# Dull, sunken, lethargic horse...Nutrition advice?



## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

He could just be very hot, does he have shelter from the sun?

Pictures would help a lot


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

I would suggest a vet visit. He also sounds like he might be anemic. If this was my horse, I would be getting him to a vet, having a blood workup to make sure all his organs are functioning normally and then if that all checks out, check his teeth.He might have cups on his teeth and therefore is not able to get the nutrition from his hay. Why are you giving him daily wormer? Usually you only do the daily worming when they are weanlings to yearling age go get all the roundworm cycles, at 3 1/2 he probably doesn't need daily worming and it might be too much for him.I would do a fecal also.
He might not be eating enough, can you free feed him hay? A cup of oats is not really anything as far as fattening him up.Might just need more food also if the vet check is normal


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I would have a vet check him. If he's that lethargic, he may be sick. Does he have any other symptoms? (ie; discharge, diahhrea, soreness, etc)

alfalfa and oats are not a very good combination for a horse of his age. I would try something more hardy and easier on the stomache as he could have ulcers, with maybe a good all-around suppliment just to help round him out and provide the vitamins he needs. If he needs something to disguise the taste of his dewormer, I would try mixing it with 1-2 cups of Purina Equine Adult or something similar. You could also try switching to a monthly dewormer instead of a daily, and eliminate the possibility of the dewormer being rough on his belly. 

If he's only been like this in the summer though, I'm afraid there probably isn't much you can do. Different horses react to heat in different ways. Lethargy is one of many symptoms. You can try adding some salt directly to his feed if you think he needs to be drinking more, and you can check his skin, gums, and near his hips for signs of dehydration. Adding electrolytes to his water might also be a good idea.

The coat worries me though. He's obviously lacking some sort of vitamin if he still has his winter coat. Clipping him, rinsing him(not shampoo, as this can create worse dandruff) and adding those suppliments might make a difference.

Still, I'd get a vet's oppinion. Better safe than sorry!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Horses don't ingest enough salt with a lick as it gives them a sore tongue. They do like loose salt, the coarse pickling salt, along with a little table salt for the iodine. Offer a handful of this in a seperate feed pan. My horses eat approx. 1/3 more salt when it is loose salt compared to the licks. Oats won't hurt your horse, in fact they are the only thing that can heal hind gut ulcers. Your colt may find the alfalfa a little rich. If you can get timothy hay I'd switch to one feeding of alfalfa and two of timothy. Don't be stingy with his noon feeding. Horses that wait hours for a later feeding, unless he's on pasture, develop ulcers as they need to eat almost steady 23 hrs day. Get a small mesh hay net and stuff his hay in that. By slowing him down he will digest his feed better and his rations will last longer. PS I hope this horse has plenty of turnout as they need to walk in order to properly digest their feed.


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## pinkyshot (Jul 18, 2011)

*Beet pulp*

maybe some beet pulp pellets would be good to use as well and a something like Grand Meadows Grand Complete - Statelinetack.com its got good reviews I plan on buying some as well.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Once he has been vetted and given a clean bill of health - the above advice regarding feeding suggestions are a great place to start. Until then, though, you may well be throwing $$$$ at the wrong problem and creating a delay in treating what is going on.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

themacpack said:


> Once he has been vetted and given a clean bill of health - the above advice regarding feeding suggestions are a great place to start. Until then, though, you may well be throwing $$$$ at the wrong problem and creating a delay in treating what is going on.


If you're really worried about him, I agree with the above. Don't change anything until a vet has looked him over. Most horses eat a lot less and are pretty lethargic in this 100 degree weather (so am I).


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I have heard that the calcium in alfalfa can actually help prevent ulcers. 

I don't know where in AZ the original poster is, but I have lived in both the Phoenix area and the White Mountains and about the only kind of hay we can get consistently is alfalfa and bermuda.

I feed my horses a combination of both, although more on the alfalfa side. They are all healthy, shiny, and have great feet. I doubt it is the hay. Most of us Zonies feed the same way as the original poster- we almost have to.

A small dab of oats won't hurt anything either. They actually provide some phosphorous to help balance the calcium in the alfalfa. 

So I really don't know what to say. It might be the heat, but a vet visit would be a good idea to make sure there isn't something more serious going on. It sounds like he is loosing his muscle tone as well?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

A vet visit is in order for sure. If all is well, I would consider adding some grass hay (bermuda or timothy) into the mix. Two flakes of hay sound pretty slim to me even if it is alfafa. The horse may be trying to grow and need more feed. 

I would assume that you are using Strongid C or another pyrantel daily dewormer? I think that is a great idea. I doubt that parasites are a problem.


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## Gluey33 (Jun 2, 2008)

I think your worming program could be part of your problem. A daily wormer is asking for resistance. Drop a fresh poo sample into the vet before he comes out so he can do an egg count. More information for him before he looks at the horse then.


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## missmellow (May 4, 2011)

trailhorserider said:


> I have heard that the calcium in alfalfa can actually help prevent ulcers.
> 
> I don't know where in AZ the original poster is, but I have lived in both the Phoenix area and the White Mountains and about the only kind of hay we can get consistently is alfalfa and bermuda.
> 
> ...


Yeah. we are in the Phoenix area, so it does get very hot and there isn't much choice when it comes to hay...we try to give a balance of alfalfa and bermuda (timothy is just too expensive right now at nearly $17 for a three string bale :shock unfortunately, alfalfa isn't much cheaper...
We ran out of our daily wormer and just stopped giving it to him (going to start with the pastes) and the weather has cooled down significantly. I'm happy to say that his coat looks much glossier and he isn't shedding any more. He loves his salt and mineral block (we have one of each) but despite his improvement, I'd really like to get him started on a daily pellet/multivitamin with some loose salt.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be good in this aspect?

Sorry I never replied to this originally, I couldn't really afford a vet and wanted to wait for the weather to cool off before I jumped to any conclusions. I'm glad I did because he is looking much better. Thanks for all the suggestions


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