided they like mint that is!!

Even if I grated up carrotts and apples (which he shouldn't have had anyway) he would pick out the bits that he liked and still not eat the bit with the bute in... crafty!!!

 

[fizzer]

Mag ox is the only mineral from my forage analysis that mine will eat . Have tried my hardest to get them to eat it but no chance since the grass started coming through.