What can cause weight loss? What should i feed?

[ballazarina]

Hi!
I have a 19hh Shire horse. He has never been very weighty, not like the ones you see at shows that are very chunky.

He never had his teeth done with his old owner, but I get them checked every 6 months. He has them rasped and the vet says they aren't great but he seems to eat ok, if not abit slow, but he has choked before and has eaten slow ever since.

He is wormed regularly, but with his beeing slim I'm not sure hes getting the right amount for his size. I asked the vet and they said to give him around 900kgs worth.
I'm thinking of getting a wrom count done though. do you think it is worth it?

What would you feed him? The grass is pretty none existant where i have him. He doesn't do much excersize at the monet as ive no one to ride out with regularly and he doesn't like going out on his own.

I can try to post some pics if seeing him will help. Thanks everyone

[spottyhorse]

Hi there, worm count sounds like a good idea. I would also get a weight tape so you can monitor his weight every few days and keep a chart. You can also body score and do that on the same chart.

Who do you have to do your teeth? The Vet? If so i would try a EDT as they are experts in their fields.

Dos he have plenty of fibre? If there's not alot of grass make sure he has adlib hay. You can then try giving him a few small feeds a day, start with fibre only as he should start to put on weight, something like alfalfa from simple systems. You can also feed a broad spectrum vit and min supplement, simple systems also do one. Try spaking with Jane van Lennap, I can find her number if you want?

Hope that helps, please ask more questions if I hav missed anything.

Spottyhorse

[mandm]

In my humble opinion you can give a horse as much hay as they can eat and stuff them full of cereal but unless there is plenty of grass they don't really put on the weight. I suspect lack of the green stuff is the likely cause here.

[monet]

hi there, to a degree i agree with the grass situ, but i would also get the hay you are using vit and min checked, a huge horse like a shire needs plenty of long fibers, also long term stress can play a part, look at his husbandry and see were you can make changes, or to move if theres no grass or the grazing is poor, you need to look at things like the amount of turnout he has and if he has friends etc simple stuff but things we dont normally look to.

also check to see that he is grazing on feed 20 hours or more aday, and >sorry< change the hay to haylige if it is his teeth causing the problems, it also might be worth your while have a full blood screen done by the vet to rule out liver and other things.

good luck and keep us updated with his progress.

[rottiebird]

I would feed him Ad lib haylage and simple systems feeds - especially the lucienuts, red grass nuts, sugar beet and instant linseed. Also give him a course of pink powder to boost his gut flora.

[erarab]

Echo Rottiebird.

SimpleSystems is amazing in these situations giving the body whats its lacking green food.

If you drop SS a line they will advise which feeds would be best for your situation and how much to feed.

I make up great big tubs of LucieBix which I put in the field each day and they 'graze' it throughout the day

www.simplesystem.ukfarmers.com/Forage.php

[varkie]

In any horse which had an unexplained weight loss, I would have a full vet check, teeth done by dentist, fully wormed & worm counted, get an exact weight with either weigh tape or weighbridge, condition score the horse, and then if all these were clear, I would speak to a nutritionist, and give them all this info, and get them to suggest a feeding programme. After all, most feed companies offer a free nutritional advice line.

[OP]

Thanks everyone. I have sent some of his poo off for a worm count today. So will see how that come back. Also, gunna ask the vet what they think and about blood tests. I'm gunna speak to him about feed and others causes too.
Have put a pic up, if it works!

us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41dfdf96z771eefc5/01d6/__sr_/7414.jpg?phxsS.CBhfe4JAGd

[sarak]

Hi there. My TB is notorious for dropping weight with a change of wind direction! However, the best thing for him has been Simple Systems food, and Top Spec feed balancer. He is looking really well now - so much so that I have dropped the SS feeds during the summer months, and he's just on Hi-Fi Lite and Top Spec. He will go back on SS for the winter.

I would definitely get an EDT out to do his teeth (no disrespect to vets!) and get a worm count and possibly a blood test.

Good luck!