Old pony- stopped eating properly.

poiuytrewq

poiuytrewq

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Quick back ground. Little mare is late 30's no teeth to speak of, doesnt eat hay or chaff. Does appear to pick at grass. I've had her here for about 18 months at a guess. She belongs to my neighbour. When i got her home i was told she no longer ate bucket feed, quickly found out she no longer ate feed as she can't but was starving. Since the day we tried mush we've not looked back. She yells loudly when she is hungry and makes a huge sloppy disgusting mess wolfing down her buckets of speedibeet, high fibre mash, soaked nuts etc.
I generally give her 3 a day, they last quite a while but always get eaten. Weight wise her ribs are just visible from some angles but she probably looks the best she has, I've been really pleased with her weight going into winter (because I have been concerned about wintering her this year.
Until last week. She just started leaving bits, at first here and there. Still enthusiastic when Its first given but not finishing hoever long its left.
This isnt every time, some she will clean up, then she will stop after a few minutes and just loose all interest. I'd say I'm throwing away third to a quarter of her rations most days.

I did try and get hold of her owner, no reply so have text which is our usual form of communication but its not even been seen. Whilst I'm not massivly worried at this point i dont want her to go downhill and then say ah yes well she stopped eating properly weeks ago, just wanted to keep them in the loop really.
I do have permission to call a vet out, but i feel like its not really warrented at this point. However I think she could go downhill quite quickly so am offering food more often and smaller amounts instead, sometimes works sometimes not.

Any Idea's? She is on prescand but has been for many years, had bloods done a few weeks ago. slightly higher than ideal levels but the vet (long term vet) said rather than up her dose he was going to go on the whole picture and the fact she was doing well in herself. So we havent recently altered anything.
 
I'd try upping the dose by 1/4 too. Does she still eat grass? There's been a definite flush here and mine aren't eating the amount of hay they were. Have you offered her different feeds to see if she's just bored of it? I found it worth feeding a couple of different foods so they could be adjusted when pony got bored of one of them.
 
When my little old pony with compromised teeth got picky about his food, I fed each separately - a veteran mash, soaked grass nuts, fast fibre, I think from memory. So he had three different buckets twice a day. He seemed to choose different ones at different times. May just be worth a try.
 
I was going to suggest changing the feed. There are many tasty mashes about. Mine is on Allen & Page Veteran Vitality, which he is enjoying. Interesting everyone says increase the Prascend. Mine, who is 25ish, lost a lot of condition over the past year. The vet, after doing blood tests and not finding anything, suggested halving his Prascend down to half a tablet.
 
asmp said:
I was going to suggest changing the feed. There are many tasty mashes about. Mine is on Allen & Page Veteran Vitality, which he is enjoying. Interesting everyone says increase the Prascend. Mine, who is 25ish, lost a lot of condition over the past year. The vet, after doing blood tests and not finding anything, suggested halving his Prascend down to half a tablet.
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Pony being not quite as enthusiastic about food as normal can be a sign of medication needing adjustment, either higher or, in some cases lower. If the vet says levels are higher than they should be, it's quite an easy way to see if it's that that's causing an issue.
 
Adding fenugreek can help as well- it is an appetite stimulant that won't interfere with the medication. Pergolide veil is a possibility too but less likely considering recent blood results and if pony has been on the same dose for a while, as it's not cumulative. ETA we're also in the middle of the seasonal rise in ACTH, so this would seem more likely to me. (& Lab reference ranges do take this into account when denoting high/normal/unequivocal). Unfortunately in medicated animals the stim test can't be used.
 
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With cushings we are just getting to the end of the seasonal rise in the UK, and so you might well find that her levels start dropping naturally towards the end of the month. Personally I wouldn’t be too fast to up the dose of prascend, if she’s only slightly higher than normal, since lack of appetite is often linked to a dose increase
 
Prascend is a big appetite suppressant, I wouldn’t increase. We took a 32 year old that wasn’t eating that well off prascend and he started eating so well he put on loads of weight. There is stuff on the internet about it but might be worth reducing as a test provided there is no imminent laminitis risk, this horse had never had lami. It saved the owner lots of money and he was much happier.
 
Might be a coincidence but my older pony started getting very fussy with feed in the last year. Teeth in good shape and cushings well controlled but we know he has liver issues. I've swapped liver supplements, he's been on the new one for two weeks and has polished off every feed in the last 4 or 5 days (it was 50/50 before if he'd eat it or not). Might just be coincidence, and I've probably jinxed it now and he'll leave breakfast tomorrow... But it seems to have made a difference perhaps?
 
I have seen people on PPID groups suggest a prascend “reset” ie off it for a week and then reintroduce. Obviously check out all risks and I haven’t done it myself but did consider it when my own PPID mare went off her food but I just dropped the dosage to a 1/2 and she is doing so much better
 
I’d also look at palatibility of mash. Some of the sloppy feeds are better than others. Spillers do an apple flavoured senior mash. Mine loved it when he was poorly and only picking at food. Also maybe grass nuts? Good luck.
 
Thank you everyone!
I’m very hesitant to up the dose. She is a tiny pony and already on 1.5 a day, and as mentioned it’s known to damage the appetite.
I’d also not want to stop or cut down with out the owners agreement and they would want to speak to the vet about that as they would have absolutely no idea.
It’s so odd and badly timed/annoying that they appear to have vanished off the face of the earth!
She did actually eat everything by the end of the day yesterday but it hasn’t been 100% consistent so not going to get too excited.
Her teeth are bad, there’s no denying that. She is checked regularly, not by my dentist but by her vet. That’s not my decision.
Grass wise we have little. My own fat Welsh x is out un-muzzled with no problem * touch wood!!

I can try half her dose am and half pm. I have tried mash/beet separately but it’s still seems totally random when she eats or refuses.
I’ve tried a few different things, again she may or may not eat.
I added linseed the past few days to up the calories in a smaller volume

Grass nuts worry me slightly, I’ve not tried them and have often thought about it but she has become footy a few times when I’ve switched feeds.
It just seems weird she was totally in love with her food then suddenly said no so I don’t think she’s bored of it.


@chaps89 how do you know your pony has liver issues? Have you had bloods done? What supplement do you use?
I just half wonder as I posted on here a while ago about her suddenly wee’ing whilst eating, doesn’t sound too bizarre but actually if you saw it, it was odd. She is eating and seems not to even realise just suddenly start weeing.

I think I’ll see how she eats the next day or so and try again to speak to her owner.
It’s hard, if this were urgent I’d have no hesitation to get a vet out but I don’t want to run them up a bill without discussing what they would want.
I’ll also email the vet tomorrow depending on her food intake today so he’s at least in the picture.
 
actually when mine had appetite issues she also had bloods which showed up something (sorry can’t remember) on liver and I put her on milk thistle
 
poiuytrewq said:
Thank you everyone!
I’m very hesitant to up the dose. She is a tiny pony and already on 1.5 a day, and as mentioned it’s known to damage the appetite.
I’d also not want to stop or cut down with out the owners agreement and they would want to speak to the vet about that as they would have absolutely no idea.
It’s so odd and badly timed/annoying that they appear to have vanished off the face of the earth!
She did actually eat everything by the end of the day yesterday but it hasn’t been 100% consistent so not going to get too excited.
Her teeth are bad, there’s no denying that. She is checked regularly, not by my dentist but by her vet. That’s not my decision.
Grass wise we have little. My own fat Welsh x is out un-muzzled with no problem * touch wood!!

I can try half her dose am and half pm. I have tried mash/beet separately but it’s still seems totally random when she eats or refuses.
I’ve tried a few different things, again she may or may not eat.
I added linseed the past few days to up the calories in a smaller volume

Grass nuts worry me slightly, I’ve not tried them and have often thought about it but she has become footy a few times when I’ve switched feeds.
It just seems weird she was totally in love with her food then suddenly said no so I don’t think she’s bored of it.


@chaps89 how do you know your pony has liver issues? Have you had bloods done? What supplement do you use?
I just half wonder as I posted on here a while ago about her suddenly wee’ing whilst eating, doesn’t sound too bizarre but actually if you saw it, it was odd. She is eating and seems not to even realise just suddenly start weeing.

I think I’ll see how she eats the next day or so and try again to speak to her owner.
It’s hard, if this were urgent I’d have no hesitation to get a vet out but I don’t want to run them up a bill without discussing what they would want.
I’ll also email the vet tomorrow depending on her food intake today so he’s at least in the picture.
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Horrid when this happens, very worrying. But if you just up the Pergolide, run the risk of her stopping eating anything, as in, like her lips been sewn up, which is even more alarming.
Sounds like urinary issues which might benefit from attention?
Have you tried smothering her meals with honey to get her interested again? Personally rather risk lami than starving, or shut down of organs through lack of nutrition - we had all this with a Welsh C who ultimately lived to be 40. Good luck
 
This isn't going to be the most popular post, but a pony in it's late 30s isn't going to live forever. You may be coming to the end of the road, You have done wonders with this little pony, and given her extra time with good food. Our yard vet has the opinion that Pergolide is a viable option, until the day it isn't. I have always said I will carry on with my 30yo as long as he is happy and eating well. but he isn't on any medication except a little anti inflamm. It's a tough call when the time comes. 😢
 
Do you have some bute on hand that you could try - if she has sore teeth / gums or pain elsewhere a short bute trial might at least identify pain as the cause of not eating.

My friends older horse dropped a tonne of weight, really looked awful when it was only sore gums from stuff stuck in the gaps between his teeth.
 
Highmileagecob said:
This isn't going to be the most popular post, but a pony in it's late 30s isn't going to live forever. You may be coming to the end of the road, You have done wonders with this little pony, and given her extra time with good food. Our yard vet has the opinion that Pergolide is a viable option, until the day it isn't. I have always said I will carry on with my 30yo as long as he is happy and eating well. but he isn't on any medication except a little anti inflamm. It's a tough call when the time comes. 😢
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Might not be popular but is inherently sensible I would say, and I'm the biggest softie around.
When people age greatly and towards the end of life the appetite is one of the first things to go and when caring for end-life cancer patients their right to not eat must be respected. That said I would certainly try a change in feed. Spillers senior mash smells inviting, like apple crumble, can be made a sloppy as you need and I've never had one turn it down, or as someone suggested fenugreek is a good appetite stimulant.

If the appetite doesn't pick up I'd say its time to call the vet :( you may have done as much as you can x
 
Liver for mine was summer 2024 he went very quiet and lethargic. This is a typical small naughty pony so it was very out of character.
No other symptoms at all.
Had a set of bloods run that indicated liver problems, then a more specific liver profile. His results were off the chart.
He had 2 courses of hepalyte, he was then back to his normal naughty self, but bloods still remained off the chart.
Vet advised as he was well in himself to just keep him on a liver supplement, so he was on global herbs restore.
Then over the winter he just started getting fussy with his food, ate hay and grass fine but bucket feed was very hit and miss, he'd eat something for a while then go off it, be very not bothered by his dinner etc.
I was sure it would be his cushings so had his cushings re-tested in Spring, but all normal, so just put it down to old age.
I also swapped to straight milk thistle which he seemed fractionally more likely to eat than the restore.
He then had a mild colic about a month ago and was so ridiculously sensitive to the sedative that the vet said it wasn't a good sign with his liver so he needed more support than just milk thistle.
Very sceptically I put him on Ron Fields remount and thought I wasn't likely to know if it made any difference as he was fine in himself and we know his bloods are terrible, and it was actually the cheapest option out there.
It was actually reading this thread that I realised he's consistently eaten his feeds since doing the loading dose of the supplement, nothing else has changed. So maybe it is actually doing something and the liver is the cause not the cushings 🤷‍♀️ with you saying the cushings is normal for yours that's why I thought I'd mention it.
 
Highmileagecob said:
This isn't going to be the most popular post, but a pony in it's late 30s isn't going to live forever. You may be coming to the end of the road, You have done wonders with this little pony, and given her extra time with good food. Our yard vet has the opinion that Pergolide is a viable option, until the day it isn't. I have always said I will carry on with my 30yo as long as he is happy and eating well. but he isn't on any medication except a little anti inflamm. It's a tough call when the time comes. 😢
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No I totally agree. I even posted as such here a while ago about my worry going into winter again, however she was going so well at the time that I pushed the idea out of my head.
It was discussed with her vet recently and he said she was doing so well to just keep on as we were and see how she did when the weather/ground changed.
So not an unpopular opinion in the slightest.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Thank you everyone!
I’m very hesitant to up the dose. She is a tiny pony and already on 1.5 a day, and as mentioned it’s known to damage the appetite.
I’d also not want to stop or cut down with out the owners agreement and they would want to speak to the vet about that as they would have absolutely no idea.
It’s so odd and badly timed/annoying that they appear to have vanished off the face of the earth!
She did actually eat everything by the end of the day yesterday but it hasn’t been 100% consistent so not going to get too excited.
Her teeth are bad, there’s no denying that. She is checked regularly, not by my dentist but by her vet. That’s not my decision.
Grass wise we have little. My own fat Welsh x is out un-muzzled with no problem * touch wood!!

I can try half her dose am and half pm. I have tried mash/beet separately but it’s still seems totally random when she eats or refuses.
I’ve tried a few different things, again she may or may not eat.
I added linseed the past few days to up the calories in a smaller volume

Grass nuts worry me slightly, I’ve not tried them and have often thought about it but she has become footy a few times when I’ve switched feeds.
It just seems weird she was totally in love with her food then suddenly said no so I don’t think she’s bored of it.


@chaps89 how do you know your pony has liver issues? Have you had bloods done? What supplement do you use?
I just half wonder as I posted on here a while ago about her suddenly wee’ing whilst eating, doesn’t sound too bizarre but actually if you saw it, it was odd. She is eating and seems not to even realise just suddenly start weeing.

I think I’ll see how she eats the next day or so and try again to speak to her owner.
It’s hard, if this were urgent I’d have no hesitation to get a vet out but I don’t want to run them up a bill without discussing what they would want.
I’ll also email the vet tomorrow depending on her food intake today so he’s at least in the picture.
Click to expand...
My old Exmoor went off her food in the summer. She has always been a good eater. She did have a bad tooth to be fair but I have started feeding her this, as recommended by a friend with another old pony and she practically inhales it she likes it so much. Old ponies are such a worry. I have two at 27. Previously we had one that went on into his early 40’s, he just suddenly started shutting down and we lost him quite quickly. You sound like an amazing person to have taken in somebody’s old pony for them and obviously love and care for her a great deal. Whatever happens, well done to you, I hope you can turn a corner but if you can’t you have given this pony a fantastic sounding life in her twilight years.

Hay Replacer for Horses | HayCare

Quick soaking hay replacer - high fibre Timothy grass for horses with poor teeth.
www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk
 
My old horse (35) started not quite finishing his food - it coincided with the September flush.
Now he and his friend have mopped up all the grass he is finishing up again.
Equioxx is a great alternative to bute (and palatable) for older equines.

Good luck.
 
I'll second Equioxx. Old Dobbin has been on it for years. My old boy is not holding weight like he used to (piebald eating machine) and finds it difficult to regulate his temperature. He's been on supplementary feeding of mash and chopped haylage since June, and has gone into a 100g rug now the nights are cooler. Previously, he would go without a rug until early December.
 
Perhaps the O will need to get the vet to do a health check. May be decision time before the winter sets in.
 
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