AllRightsreserved. In the past I have been afraid to over feed him since he is not a working horse anymore, but since I noticed him losing weight I have increased it. Addressing Weight Loss in Older Horses Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience. Feeding a commercial senior feed at the manufacturers recommended levels should ensure a horses vitamin and mineral needs are met, meaning he would no longer need the ration balancer. Providing a high-quality complete feed and supplemental calories through a fat supplement is vital. Weight Loss in Older Horses: Management Solutions - World Leaders In If you have a horse that just isnt putting on, or maintaining a healthy weight, here are some reasons and what to do. Horses with uncontrolled PPID are at greater risk of developing insulin resistance and laminitis, so this is . The older horse may also have a hollowed appearance to the face with deep depressions above the eyes. Weight loss, or ill-thrift, is a common problem in horses. Cold weather means your horse requires more energy for your horse to stay warm. Intestinal parasites can cause weight loss by interfering with the horses intestinal absorption of vital nutrients. Older horses can experience a decline in their ability to digest foods properly. Thanks for all the responses. It's not just picture angle as we can see spinous processes over the withers, the point of sternum, the neck is very thin, the hip points protrude, ribs show all the way back to the flank, no fat at all behind the shoulder, etc. Rice bran is another energy-dense feed. When allowed to increase to large numbers, these parasites compete for the nutrients present in your horses feed and cause damage to the lining of their gastrointestinal tract. Why Horses Lose Weight - The Spruce Pets - Make a Happy Home for Your Pets I have had great success with Tribute Kalm Ultra. Why is my 25 year old horse suddenly losing weight. Also - JustAnswer Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Of Colic. Feeding for Weight Gain - Hygain Australia Rice bran is 20 percent fat as compared to the 100 percent fat of oils; however, horses readily accept rice bran mixed in with grain, and it is less messy to handle, particularly in winter. Some inflammatory diseases may be treated with steroids. With the help of your vet, monitor the ability and enthusiasm of your horse for its job. When feeding oil, supplement with vitamin E, which is an important anti-oxidant. Parasites can take their toll on horses at any stage of life. Your veterinarian can also assess your horses diet. Depending on where the ulcer was it could be a bad tooth so he isn't eating his feed right, it could be arthritis, the diarrhea could be a bug or something (Have you checked for a temp? Putting Weight on Older Horses - Stable Management | #1 Resource for of the soaked feed myself one day and was surprised to find that along with the hay, I had a mouth full of sand/dirt! VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Horse's teeth don't grow forever, and eventually, they may fall out. You can slowly increase the amount of oil fed to a total of 1 to 2 cups per day over a seven- to 10-day period. Many things can be blamed for a shaggy, underweight equine during the wintertime months, but several of the most common include the following: Poor Feeding Regimen. Broken teeth and root abscesses are also more common in older horses. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This reduction can be in the form of loss of fluid, fat, and/or lean body mass (which is comprised of muscle, bone, and connective tissue). Ask the Vet: Senior Feeding Strategies It should be clean and dust-free, and a mix of meadow grasses rather than seed hay may prove more palatable for the older animal or those with digestive problems. Do we underestimate the impact of ill-fitting tack? Severe or chronic weight loss should be evaluated by a veterinary professional as it is important to uncover the reason for the loss of weight quickly. What causes weight loss in older horses? Teeth been done recently. This will keep the horse from waiting too long between meals and may help them put on weight without having to change their diet completely. Regular de-worming is essential to avoid a heavy internal parasite load that not only cause weight loss but damage internal organs as well. Maintain regular deworming practices. She works as a consultant with owners/trainers and veterinarians across the United States and globally to take the guesswork out of feeding horses and provides services to select companies. Webcast | Degenerative Joint Disease in Horses and Adequan i.m. Be mindful of these factors as you make any supplemental changes to your horses diet. If you havent had a veterinarian out to look at him yet, schedule a visit right away. Regular dental care is important for your horse throughout its lifetime. A readers senior Thoroughbred lost weight during the winter. My horses eye is swollen. You may be surprised to learn that changing your dog's food is one of the most common causes of weight loss. Eating Well But Losing Weight: Is This Horse All Right? - Kentucky Older horses like older humans develop many body disfunctions as they get older and some are hard to find and treat. Hi I was wondering how much pellelted hay you feed at one feeding perhaps in pounds. For horses with bad teeth, concentrate supplements might be necessary, especially in the form of a mash. But I still lost the battle. Probably only a 3 or less on the body . Do Ponies Need Grain? Our 11 year old stock horse has been losing weight rapidly and is lathargic. It's the final kindness you do for your horse. It helps to split the daily ration of senior feed into three or four feedings a day. (source). It is extremely important that the best quality of forage (hay) is fed. A horse can lose weight relatively quickly, over the course of a couple of weeks; therefore it is a good habit to monitor their body condition score routinely. Even if they havent fallen out, they may have sharp edges and hooks that make it difficult and painful for the horse to chew its food efficiently. Serving Blue Cross is a registered charity in England and Wales (224392) and in Scotland (SC040154). External parasites can be a problem too. Helping Old Horses Gain Weight Before Winter - The Horse - Your Guide Although fresh grass seems like the most natural diet for horses, it may no longer be the ideal source of roughage for the older horse needing to put weight on. Loss of body condition is a common cause of complaint from owners of older horses, particularly of the less hardy breeds, such as thoroughbreds. A company limited by guarantee. Be sure to check back often! Its possible the round bale hay was low-quality. Horse losing muscle and weight rapidly?! - The Horse Forum Hygain Equine Senior horse feed is a palatable non-oat micronized sweet feed, formulated for mature horses providing the necessary digestible energy along with soluble fibre, quality protein and balanced levels of vitamins and minerals for optimal health and vitality. Lack of the right kind of exercise . Equine Nutrition FAQ Series Sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition. If you are competing with your horse, or riding demanding trails, or hauling logs out of the bush every day, you might notice your horse lose weight and it will need a few extra meals to stay in good shape. For many horses with dental problems, using chopped hay or other forage can be the solution you need. Measure your horses body condition score to document changes. This evaluation will determine your horses body condition score. Old age will manifest in horses differently depending on the breed. Just because your senior horse is losing weight, it does not mean that the end is near. As a horse enters its working life, a basic hay or grass diet may not be quite enough. Amanda-Jo King DVM is a native Floridian and has always fostered a love for animals great and small. It may suffer from a certain amount of muscle degeneration and have a noticeably reduced muscle development over its top line. You may not need to feed any concentrate at all. Thank yoi. A cup of vegetable oil is equivalent to 1 pounds of corn or 1 pounds of sweet feed, making it a safe substitute for some of the concentrate supplement. Our equine nutritionist suggests simple ways to increase his body condition. This specific form of weight loss requires special attention to diet (such as limiting carbohydrates) and exercise. The main cause of weight loss in older horses is the horses inability to consume and utilize enough nutrients to keep up with body mass. A very safe energy source that provides calories is fateither as vegetable oil or contained in stabilized rice bran products. It's time to put him down he's old and not fair to keep him going. Also why would he have a slight case of the runs for 6 months? Across the Fence Horse Sense (and Sensibility) Horses and the Law Old Horses: Better With Age Smart Horse Keeping The Horse 911: . More commonly seen on the aged horse, they usually develop on the more sensitive areas of the body, such as the inner thigh, belly, eyelids, udder, sheath and dock. But, this can cause a number of unintended consequences, including gastric ulcers, colic or laminitis. Treatment of weight loss varies significantly and will be determined by the cause of the weight loss. How much does your animal weigh? At his age, it's likely his body is just worn out. SmartPak Equine is the premier online provider of horse supplies and equine supplements. Advancing years will affect a horses ability to chew and digest, therefore feeds that are easy to chew, highly digestible and made with top-quality ingredients should be provided. They can even be soaked with water to make them even softer if necessary. Even soaking the feed for older horses can make all the difference. Putting Weight on an Older Horse A reader's senior Thoroughbred lost weight during the winter. Sight may be lost because of the cataract. Horse owners that have older horses sometimes switch to using complete feeds formulated for senior horses. Rapid Weight Loss in Horses - We're Sorry for the Inconvenience! I currently live and board my horse in Los Angeles, CA. Although you may be using the same trusted supplier, occasionally the hay is harvested before it reaches full maturity meaning the nutrient profile of the hay is far less than expected. Seek advice from an equine nutritionist who will guide you towards safe feeding for the older horse. If no improvement with simple fixes, it's usually kindest to let them go before they suffer, or you wake one morning to find him down in the field and struggling. Today, she serves as the district commissioner for the Salt River Pony Club. Sometimes, the solution can be as simple as adding a meal to your seniors horses daily feeding schedule. In some cases, further testing may be required to rule out a health problem. If lameness does not stop work, it is generally accepted that continuing the right level of exercise is best for the horse as it is for people. EPM, HYPP, Cushings, EGUS or Gastric Ulcers, mineral or vitamin deficiencies and diseases such as cancer or kidney and liver disorders can cause appetite and digestive problems leading to weight loss. If a horse is having issues grinding their food properly, their digestive system will be unable to process the food efficiently. If this is still inadequate to prevent or reverse weight loss, a high fat supplement like rice bran, flax seed, vegetable oil, or dried granular fats can be added to the diet. Caring for the Underweight Horse. here is a brief history: * She is on very, very nice hay (nicest hay I have ever seen) diet with Healthy Glow (20+% fat) feed. Check your horses overall health to make sure theres nothing internally with its teeth or digestion that will prevent it from consuming its daily intake. Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky, Problem Solver Series: How to Control Nuisance Birds on Horse Properties. This, along with changes in their digestive tract can make it difficult for them to obtain the nutrients they need from forage. It is a natural part of the aging process. Customer: Why is my 25 year old horse suddenly losing weight. Database Record Viewer | Horse Side Vet Guide
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