Over the past 5-6 weeks we have noticed our horse seems to be deteriorating. With the weather change we thought his winter coat would start to sluff and he would be shiny again. Not so, it's coming off but very shaggy and rough...not like our other horses. We figure he has probably lost 100 lbs. his muscle mass has diminished and he has started eating his own manure. We have a salt lick available always. We feed Bermuda grass 3-4x/day and sometimes supplement with alfalfa or orchard grass. We wormed with zimectrin. We found some fly issue in his ears, not sure what it was, and treated it with a solution of 20cc's frontline and mineral oil. I think we need to supplement with grain or beets or something with move vitamins and calories. Need some good advice from all you horse experts out there.
Rough coat and weight loss on 17 year old QH gelding
- Thread starter babyelle
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I would not consider myself a horse expert, but if a sheep was losing its' wool, I would suspect an external parasite issue... as for the weight loss, he may not be consuming as much feed as he needs to or he could have an internal parasite issue.
redtailgal
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Have you checked his teeth? Does he need to be floated? I'd start there, along with a fecal to check his worm load.
bluewater rangerbreds
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Well before changing his diet, you need to rule out medical issues.
Teeth, worms, anemia, sand (dirt) in the gut etc there are many things that could cause the weight loss so your best bet is to first call the vet.
If your horse still has a problem and it's been ruled as dietary, your vet is also the best person to instruct you on what you should feed. I'm very partial to soaked beet pulp as it's highly digestable and really helps keep weight on a horse. Additionally it's a relatively safe feed and won't cause a lot of problems with his diet
Teeth, worms, anemia, sand (dirt) in the gut etc there are many things that could cause the weight loss so your best bet is to first call the vet.
If your horse still has a problem and it's been ruled as dietary, your vet is also the best person to instruct you on what you should feed. I'm very partial to soaked beet pulp as it's highly digestable and really helps keep weight on a horse. Additionally it's a relatively safe feed and won't cause a lot of problems with his diet
LauraM
Ridin' The Range
Definitely agree you should have a vet check him over. I personally would have a complete blood panel done. It could be something minor like worms or just a nutritional change, or it could be something serious like liver failure or Cushings. Just changing the diet and trying things on your own could make things worse if it is something serious that needs attention right now.
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bluewater rangerbreds
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It's not JUST his coat, you stated he's lost approximately 100 lbs. Any time a horse looses weight and isn't getting enough of the right nutrition for what ever reason, you will see it in their coat as well as in other areas. Hair is made from a specific protein. If he's not getting enough nutrition to put into the hair growth, you will see dull dry brittle hair coats.
babyelle said:
redtailgal
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Rapid weight loss in any furry critter will result in hair loss.....humans included, exp if the weight loss is a result of a nutritional deficiency instead of lack of food.
sawfish99
Loving the herd life
Have you been using a weight tape to actually monitor his weight through the winter? Is it possible he has been underweight but it was hidden somewhat by the heavier winter coat and now it is more apparent?
How much does he weigh? How much hay are you feeding (by weight)? Are you feeding any grain - if so what and how much (by weight)?
Are the hay pieces in his manure as finely ground/chewed as in the manure of your other horses? How long has it been since he had a dental exam? Eating his manure definitely makes me think dental, because the hay pieces from the manure are more palatable than the new hay.
Blindly worming without knowing what parasite you are targeting may be more harmful than beneficial. Specifically, it can lead to parasite resistance to the wormer you are using incorrectly and you don't address the real problem. Do a fecal to figure out what you need to treat. Have a fecal processed doesn't mean a full vet bill. You can probably deliver a fecal sample to your vet for analysis.
As others have stated, there are a lot of possible causes.
How much does he weigh? How much hay are you feeding (by weight)? Are you feeding any grain - if so what and how much (by weight)?
Are the hay pieces in his manure as finely ground/chewed as in the manure of your other horses? How long has it been since he had a dental exam? Eating his manure definitely makes me think dental, because the hay pieces from the manure are more palatable than the new hay.
Blindly worming without knowing what parasite you are targeting may be more harmful than beneficial. Specifically, it can lead to parasite resistance to the wormer you are using incorrectly and you don't address the real problem. Do a fecal to figure out what you need to treat. Have a fecal processed doesn't mean a full vet bill. You can probably deliver a fecal sample to your vet for analysis.
As others have stated, there are a lot of possible causes.
SkyWarrior
Loving the herd life
Possible reasons:
1. Poor quality food/ deficiency.
2. Parasites internal or external.
3. Thyroid or other hormone imbalance. (I've seen dogs actually lose weight with thyroid problems--so it's not just weight gain). I don't know if horses suffer from Cushings, but that can happen in people and dogs.
4. Teeth.
5. Cancer.
A trip to the vet is in order.
BTW, I have a QH mare who lost weight. I had to up her grain. Her coat, however, is good.
1. Poor quality food/ deficiency.
2. Parasites internal or external.
3. Thyroid or other hormone imbalance. (I've seen dogs actually lose weight with thyroid problems--so it's not just weight gain). I don't know if horses suffer from Cushings, but that can happen in people and dogs.
4. Teeth.
5. Cancer.
A trip to the vet is in order.
BTW, I have a QH mare who lost weight. I had to up her grain. Her coat, however, is good.
