# Sunken flanks on senior horse



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

can you tell if he is drinking as much as usual?


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## Mochachino (Aug 14, 2012)

hmmm....first thing I thought was dehydrated. Did you do the neck pinch test? Nevermind, I saw you did...


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Even though he's not showing signs of dehydration yet I'd still keep an eye on his water consumption. Horses tend to be more finicky about water changes than they are food changes.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

JCnGrace said:


> Even though he's not showing signs of dehydration yet I'd still keep an eye on his water consumption. Horses tend to be more finicky about water changes than they are food changes.


^^^This

The horse in my avatar would only drink the bare minimum, when he was at a boarding barn. He wasn't dehydrated but his urine was thick so I had the vet out.

She said he was drinking enough to get by but probably didn't like the water, which smelled like rotten eggs because it was well water high in sulfur.

When I moved out of state, we ended up on city water, he started drinking a lot more and the thick urine disappeared.

If you can and your horse isn't out 24/7, bring gallon jugs of water from the store, for a few days, and see if it makes a difference

If the water taste at the barn is the problem, I don't have an answer, for a fix:neutral:


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Try offering him a handful of salt with water nearby. Mine are hitting the salt at this time of year as their bodies prepare for winter.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

As far as water flavor goes, see if he'll drink water with apple cider or gatorade in it to mask any "different" flavor. You can also buy electrolyte powder for horses that has a flavoring agent.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

First of all, a comment on the excellent post. Lots of information and it looks like you have covered most of what we need to know.
My thought would be a lack of fluid. I have seen suggestions of adding apple juice to a bucket if a horse is not drinking enough due to a change. If he is stabled at night and has a water bucket (not auto fill) then that would be easy to monitor.
As to the rear stiffness, we have had a number of "seasoned" residents and have given bute prior to the farrier visit just to make them a bit more comfortable.
Good luck with your guy and keep us posted.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

We always put a tablespoon or three of molasses in the water buckets. Masked differences in water between places. Did not hurt the horse.


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## Haileyshh (Aug 10, 2015)

My horse is a horrid drinker. 

In the winter, I leave him with his regular clean bucket of water, and then add a 5 gallon bucket of water with a dash of powdered orange Gatorade. Not much, but enough to tint the water. I also soak alfalfa cubes, which absorb way more water than I thought. He always has a salt block available. Actually, anything I can add water to I do.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the tips guys!

I checked on him this morning and he doesn't look as bad as he did yesterday. I asked the B.O. to increase his grain ration a little. I bought him a salt block and put it in his stall. Somebody has been drinking out of the water trough, because I topped it off before I left yesterday evening and it was half gone this morning. Though, he isn't out alone. The bucket in his stall had already been filled when I got there, so I'm not sure what level that was at when he went out. I didn't see him drink today, but when I topped off the trough yesterday, he did drink. I checked his skin and his capillary refill time today, and both were normal. He's still acting normally, and has a good appetite.

I've been doing a lot of reading, and tucking up, or sunken flanks can indicate a lot of things, from ulcers to lipoma. For now I'm just going to keep a close eye on him, and if it doesn't go away within the next few days, I'm going to start trying other solutions.

He was on a flax supplement at the old barn. He's not on it anymore because this barn doesn't stock it, though I did add an omega 3 supplement to his smartpak about a week before he moved. I may put him back on the flax. If that doesn't work, I'll call the vet and maybe try treating him for ulcers, and getting some blood work done.

It's kinda funny. I thought my husband would be upset that I want to spend money to get to the bottom of Rags' problem, but he's even more concerned about Rags than I am. He was ready to call the vet yesterday, and doesn't seem concerned about money at all. He wasn't into horses at all before we met, and now he's head over heels in love with that old gelding.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

Well, I talked to the vet. The vet did not seem overly concerned. She said that for now, we should do another fecal, just to confirm his status. I have been instructed to weight tape him and keep records of his weight over the next month or so, and keep a close eye on his behavior and condition. If he loses more weight, or develops any other symptoms, then we'll run some blood work. She doesn't think it's necessary to treat him for anything yet. She says a move is stressful, especially for older horses, and he's probably internalizing his stress. She says he should recover over the next few weeks as he settles in. So, I'll follow the vet's instructions and see what happens from there.


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