I decreased my rescue filly's(America)Omalene supplement we have been giving her. I'm not sure if she is getting founder.Or if the soreness and swelling of the front legs is due to her possibly getting strangles from our miniature. I also think it could be because of her lack of excersise. Either way I have been getting alot of advice on putting some weight on her. Quite a few say to give her beet pulp? Does that give added fat calories? A lady here who does alot with the 4-H program has her horses on it. My vet says beet pulp could still possibly make her founder and that it wouldn't be a good source for weight gain. What do you think? Thanks, Veronica

Where are you from? utah

How did you locate this forum? internet

Hi Veronica,

If this is the filly that is getting antibiotics, that may be the cause of founder, since antibiotics kill good bacteria as well as bad. So, you definitely should feed her a probiotic – a large dose to compensate for the bacterial flora that are being compromised. This will also help her gain weight since she'll get more calories from her feed.

About the beet pulp…

Beet pulp is an excellent source of energy and it is safe, as well. I have never heard of a horse foundering from beet pulp. Colic, yes – if too much is eaten at one time. And, it is a good source of calories, but not as concentrated as the rice bran because it contains virtually no fat. So, yes, you can go ahead and feed her beet pulp but also add another high calorie feed. Rice bran or flaxseed meal are both excellent choices.

Hope all goes well,

Dr. Getty

This is my filly that has the swollen front ankles but no, I don't have her on antibiotics.I haven't seen signs of Strangles and I won't medicate if I do see signs until they rupture. So I felt it would be beneficial to give something for weight.Does IFA carry either of those you mentioned? If not where can I get some and how much to give her? i would say she is 550-650 lbs. thanks, Veronica

Where are you from? utah

How did you locate this forum? internet

Hi Veronica,

Please tell me what “IFA” is. (To me, IFA stands for “immunofluorescent antibody” test used to test for EPM.)

Your local feed store should carry plain, unsweetened beet pulp. You can add ½ pound (approximately ¼ of a quart scoop) to her ration at each meal. Most horses will eat it dry, but if you prefer, you can soak it in warm water to make a warm mash.

Your feed store will also likely carry a stabilized rice bran product, such as Natural Glo. You can feed likely feed ½ to 1 pound at each meal (a quart scoop is a little more than 2 pounds). Just make sure that her overall meal intake does not exceed 2 pounds since more than that will be too much for her small stomach.

Is she getting enough water? Swelling is often indicative of dehydration.

Also, if you feed rice bran, you should offer her some alfalfa hay or pellets or cubes to provide enough calcium to balance out the high phosphorus level in brans.

And, finally, give her a probiotic. I have had a great deal of success treating underweight horses with Ration Plus. Your feed store may carry that as well.

All the best,

Dr. Getty