Ideas needed - underweight horse that wont eat

[Parkranger]

I knew someone who brought a horse from Ireland - again very thin and didn't want to eat.

She put him on showmix (small dinners) and he seemed to like that.....still won't eat treats though!

 

[Maesfen]

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Soaked oats is a very good idea, dont know why I didnt think of that

Definatly worth a try

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You could try those with some Kossolian sprinkled on. You could also try a drop of Guinness or other stout, they usually like that and if she doesn't, you can finish it off!.
With her being very poor originally, it might just be that her stomach has 'shrunk' a bit so she feels overfaced with more than a cupful.

 

[brighteyes]

My friend has an older pony which previously suffered quite severe liver damage. It trundled along until recently, when it stopped eating altogether. Vet gave it steroids in a last ditch 'kill or cure' effort to save it - it's doing great.

I'm thinking liver as it really does knacker up their appetite.

 

[Comanche]

I have an old man in similar circumstances. He eats his food if it is soaked in apple juice. He loves brown bread too, like Aimee says sometimes soaked in sugarbeet or just fed dry from my hand. He could have ulcers, so I would get him further checked out. You don't say how old she is?

 

[rooooosie]

stomach ulcers maybe? making her not want to eat?

i know of using steroid injections from the vet to get them eateing again, makes them want to eat regardless of it being uncomfortable, therefore the ulcers go from them eating and they will from then be able to eat without being sore?

 

[hussar]

I had some success putting weight on a very skinny TB ex-racer with Baileys No 1 (cooked cereal meal), Equivite Body Builder (milk pellets - also makes the feed palatable), and lots of oil.

A friend very recently had her horse scoped when she went right off all her feed, having previously been a very good doer, and she was found to have gastric ulcers. Had treatment and is now back to normal.