Too thin horse - blood test?

[Floofball]

Can they measure cortisol if you suspect it’s heightened stress? Another thought was thyroid? Vets will hopefully guide when they see him and listen to your concerns.

 

[ycbm]

You're not on sandy soil, are you?

No, plenty of grass too.

 

[ycbm]

Can they measure cortisol if you suspect it’s heightened stress? Another thought was thyroid? Vets will hopefully guide when they see him and listen to your concerns.

Vet will think I'm an idiot, he looks really well!
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[ycbm]

I don’t get on with feeding oil if he was mine iI would give him 300 grams of linseed and a kilo of oats twice a day and his grass cubes and forage and watch what happens .
do you soak the grass cubes ?

Trust me, you wouldn't Linseed sends him crazy just like alfalfa does. I also don't trust cereals with him, not as bad as alfalfa but still some reaction. Yes I soak the cubes.
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[ycbm]

Can they measure cortisol if you suspect it’s heightened stress? Another thought was thyroid? Vets will hopefully guide when they see him and listen to your concerns.

There no point, in think, in measuring stress levels of he stressed by the separation. I can't change the living conditions without killing my mare with food.

 

[ycbm]

About blood tests - I would speak to the vet and see what they recommend

I have a sad history with vets not listening to me about horses that lose weight in winter. That's why I asked here first.
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[ycbm]

If Ludo is a sensitive soul, he may just be a bit worried about the whole situation with Deza. If all the physical tests and processes prove nothing, that might be something to think about.

I've already thought about it. I think it's the most likely thing going on, I just want to rule out anything else that's obvious and easy to test for.

Hopefully my latest increase in his bucket feed will sort things out.
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[Chinchilla]

ACTH test IS measuring serum cortisol levels indirectly as it's looking at the levels of the hormone which stimulates cortisol release from the pituitary gland.

 

[Floofball]

There no point, in think, in measuring stress levels of he stressed by the separation. I can't change the living conditions without killing my mare with food.

Ah but you would have an answer to your suspicion though if they were raised. If he is a worrier and his living conditions can’t be changed maybe a simple calming supplement would help? Always fascinating trying to work out what’s going on with them ?
Vets should still act on your concerns even if they do think your mad ? ??

 

[shamrock2021]

Check his liver

 

[ycbm]

Check his liver

Check post #1 ?

 

[ycbm]

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[Snow Falcon]

A normal run of bloods would pick up protein levels, if low could indicate a leaky gut.

 

[ihatework]

I’d run a standard biochem & haem panel, then if you think it’s stress related I’d integrate him back in with Deza. You can pull him out 4x a day to give him additional bucket feed, and I’d go for some form of concentrated conditioning compound feed.

 

[Lurfy]

If it is the separation from his buddy, hopefully he will adjust in time. They are side by side in your pictures on other threads, so still close by.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My guess is it could definitely be that they are separated I have just 2 at home and I know if I kept them apart it would upset them both, I know you didn't really want feed suggestions but a friend bought a 6 yo very sporty TB looking show pony in the summer, she had been living in a field previously so was unfit and weak and she struggled a bit with the new work, her instructor recommended Equijewel and the Saracens balancer and the pony has literally transformed in a few weeks.

 

[MissTyc]

Guys, my actual question was would you add anything to my list of things to get the vet to blood test for?

I didn't have time to read all 3 pages of posts, so many apologies if this has already been discussed. I would get the encysted redworm test as well. I know he was correctly wormed 6 weeks ago, but when we tested our herd last winter, we were really surprised by some of the results, considering every horse on the yard is on a strict targetted worming programme since 2015.

A few horses required repeat worming with another Equest. Vet didn't think this was too unusual, but 6 months later, we pulled all the bloods again and those two were still really high. Interestingly, they are two ponies that never really THRIVED even though they looked fine and work OK. But they're young, they should look GREAT esp in summer and not drop so much weight in winter. Anyway, they were kept in and the vets did some mega worming under supervision and 6 months later, this winter, the bloods are look. And both ponies actually looking the best they have in years.

I will be interested to see what their bloods are like in 6 months, as vet seems to think that now the resistant worms are cleared out they should be in a better place longer term.

 

[Chinchilla]

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(Got a notification saying you quoted me)

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Hm. My gelding is taking a lot more feed this winter. It is colder I suppose. He hasn't appeared cold, but perhaps he is?

How old is he? Is it possible that he is growing?

I usually have blood pulled at least once a year to make sure everything is in check. I know that I have to supplement vit e when he's off grass. The test I requested had vit, mins, and a few other things. I didn't request anything specific, just said test for deficiencies and whatnot and got 2 pages worth of stuff.

So I would just get a much as you can off of blood I guess? And the worm count is a good idea too.

 

[SEL]

A friend did the ELISA tapeworm test and it came back ridiculously high despite her annual worming. Her little cob was never thin but since they've addressed the issue (and its taken 18 months....) is now looking incredible.

So I'd ask the vet to do the full 'health check ' blood panel because that would pick up any liver problems, have a listen to his heart and pull bloods for encysted redworm. I'd then do the tapeworm saliva test (or blood test via vets)

I tend to think that if you have a niggle about a horse then your sub conscious has recognised something is wrong.

If you think he is stressing and potentially has a low level ulcer issue then Ron Fields herbal supplements are actually stuff that works.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Could you get him a little companion if you think its separation stress..??

 

[doodle]

Re blood test - it won’t do any harm. HOWEVER Robin has bloods run in September as he was dropping weight a little. They all came back completely normal, right in the middle of normal in fact. Look at how ill he is now! I am 100% sure that is when his ulcers started and just feel sad it’s taken till now and a very poorly horse for this to all come out.

 

[ycbm]

if you think it’s stress related I’d integrate him back in with Deza. You can pull him out 4x a day to give him additional bucket feed, and I’d go for some form of concentrated conditioning compound feed.

I can't integrate him with Deza, their food needs are far too different and she will also eat much more quickly than him so she will take a lot of his share. Also, I would not cut his forage down to the level she is on even if I could make up the calories with bucket food.

 

[Trouper]

Can't suggest any more blood tests than others but when we had an on-site fecal worm count done, the tester picked up a significant amount of "undigested" food indicating that one of the horses on the yard was not getting the full value of the food he was ingesting. Just a thought.

 

[sherry90]

Nothing to add really other than repeating others, if I suspected something unrelated to pain which required a work up, I’d start with worming and blood panels first. Depends entirely on the Horse, mine lives of fresh air so if he got thin and his management was the same and especially if I upped his feed to more than last year, I’d be very suspect! Similarly if he’s off his food, I KNOW he’s not right. You know your Horse and hopefully the vet will understand this and do as you ask and investigate despite your concerns being mild.
As an aside, my vet do check heart of lung function (basic) during vaccs visit free of charge.

 

[Goldenstar]

TBh I think to teach him about separation is a good thing horses need to know about this it future proofs them about the things that can happen over which no one has control .
I think if you want spend some money blood work is a good idea .
But you also need to increase his calorie in intake I have never owned one of these horses you can’t feed this and that but do like my horses sharp .
It is worth looking at the short and long term inflammatory markers either of these are raised you have a problem to start searching for .
I have worked with horses in the past where you had to very carefulabout the amount of forage they had and timing of giving it to them because if they ate too much they had no appetite for the hard food they needed ( these where horses in hard hard work ) .
I don’t feed sugar beet because of its iron levels but that could be worth trying .

 

[RHM]

One other thing to test for alongside the white cell count would also be CRP levels. These will rise before any other symptoms if there is a underlying infection brewing. Would want it as part of a wider panel though as it raises as it’s a key indicator of inflammatory cytokines being present, it won’t help you narrow down why. Hope you figure it out!

 

[ycbm]

TBh I think to teach him about separation is a good thing horses need to know about this it future proofs them about the things that can happen over which no one has control .
I think if you want spend some money blood work is a good idea .
But you also need to increase his calorie in intake I have never owned one of these horses you can’t feed this and that but do like my horses sharp .
It is worth looking at the short and long term inflammatory markers either of these are raised you have a problem to start searching for .
I have worked with horses in the past where you had to very carefulabout the amount of forage they had and timing of giving it to them because if they ate too much they had no appetite for the hard food they needed ( these where horses in hard hard work ) .
I don’t feed sugar beet because of its iron levels but that could be worth trying .

I have been increasing his calories intake steadily. There is no problem with his appetite, he will eat as much as I put in the bucket at this time of year, on top of 10-12kg of ad lib high quality haylage.

Alfalfa and linseed sensitivity is the difference between a dangerous horse and a safe but sharp one. I like mine sharp as well, but alfalfa/linseed/cereals is not something I'll be messing with, I've already had a hoof put through one of my hats.

 

[ycbm]

I wormed him with ivermectin and praziquantel last night and I swear he was looking more bonny today. That could also be the latest increase in hard food clicking in, or the fact that in the last week or so Deza has taken to standing and lying sleeping close to him. Or all three.

I also took a good hard look at him this morning after MP suggested he might have had a growth spurt, and he is definitely bulking up. Bigger head, bigger feet, bigger bum. Fingers crossed that's all it is.

He's very bright in himself and we had a lovely session on the arena in the bright winter sun this morning

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Guys, my actual question was would you add anything to my list of things to get the vet to blood test for?

I would ask for a Cushings test. When I bought my Shire, the seller told me that she wasn't easy to keep weight on. I had to have her pts aged 6 with what I now believe to have been Cushings, although I never got a proper diagnosis for whatever ailed her. She foundered at the end, laminitis hadn't even been diagnosed. It's a long time ago.