Would like this goofy boy back ASAP!
All jokes aside. Nay Nay is struggling. Really struggling. The electric fence was more than his little brain could handle and combined with his ulcers? I’m just not sure what to do at this point.
I chatted with the vet last night and I…don’t feel better. Her advice? Keep up with the ulcergard and wait it out. I asked about hindgut and she’s not convinced. He doesn’t have the symptoms exactly. Close but not quite.
He’s got mushy poop, but not diarrhea. He’s not exactly colicky though he’s uncomfortable whereas she’d think I’d see more definitive gas colics. He has the weightloss and the poor body condition and the loss of appetite. Without ultrasound and bloodwork, we can’t diagnose and no one is non-urgent stuff right now if it can be helped… Stupid covid…. And to just throw him on Misoprostol before we know he needs it… So yeah. That’s where I’m at. ::slams head on table since I don’t have a desk at home::
I actually just ordered a month of voodoo in terms of succeed. I’m probably throwing money away, but maybe it’ll help? If there is ANY improvement, he’ll get month 2. If not, we’ll call it a failed experiment. Dover has great and fast free expedited shipping right now…
The vet also suggested that I try to get him a nice orchard grass with a tiny bit of alfalfa. Since he lost his freaking mind on a half flake of lovely western alfalfa (Subi lives on that stuff), we figured maybe a tiny mix would be ok. So, I purchased some from one of the local suppliers this morning (the Hay Grocery Store — literally you walk around and have 30 different hays to choose from, it’s amazing — I don’t get my hay there regularly, but I do get my 3 string alfalfa and supplement as needed or special stuff–they always have hay and always have nice stuff). Hopefully nice soft, gorgeous hay mixed with his regular hay will encourage him to eat.
The vet also suggested that in a couple weeks if there is no improvement, we test for lyme. All his symptoms also mimic lyme. So yeah, there is that. In a normal world, I could hitch up the trailer and take him 20 minutes to New Bolton for a complete work up but they’re not taking non-emergencies either. Have I mentioned I freaking HATE COVID?!
So blogland? What should I do? I started by turning off the electric this morning. It’s not like he’s going anywhere near the fence right now…
Three Chestnuts 
aw i’m sorry he’s having a tough time right now, i hate knowing that something isn’t right with my horse but not be able to get to the bottom of it…. hopefully tho, maybe by taking a week (or a few) to sorta wait him out will give more clarity on what he needs to feel better!
I have seen great results with succeed combined with alfalfa hay for horses under high stress conditions (fox hunters/staff horses)…hope he gets to feeling better soon!
Thanks. He was doing great on alfalfa stomach-wise but couldn’t handle it otherwise and was jumping out of his skin. I’m trying a orchard/alfalfa mix and seeing how he does. It’s a shame because I love alfalfa (my senior, Subi, lives on it). 2 days off the alfalfa and he was sane again.
Ugh that would be so frustrating. I wonder too if the lack of exercise is contributing? I know you had to stop riding (I hate Covid too). I had this video show up in my email today. Maybe it might have some useful information: https://www.trtmethod.com/separation-anxiety/how-to-deal-with-paddock-anxiety/
I expect that you are feeling really anxious and it can reinforce how he feels. Carmen can quite anxious and it’s very hard to not let that make me anxious too. I do a lot of work on that and it doesn’t always work but I keep trying and it gets better.
Will he eat beetpulp? Or can you get something equivalent to the fibre nuggets? https://www.trouwnutrition.ca/siteassets/tn-canada/equiline-pdfs/equiline-fibre-nugget-horse-ration.pdf
Irish has done the best on this feed of any I’ve tried. He also did well on crushed oats (but it’s not balanced so you need to add a vitamin supplement).
Some really interesting stuff here. The vet and I both think that not having a job isn’t helping as much as getting time off with ulcers is usually prescribed. But, the thing is, thoroughbreds like routine and he’s missing a little bit of that right now. He gets his turnout but he doesn’t get the “brain exercise” that his training sessions entail (as we all know I don’t work him that hard). But, getting on a trailer, hauling 4 minutes, getting groomed, tacked up, ridden, stuck in crossties, visiting with other people, untacked, getting snacks, groomed, and going home is a lot of brain exercise. Not to mention, we also work. So…
If these 40mph winds ever stop, I’ll try and start some ground work. It won’t be a lot right now, but I’ll get out the clicker and do something. At least maybe I can engage him that way?
Anyway, we’ll see. I turned the fence back on today as he was getting braver approaching it and I don’t want him brave to the point of breaking it (again). He’s still not hay crazy in the paddock right now, but that might be that his belly still hurts. I think I’ll be ordering more ulcergard for 60 days (or maybe I’ll luck out at 45-50), but it’s only all my money, right? And it’s not like I’m spending it on riding lessons or gas, so I might as well spend it on fly sheets, fly masks, ulcergard, succeed, and U7 plus all this other crap that comes in delivery boxes.
Oh, re: beet pulp. He used to eat it, but he’s not big on it right now as food isn’t his favorite thing while he’s not feeling well… I haven’t seen any fibre type nuggets… He’s on senior feed right now since it’s highly digestable. In the morning (he has a harder time eating in the morning), he gets some of Subi’s sweet feed added and that seems to help. He doesn’t clean his bucket in the morning, but he eats some. Carrots and sweet feed help.
If I’m desperate, I’ll try him on Subi’s sweet feed. It worked for Subi… LOL