Weight loss (unwanted)

[somethingorother]

Hi
I know a mare going on 20 years old who has been a riding school pony for about 10 years but is retired now. She's a bit wobbly on her legs but still wanders around quite happily and i'm informed she still wriggles under a fence to escape from the field.
Only thing is Last time i saw her she was seriously skin and bones, her neck dipped on top at the bottom near the withers (if that makes sense) because there is NOTHING there to cover it, her hips stick out, every rib is poking through and i seriously think she is going to die soon... she looks that bad.
She's still bright, still eating everything shes given and i'm sure she will have been wormed where she is. So what could it be?? At easter when i last saw her she was a pretty ideal weight, but in a few months she has lost it all.
Any ideas? (shes not mine by the way.)
If it's any use another mare there had to be PTS a few weeks ago because she stoppped eating and was skin and bones, bloods showed nothing etc.

 

[brighteyes]

Have you asked her owners what is going on? Do it ASAP and then make a decision whether the authorities need to know. Sounds like old age, rather than neglect but find out FAST. Then act if needs be.

 

[somethingorother]

well they dont listen anyway. They just make up excuses... and they didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with how thin she was since shes eating. Theyre not neglecting her as such (she has food, water, is looked after) but theyre not calling the vet which i would be doing. All the other horses are in good health.
I just can't think of what it could be. Shes eating so not grass sickness, her teeth might be a bit worn but the food is still going somewhere so can't be that... theyre usually well wormed so shouldn't be that... What else is there? (not posting in vet as not my pony, i'm just curious).

 

[dozzie]

Well I think they should have the vet out to do bloods and check teeth. Mine has had a lot of weightloss this Spring and it has turned out he has a liver problem. He has had antibiotics and is putting weight back on. If it is liver you want to catch it really before they start going off their food.

It could be other things of course but with a sudden loss in the summer I would be concerned.

 

[Maisy]

I would think it is a bit of a minefield tbh......it could be age (though I wouldnt say 20 is old enough for the weight to be dropping, especially not at this time of year).....If it was my horse, I would want bloods done for starters, to rule out any kind of organ failure.....there is a horse I knew round here that lost a lot of weight and then colicked; they took bloods and iirc it was multi organ failure.....she was PTS on the 2nd day of being visably ill.

Worms, teeth, pain of any description, quality of grazing and probably hundreds of other reasons would be other things to consider.

 

[JaneMBE]

[ QUOTE ]

If it's any use another mare there had to be PTS a few weeks ago because she stoppped eating and was skin and bones, bloods showed nothing etc.

[/ QUOTE ]


Bacterial infection? If another horse had same symptoms, maybe something in the pasture?

 

[Ellies_mum2]

Its just my opinion but if the owner isn't calling the vet isn't that neglect?

I would try to talk to the owners and explain you are concerned etc but something needs to be done. I wouldn't have thought a horse would lose weight that dramatically at this time of year unless there was something wrong somewhere

 

[oofadoofa]

A stomach tumour is another possibility in an older horse that is losing weight dramatically, especially if they are still eating as normal. Otherwise as others have said, an infection could be the cause, but they really need to get bloods done asap.

 

[somethingorother]

Hi thanks everyone i will speak to owners at weekend, probably get a B******ng but something at the back of their minds might nag at them until they get the vet.
Thanks again

 

[kellyeaton]

call the rspca and do it quick it is neglact if they are not calling the vet and if she is that thin you need to do something if you have spoken to th owners and they aint doing something about it it could be a million of things but you said you saw her a couple of months ago and she looked ago well if thats so there must be something serious going on to drop weight that quickly maybe liver diease witch i would know coz i have just lost my beautiful girl to that it could be grass sickness tumars usclers it could be teeth worms but that amonut of weight would not fall down to that!