Laminitic pony getting a bit slim

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MagicMelon

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I posted a while back about my shetland who I thought had cushings as she has kept getting laminitis on and off no matter how strict I manage her.

Well, she has improved quite a bit now - some days are better than others. Yesterday I took her for a walk and she tried to canter off which I was so pleased with! For the past 2 months, she's been coming in at night and going out during the day into the yard which is basically dirt (no grass whatsoever). She gets as much hay as she wants, and the hay is now the good quality stuff (I had to get her crappy quality for a while when she was at her worst). She gets 2 feeds a day of GreenGold Alfalfa with her supplements mixed in.

I just feel she's looking a little too slim now. I mean not really thin, but maybe a bit thin for a shetlands build! She's gone off her alfalfa a bit now so Ive had to give her a tiny tiny amount of molassed chaff just so she'll eat it! (she's turned picky nowadays!). I was trying to give her soya oil in her feed for condition, but she went off her feed completely, no matter how little I put in. So Ive now begun adding a tiny amount of Pasture Nuts to try to add a few more calories.

Does anyone know the safest way to add calories for a pony who is still recovering from laminitis? As from today, I have sectioned off a tiny weeny bit of weedy ground for her to go out on but its certainly not going to add any weight on her.
 
I would recommend Simple System Feeds. They are all natural, forage-based & sugar-free, so are ideal for laminitic ponies, and can be fed in bulk like hay. They do a linseed supplement to add weight - take a look at their web-site for more info, nearest stockist etc. If you e-mail them, they will recommend a complete diet and are really helpful. Their food saved my pony's life as she developed Laminitis due to a sensitivity to the low levels of sugar in the supposedly "Laminitis Friendly" foods and also in rich grass. She is now like a teenager again, despite her being 31!
 
To be honest, if she is laminitic I wouldn't be too worried if she is looking slim - much better that way! However, if you think the weight loss is serious then something like Spiller's Happy Hoof, Spiller's High Fibre Cubes, Speedibeet or Dengie Hi Fi Lite (all of which are Laminitis Trust approved) are worth a try. Of those four my old pony seemed to like the Happy Hoof best - it seems to be particularly palatable. She wouldn't touch Hi Fi Lite.
 
speedibeet is good for fussy eaters. Also, have you tried adding a bit of bran? its fine for lammis but seems to be very appealing to fussy eaters. Cushings pony at work used to be on alfa a and bran.
 
i also wouldnt worry even if you can see some ribs.almost unheard of for shetties i know!
its a total shock to see a good doer looking abit slim
i would try hifi/happy hoof.molasses is a big no really, its likely to set her off again.
 
Yeah, well we've never let her be overweight at all (which is why its so annoying she's been coming down with lami on and off). She IS looking the slimmest she's ever been though!

Ok, thanks everyone. Will put her on Happy Hoof (she didnt like Hi-Fi Lite which I tried last year). Ive been feeding Alfalfa as I read somewhere that its full of antioxidants or something so is meant to be good for lami's. But not much use if she wont even eat it! It's just annoying because I tried to cut down all my feed as all my horses had their own feeds so my feed room was full!

If I fed bran, dont I need to feed something in high levels alongside it (is it calcium?)?
 
Yeah, bran has a rather high inverse calcium:phosphorus ratio, so you do need a feedstuff high in calcium to counter act that. You could add limestone flour, although this isn't always metabolised as efficiently as calcium naturally present in say somehting like either alfalfa or speedibeet etc.

Most ponies think Happy Hoof is the dogs wotsits! SWUO wouldn't touch HiFi Lite unless it had some speedibeet mixed in with it
smirk.gif
 
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