Liver issue/grumpy?

[MereChristmas]

Thanks so much for this! Milk thistle arrived today what did you feed? Bog now on hunger strike. Not because he feels bad but because I’ve taken away his junk food!

My pony pretty much at anything so I didn’t have this problem but applying a change of diet like this to people wouldn’t there be some sort of sugar withdrawal symptoms?
My son said he was eating to much sugar, cut down the amount and suffered headaches until his body readjusted.
Any way just a thought.

 

[Michen]

Ok and I can't get him scoped before I leave, argh. So I am basically treating for a month with no idea if he actually has ulcers...

This sucks Pray for an obvious change in behavior in the next week.

 

[Michen]

My pony pretty much at anything so I didn’t have this problem but applying a change of diet like this to people wouldn’t there be some sort of sugar withdrawal symptoms?
My son said he was eating to much sugar, cut down the amount and suffered headaches until his body readjusted.
Any way just a thought.

Maybe, I've phased it over several days. I think more likely he simply doesn't like the taste of plain food- but then he never has which is why I was never able to feed him straights and the best I could get him on was equerry conditioning mash.

 

[MereChristmas]

Maybe, I've phased it over several days. I think more likely he simply doesn't like the taste of plain food- but then he never has which is why I was never able to feed him straights and the best I could get him on was equerry conditioning mash.

OK it was just a thought

 

[druid]

Add a handful or two of the sweet feed thoroughly mixed in? Don't know if you can still buy it but there was a liquid called EquiSweet that came in molasses or peppermint flavour we used a lot in the clinic to tempt picky eaters. Bog certainly has his own opinions!

 

[MereChristmas]

Ok and I can't get him scoped before I leave, argh. So I am basically treating for a month with no idea if he actually has ulcers...

This sucks Pray for an obvious change in behavior in the next week.

Praying, obviously

 

[Michen]

Add a handful or two of the sweet feed thoroughly mixed in? Don't know if you can still buy it but there was a liquid called EquiSweet that came in molasses or peppermint flavour we used a lot in the clinic to tempt picky eaters. Bog certainly has his own opinions!

Do you reckon that’s ok re liver? It’s all so high in protein. Wondered if molasses alone would just be better. I’ll look for that stuff, thank you!!!

 

[druid]

If it gets him to eat a handful (and I do mean a scant handful or two!) for a few days isn't going to realistically harm him and if it means you can get food down him then that's the important bit.

 

[TwyfordM]

Thanks so much for this! Milk thistle arrived today what did you feed? Bog now on hunger strike. Not because he feels bad but because I’ve taken away his junk food!

She’s a lami prone pony but I gave in eventually when she was getting too skinny. She ate calm and condition and top spec, so I just gave her that for a while. With some pony nuts/polos to tempt her. She wouldn’t touch anything chaff based for ages, was bloody frustrating. Had to go down the haylage route just go get the fibre in her but was only for a few months and then weaned her back to usual feed

 

[Michen]

If it gets him to eat a handful (and I do mean a scant handful or two!) for a few days isn't going to realistically harm him and if it means you can get food down him then that's the important bit.

This is long term though really. But I’ll see if a handful helps!

 

[druid]

Just another thought - can you get video of the bad behviour/grumpiness? If you don't get to see it. Maybe you know Bog better and will spot something that is the trigger in terms of feeding/handling etc?

 

[Michen]

Just another thought - can you get video of the bad behviour/grumpiness? If you don't get to see it. Maybe you know Bog better and will spot something that is the trigger in terms of feeding/handling etc?

I actually did see a scaled down version of it this morning, to the other boarder who’s also treating her horse for ulcers. It was the kind of thing I’d fully expect him to do to another horse that was near his window bars but not another human.

 

[Fieldlife]

Peppermint, beetroot powder, coke a cola, fenugreek can all encourage appetite. Or grated carrots / fine chopped carrot?

Are there no ulcer friendly low protein bagged feeds locally?

I’d try an avoid molasses. Though I guess diluted well in warm water and used sparingly be okay.

 

[GreyDot]

I actually did see a scaled down version of it this morning, to the other boarder who’s also treating her horse for ulcers. It was the kind of thing I’d fully expect him to do to another horse that was near his window bars but not another human.

Could it be that he is sensing spring and just needs to be out? Mine (back here in UK) have defiitely changed over the last couple of weeks and are leaving hay, kicking the door first thing and wanting be out. Might be a bit of cabin fever?

 

[Michen]

I don’t know. Maybe. But if I don’t see a behavioral change in a week it’s going to be difficult to decide whether to carry on or not when I can’t scope for so long.


Hopefully there will be a change but if there isn’t it’s not like it rules them out.

 

[teapot]

Just something else to throw into the mix that you can't control but to be aware of - we're a week off April, Bog will be experiencing a whole load of other pollens for the first time, which may be adding to his normal itchiness/grumps.

Sounds like you have a plan though, fingers crossed!

ETS: to avoid cross ties, could you do whatever you need to do in his box?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I recall that he's stabled indoors in a barn. Does his stable have talk grilles or a wall on the sides separating him from his next door neighbours? Some horses dislike the loss of privacy with talk grilles and are better if they are covered over with plyboard or similar.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Just something else to throw into the mix that you can't control but to be aware of - we're a week off April, Bog will be experiencing a whole load of other pollens for the first time, which may be adding to his normal itchiness/grumps.

This .. I got hay fever for the first time in my life when we were living in the states for a while - the tree pollens will be starting to spread now and many will be completely different from what he’s used to

 

[Michen]

He is in a corner stable so that he’s not got horses next door. Given he’s been fine in there and happy until recently, I don’t think that’s the problem.

Re cross ties I really don’t have an issue with him occasionally showing impatient behaviour to not use them, sadly I’m one that is constantly forgetting stuff and back and forth from the tack room! It’s not a hardship for him to stand in them for a bit

 

[Michen]

This doesn’t feel good. I rode this morning for the first time since the fall we had and he didn’t feel right. Not off the leg, kinda stuffy. He’s also drinking more water than normal which is exactly what Bear did when his liver was bad.

I can’t get sulfracate into him without giving him a very small (one cup) amount of “bad” grain. He categorically won’t eat any of the vitamin e, milk thistle, etc etc.

I’m at the airport heading to North Carolina for 3 days and I just don’t want to go but I have to for work. I’m struggling with the vet situation here, my “normal” vet can’t see him until next week so I’ve got another vet coming this weds to re do bloods and also a physical examination. Weds was the soonest I could get anyone with any specific lameness experience there. I desperately wish my uk vet was here to lay hands on him.

I am certain those liver enzymes will be further elevated and heck knows what I will do then. Feeling very upset and teary. Roll on the flight drinks trolley.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My Arab's are incredibly fussy with meds or supplements but if I add peppermint essence just the stuff in the baking section in the supermarket, I can disguise most things I also find adding things gradually with it helps so just build up to the full dose.

Failing that I syringe it with the peppermint essence and they seem to enjoy those as it's so strong and minty.

 

[SEL]

I syringe with ribena although one of mine would eat anything with copra.

Any other horse in the barn "off"?

 

[Fieldlife]

How many days since he slipped over? Tweaked something?

 

[Michen]

I tried peppermint. No go. He’s not easy to syringe the crushed pills in anything (fine for gastroguard), so for the next few days whilst I’m gone I’ve just had to give him his food to make it feasible for the barn hands to do it.

I think it’s been about 5 days since the fall and he seemed fine loose walking/trot/canter.

He probably has tweaked something or worse but no idea where to start. I don’t know what to worry about more, that the liver or the potential ulcers!

I haven’t found a decent bodyworker here either that I rate. In the mountains it’s surprisingly hard, physio doesn’t seem to be a “thing” here. There’s bemer therapy or rolfing (a sort of chiro) that regularly come to the yard. Nothing is a patch on the great physio I had in the UK.

All other horses fine. We have just had a big dump of snow.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I've been able to add a little apple sauce to entice in the past. Even for my weirdo that doesn't eat treats or anything that wasn't his pelleted feed.

How stressful though

 

[Michen]

I've been able to add a little apple sauce to entice in the past. Even for my weirdo that doesn't eat treats or anything that wasn't his pelleted feed.

How stressful though

It’s just hard because he keeps changing his damn mind about eating or not eating too.

This has caused the biggest wave of home sickness ever, not because I’m genuinely homesick but because if I was in the UK I’d have my trusted professionals around me and I’d know who to listen to and what to do. Here I just don’t have that. Though I have fantastic barn buddies who I am super grateful for.

I really want to go back to the UK next week and see my friends and fam because I don’t think I’ll get another chunk of time until the end of summer. But I just can’t envisage being able to leave him right now.

Gutted.

 

[ycbm]

M, I can't help I just want you to know how sorry I feel for you and the problems you're going through.
.

 

[ponynutz]

M, I can't help I just want you to know how sorry I feel for you and the problems you're going through.
.

Ditto

 

[CanteringCarrot]

It’s just hard because he keeps changing his damn mind about eating or not eating too.

This has caused the biggest wave of home sickness ever, not because I’m genuinely homesick but because if I was in the UK I’d have my trusted professionals around me and I’d know who to listen to and what to do. Here I just don’t have that. Though I have fantastic barn buddies who I am super grateful for.

I really want to go back to the UK next week and see my friends and fam because I don’t think I’ll get another chunk of time until the end of summer. But I just can’t envisage being able to leave him right now.

Gutted.

Well, if it makes you feel any better (and it probably doesn't) I can guarantee that you have a far better vet and support team at your barn than I have at mine although, I do enjoy not seeing a single soul here at times. Has its drawbacks though! As for trusted professionals...no such persons.

I also went long periods of time without seeing friends and family so, I sort of got used to it. Not saying I recommend that approach...but maybe you can get a treatment plan squared away by then so you can go and feel alright about it?

 

[Caol Ila]

So sorry he's having a hard time.

When I lived in Boulder, you couldn't get out of bed without stepping on a bodyworker or a physio (or a reiki specialist or an acupuncturist or... because Boulder). That was a while ago, but still. I don't know if Evergreen is too far off the beat of anyone who works in the Boulder/Longmont area but I could ask my contacts there if they know of anyone who covers that area.