She could have an ulcer. Bute is notorious for causing ulcers, even over
a very short period. Since she didn't want her grain that could be an
indication that her tummy hurt just enough to throw her off her feed.
Since she's eating again, that might indicate an ulcer healing. Watch
her stool for blood (not bright red, but dark like coffee), and have the
vet out for a check up. She may recover uneventfully IF that's the problem.
A Shetland losing weight is a serious concern. What is her height and
how much does she weigh? (Get a "weight tape" from the feed store.) How
much are you feeding her? What "grain" are you feeding her? Assuming you
are in the northern hemisphere, is she shedding out? How much hay is she
getting (in pounds)?
A healthy Shetland should do fine on good quality grass hay alone, and
shouldn't need any grain at all. If she weighs 400 to 500 pounds, she
should be getting at least 10 lbs of grass hay daily, free choice is
best unless she's already overweight. NO Alfalfa! Avoid feeds high in
carbs/starch . . . No corn! Almost all horse feeds are corn based. If
you continue feeding any grain at all, she should get about a pound per
hundred pounds of body weight per day. Adjust up or down depending on
amount of pasture, level of activity and metabolism. As long as she
doesn't become obese, you should be able to enjoy her for many years to
come. A low starch feed would be best since many Shetlands are prone to
Cushings disease and founder.
I strongly recommend having the vet out do a check up. Shetlands can go
down in condition nearly overnight and you can find yourself with a very
ill pony and thousands in vet bills before you know it. Horse owners
generally have a little more time to work with weight loss because of
the size of the animal. If you have the vet out at the first sign of
trouble, it will save you money later, and give you peace of mind right
away.
You sound like a great pony "mom!" I'm sure you'll both do just fine.
Blessings,
Tracey K.
On 4/24/2012 11:02 PM, bless8434 wrote:
> Hi,
> I have a 3.5 yr old shetland pony filly that I just recently purchased. She was a healthy for a couple weeks and then she started loosing weight slowly. She got a cut on her front leg a couple weeks after i bought her, gave her some Bute and I think I went a day or two too long with that because afterwards she didnt want her grain anymore; so I gave her some probios for a couple days and now shes eating again but still loosing weight. I just wormed her thinking that might be it but not sure. If its not worms what could it be?
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
--
Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with
the resurrection.
-- Watchman Nee
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