Weight loss after colic

Joshie · #1 03/05/11, 12:32 AM

One of our boys coliced a couple of weeks ago after taking penicillin for an abscess. He's lost quite a bit of weight since then. Our boys are on a hay only diet. We've never grained them. They got fat last winter on our hay.

What would you do? Grain them? If so, what would you feed? How much? He's just lost weight so quickly that I'm worried. I'm going to get the lady across the road from us come over and look at him and ask her what she'd do.

We've got two 6-7 year old APHAs. Both have been very easy keepers and have never given us a problem. This is the first colic we've weathered and I've certainly decided I hate colic. Neighbors across the road lost their pony to colic right after our got it and our horsey guy recently lost his draft mare.

Suggestions?

jill.costello · #2 03/05/11, 08:54 AM

Antibiotics can kill the natural good bacteria in the digestive tract....I would get him on a daily probiotic like FastTrack and see how that goes before giving TOO much grain.... A fat supplement with the probiotics like Rice Bran will help give good calories.

beccachow · #3 03/05/11, 12:50 PM

Colic is terrifying.

. I agree with Jill on the probiotic. I never would have thought of that!! And keep your fingers crossed...Spring is coming soon!

jennigrey · #4 03/06/11, 02:03 PM

Has the abscess resolved? Any residual lameness?

Rogo · #5 03/06/11, 07:31 PM

All the years I've had equine, I've never had colic. But I'm wondering if perhaps something else isn't going on at your place. If after a couple of weeks he's not gaining weight, perhaps it's time for a vet check.

Most I know who have rescued skinny horses just free choice feed Bermuda hay and in about 3 months they have beautiful horses.

I also have never grained. All I feed is Bermuda hay and 100% food grade diatomaceous earth (DE). Both free choice fed. I feed this to all stages of life
-- foals to oldsters.

Hoping you find an answer soon.

southerngurl · #6 03/06/11, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jill.costello

Antibiotics can kill the natural good bacteria in the digestive tract....I would get him on a daily probiotic like FastTrack and see how that goes before giving TOO much grain.... A fat supplement with the probiotics like Rice Bran will help give good calories.

I agree.. I wouldn't want to start anything high carb right now since it would seem a dysbiosis is what started your problem and if so, adding grain will make it worse. I would give probiotics and brewers yeast.

farmergirl · #7 03/12/11, 09:34 PM

I'd run a fecal just to rule out parasites, even if you have dewormed them recently. You may have some parasite resistence going on.

I also agree that probiotics are a great idea for him. I'd had very good luck with adding weight on underweight horses by adding Probios or Fastrack to their beet pulp each morning.

The fact that he colicked after a course of antibiotics makes me suspicious about heavy worm load or some other pre-existing gut issue. It's highly unlikely that a course of antibiotics would on its own cause a horse to colic.

Joshie · #8 03/12/11, 09:58 PM

We did a fecal and it was clear. Not exactly sure what happened. He didn't lose anymore weight this week. In fact, he's gained some. He seems to be getting his ornery nature back.

Horses are nuts.

farmergirl · #9 03/13/11, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshie

We did a fecal and it was clear. Not exactly sure what happened. He didn't lose anymore weight this week. In fact, he's gained some. He seems to be getting his ornery nature back.

Horses are nuts.

Yes, yes they are, lol.

This week it's eye ointment three times a day for my tall horse because he got a little scratch in his eye from hay (?) we're guessing.

Sigh. I do love them so, but they come up with the weirdest little problems from time to time.