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Post by robertsmom on Jul 11, 2008 14:18:02 GMT -5
Hi,
I have a 5 year old who came off the track in March. In April he developed a really bad case of hives and I had an allergy panel done and it turns out he is allergic to pretty much everything except Alfalfa, rice bran, and soybeans. As a result of his allergies he has lost weight and we have not been able to get the weight back on.
He is currently on a supplement called Platinum Performance Wellness which has really helped with the hives but we can't seem to put weight on him. I am worried about over- supplementing him.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Post by animaldoc on Jul 11, 2008 15:11:12 GMT -5
How did the allergies contribute to the weight loss? Is it just because you're limited in what you can feed him?
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Post by robertsmom on Jul 11, 2008 16:45:29 GMT -5
Yes. Unfortunately, he is very limited in what he can eat and also his immune system seems to have been weakened by the allergies.
-annette
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Post by Lis on Jul 11, 2008 16:58:30 GMT -5
What about beet pulp? A lot of senior feeds are designed to be the only feed. Many are beet pulp based. Rice bran can be fed as well.
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Post by robertsmom on Jul 11, 2008 17:50:28 GMT -5
Do you have a name of a senior feed that is beet pulp based that you would recommend?
He is currently eating stabilized rice bran but I would love to add more into his diet. He was on beet pulp but depending on where it is milled we have had problems with oat and corn showing up in the beet pulp which triggers an outbreak of hives.
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Post by Lis on Jul 12, 2008 6:01:09 GMT -5
I would check with all the senior feeds then, I'm not sure if there's oats/corn in them. I've got mine on Buckeye Senior, but I have feed Purina Senior in the past. It does help with weight, I'm feeding it to a 4 y/o that can't hold his weight on a normal 12% pellet. Most are designed to be the only feed, but I still feed hay with them. Do you have a farm co-op by you? A lot of times they'll have a "consultant" that might have some more suggestions about what to feed your guy.
I have a guy that will break out in hives if he's switched on hay quickly, or at a show, not given his own. It was fun when we showed at state and county fair...one of those difficult to explain ones too, like yours. Good luck with your guy!
MTA: What about alfalfa cubes or pellets?
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Post by TeachU2Ride on Jul 13, 2008 7:29:25 GMT -5
Alfalfa and rice bran balance each other out in the calcium/phosphorus departments, so they're good to feed together. I'd keep the alfalfa in front of him at all times. Some will argue straight alfalfa makes a horse "crazy" with excess energy, but I've NEVER seen that happen to a horse who's getting regular turnout and exercise. My OTTBs have been eating it for 15 and 18 years without a problem.
If he's not already, I'd suggest moving him to someplace with excellent quality pasture (and as much turnout as possible - no less than 12 hours per day). Endless good grass is nature's high calorie milkshake!
I'd also try EqStim (injectable immune help) and cut vaccinations back to the ones that are absolutely neccessary (rabies, tetanus, west nile, eee, wee - stuff that will kill him if he gets sick).
Finally... I think I remember reading somewhere that when you test a horse who is already in an "allergy profile" (reacting to something), you're likely to get skewed results to the testing. I would definitely continue to be careful about what I fed him (including supplements - always read ingredient list for fillers) and have the testing done again in six months when he is not in a crisis state. It's possible his hives were part of his adjustment to life away from the track and steroids.
Good luck!
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Post by robertsmom on Jul 14, 2008 10:42:51 GMT -5
Thank you all for your advice! I really appreciate it. I didn't even think about the hives being a result of his adjustment from the track.
I took him to a neighboring barn for turn out this past weekend (I don't have it available at my barn) and he had a blast and he really seemed to perk up. I want him to have some fun and I am afraid that I started him back to work too soon after leaving the track.
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Post by JulieM on Jul 14, 2008 16:45:32 GMT -5
I second the alfalfa and rice bran. However, you're not supposed to go over four lbs. of rice bran in one day. I don't know why?
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Post by bluebluesea on Jul 18, 2008 10:51:59 GMT -5
Not sure if it would apply for this guy, but I've been through a lot with my OTTB, Blue Blue Sea. He was healthy for the first several years but then started having colic episode after colic episode and lost about 350lbs. He was diagnosed with an auto-immune problem that affected his small intestine.
I opted not to euthanize and try to work through it. He was put on prednisolone to address the inflammation. I've also consulted with Dr. Stratton-Phelps of All Creatures in CA who I had to a nutrition consult. I have Blue on Triple Crown Senior Feed (which has beet pulp), whey, flax (ground and oil), canola oil, a purina vitamin supplement and vitamin E. I think the biggest key for him though has been taking him off hay and switching to timothy hay pellets. Since that time, he's only had one colic episode and all the vets agree that it had nothing to do with the disorder he has - just run of the mill impaction colic. For a horse that was having an episode at least every two weeks to not have one for 7 months now has been a remarkable result. Feel free to messge me if you want any further info.
Good luck.
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