No Appetite and Weight Loss
March 2003

3/17/03
I recently aquired a 17 yr old thoroughbred gelding . I felt like I really was rescueing him. Anyway he is 15.3 hh and weighs according to the tape 1018 lbs. He really doesn't have much of an appetite. I also had his teeth floated and they aligned the anterior teeth and said that he should be much better now, but he's not. That vet also said that his weight didn't look to bad ,a little thin. The vet that saw him when he lived at my mom s place also said that thats how thoroughbred are supposed to look. But since I have had him my friends that are around horses for a living say he's a starvation case. I put lots of hay out in front of him and he nibbles a bit then walks away while the other horses eat then goes back nibbles some more and so on. The other horses are not pushing him out because he actually pushes them out when he is eating that is. I also give him half of a five gallon pail of sweet feed 16% protien mixed with about 1 cup of milled flax and some corn oil once a day. I try to keep hay in front of him at all times but he still doesn't gain weight. He fretts when the other horses leave him. Very herd bound. He lived alone when I got him and I think he is just so happy now that he has friends that when they leave he goes bananas and works himself into a lathering sweat.

4/15/03 program started.... 5/5/03 update
Radar's appetite has improved I would say overnight. After the first dose of the gut I filled his feeder tub up with hay like I always do and any other morning it would be about 1/2 full when I went out to him but on this morning it was licked clean. Since then his appetite has improved and he will eat when there is food in front of him. He looks like a different horse already and its only been about 2 weeks. His eyes are different now, they look much calmer and happier. I am so pleased with him. He looks 15 yrs younger and acts like it too. No change on the weight tape yet but there is definitly fat depositing in other places. I gave your web site to someone else that has a thoroughbred suffering maybe even worse than him and she has tried everything too with no luck. I hope she gets to you soon.

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