My Normally Easy Keeper is Skinny...Need Advice Please

[Bosspaige]

Needing some help with my 6 yo 1/2 arab. I will try to shorten this up as much as I can.....

Bought him as a 2 yo and he has always been a super easy keeper (I gave him a handful of Buckeye Grow N Win 2x per day, Horseshine and a multivitamin) and 4 good sized flakes of hay per day spread out over 4 feedings and he was on the plump side. Moved him to a barn where he is currently being leased by 2 little girls. He gets ridden 5 times per week but he is not working hard by any means. His job is to pack them around safely which he does. They walk and trot and might canter twice around the ring and are never on for more than 20 minutes.

He held his weight fine until about February. His coat was very dull and did not shed out. He was also digging holes in his paddock which he had never done. I honestly could not afford scoping and GG so I decided to treat him with 2 months of Ranitidine. His coat is now shiny, he isn't digging holes anymore but his weight is still way to low. I did a Power Pac in March, Strongid in May and just double dosed him with Equimax last week. He has his teeth done every 6 months and there were no big issues in April. I had him tested for lyme and it came back mildly positive. I decided to go ahead and treat him with Doxy but am not feeling 100% like that is the right idea. I had a CBC drawn at the same time and all came back in the normal range.

He is currently eating 2 quarts (twice daily) of Nutrena Compete, Horseshine, G.U.T, and Pureflex. He gets 5 flakes of a nice quality alfalfa mix per day. I haven't had the hay tested but the rest of the barn is on the plump side to say the least. I have added 4 pounds of alflafa cubes a day to his diet hoping that would give him a boost.

I know that to some, 4 quarts a day of grain is not a lot but to me it is. This horse has lived his entire life not needing any so I am really stuck on what to do. I ultimately need to get to the bottom of what is causing his weight issues. He appears happy and relaxed where he is and has a stall where he can come and go as he pleases. He does not have access to grass but he didn't have that at home either.

I would really appreciate any advice on what I am missing here and what I can give him to boost his weight back up (other than a bunch more grain). I have read about rice bran, ration balancers and supplements but am not sure what route to go. Could it be that he just needs a boost to get him back up to where he used to be? Thanks in advance for any help. So much for making this short!

[Nanerpus]

I used CocoSoya from SmartPaks (the powder form, smells like caramel) for my older Arab when he was alive and it helped him a bit with keeping weight. Also hay stretcher pellets, they love them and it helps put on weight too although you are already doing alf. cubes so that might be the same.

When the vet pulled blood for lymes did he/she also do a blood panel to check on everything? That might lead to your answer of why your horse is suddenly dropping...

[hoopoe]

I dont know what GUT is but you might wish to add a probiotic if you do not already

Otherwise I might consult your vet again. It does not seem reasonable that you would be seeing this condition loss

is there any possibility of a chronic toxin in his paddock?

[pines4equines]

That Doxy is pretty caustic to their stomachs. If you had ulceric conditions before, then you probably have them again.

I know UlcerGard is expensive but I would recommend a treatment with that. I bought 6 tubes from EntirelyPets.com for $188 plus free freight. It is a definite savings. I treated in January for 28 days and my horse seems to be having another bout of ulcer problems now for some reason.

Also, I'm taking him down to a lower sugar feed as everyone has recommended in ulcer threads. He is now getting TC Senior which is 11 nsc. He was on TC COmplete which was 20 nsc. Apparently sugar in feeds can irritate the stomach as well.

Or if you say the Ranitidine worked then do a bout of that. Again, Doxy is pretty caustic.

[BornToRide]

Arabs are notorious for developing IR, in which case the insulin has trouble pushing the nutrition into the tissue and they will lose weight, but still have suspicious fat pockets and possibly a cresty neck. Make sure your horse is not possibly dealing with that. They also tend to get hit when they mature, and your horse is now at the mature age.

on the other hand, I have read here and personally found that true hard keepers (not IR horses) tend to bloom on a forage based diet (24/7) and no grain, and only low carb supplements. And use of a probiotic is always a good idea.

[hollyhorse2000]

Since the ulcer treatment you did improved his condition, I think you have the answer to your question. Yes, GG/UG is expensive, but it does work and it's not forever. You can get UG online for $30 a tube. Maybe you can get away with half a tube a day for two or three weeks and then switch to SmartPak Smart Gut (which I have been using for awhile). I am very pleased with it; it's inexpensive; and it has probiotics. But I really think you need to do the UG/GG first at least for a while.

[BornToRide]

And if this horse is prone to ulcers, feeding grain is just adding fuel to the fire as it changes the gut and makes it more acidic.

[Bosspaige]

Thanks everyone......The Ranitidine for 2 months did improve his coat and he did stop digging holes (and his coat still looks good and he isn't digging anymore) but he never gained any weight back. I was very hesitant on putting him on the doxy but he is on GUT and was hoping it would protect his stomach. I have heard great things about SmartGut and was thinking of switching to that.

I pulled the lyme titer as a last ditch effort. His CBCs are normal, I switched his stall to an outside stall several months ago thinking he would be happier going in and out, I have been double worming him since March on a rotational program, his teeth are fine and I am just stuck.

I know GG or UG is the way to go with ulcers but I just don't have $30/day to do right now. I can put him back on the Ranitidine, but I still don't know what to do about his weight since he didn't gain any back with the first 2 months. I know grain is the worse thing for ulcers (and I hate feeding it) so where should I go with his feeding program, keeping in mind that I am boarding him out, and he isn't at home with me. I can buy his feed and pre-mix it in bags but I don't know what to get him.......

[Ambrey]

It's my understanding that if they have ulcers, the ranitidine will make them more comfortable but will not heal them- for that you need the UG. Do I have that wrong?

How about a beet pulp diet instead of a grain diet? That would address both ulcer and IR concerns.

Personally, I'd think having the vet out and getting blood drawn and a scope would be cheaper in the long run than throwing a lot of meds and feed at him without knowing if they'll work. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.

[LisaW-B]

It could also be as simple and easy to fix as sand in his belly, if you're in a sandy area and he eats off the ground. So, this could be a very dumb question, but did your vet listen to his gut sounds? (I know it's probably a dumb question, but I know that for myself, sometimes I can overlook something obvious when I start trying to solve a puzzle!)

[Bosspaige]

I had not even considered sand! When he was home, he always ate on a rubber mat but where he is now, he does not. He has can come in/out of his tall as he pleases and I will have them start giving him his hay inside. I have never had a sand issue before. What is the standard for checking/getting rid of it.

[LisaW-B]

Your vet can hear sand in the belly with a stethoscope. If there's a lot, it will sound like the ocean! My older palomino gelding was dropping weight last summer and also stopping often under saddle and strecthing as if he had to pee, but not peeing. Since I live in the sandy desert, sand was the first thing my vet checked for, and sure enough, that was it. I gave him psyllium every day for six weeks and that cleared him out, he gained weight and he stopped stretching out like he had to pee all the time. Maybe it won't be that easy with your guy, but I figured I'd toss out the idea!