Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
Hi D. Getty, I am a frequent reader of your forum and I decided to ask you about a problem I’m having with my horse.
He is a 10 year old stallion Portuguese-crossed breed; he is a very active and impetuous horse, about 1.55 meters high (not very big) and it doesn’t meter the amount of work, he always looks slim.
Recently (about one month, now!) every time I take him out to work , he stops to urinate, and some times he stops several times before doing it. I made some urine analysis and there are to much “salts”. The vet prescribed me vinegar on the feed, and I stopped a vitamin supplement I was giving him – Nutriplus from Cavalor.
I’m doing it for a week now, and I don’t notice any change for better, and now he started to show some reluctance to work, he isn’t relaxed and I don’t manage to get him in steady movements.
Since he moved to the place where he is now, a year by now, he his fed 4 times a day with a mix of wet hay and pellets (is a military feed, because he is staying in a military stable), and wheat straw, morning and night…. it works as bed too.
He works 5 /7 days… about one hour of lunging or riding.
What do you think of his diet, and could it be Azoturia, or what can it be?
Where are you from? Portugal
How did you locate this forum? friend told me
Hello Ana,
No, I do not think this is axoturia. Your vet likely suggested vinegar in order to acidify the urine, due to the possibility of a urinary tract infection.
What you are describing is highly indicative of this type of infection and the only way to treat it is with antibiotics. If left untreated, the infection can spread to his kidneys, which can become very serious.
So, my suggestion would be to have your vet come back as soon as possible and place him on a regimen of the appropriate antiobiotic.
Thank you for writing.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Thank you very much for your answer. I will call my vet again.
Where are you from? Portugal
How did you locate this forum? friend told me