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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition

   Welcome to my forum. 

Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought

I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

All the best,

 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Aged Gelding

Hi Dr. Getty,
I just took in a 26 y/o Mustang gelding--he's about 14.3 and 800 lbs. He has not been well cared for in many years. He was being given 10 lbs a day of sweet feed and a round roll of hay put out once a month at best. He lived in a small mud paddock alone and had no vet, dental or hoof care. He was not worked and has an old injury to a front leg that left him pigeon toed.
He is a little ribby, but has a bit of a pot belly. I plan to take a fecal sample by my vet's office for testing. Would you think the belly is due to worms or poor diet? My vet will be out this week to evaluate him. Currently he is in a small paddock with grass, free choice orchard grass hay, 1 cup of soaked Triple Crown Lite 2x a day and a cup of timothy/alfalfa hay cubes soaked 1x day at lunch. I plan to determine his supplementation needs over the next week as the vet and dentist see him.
Thanks!

Where are you from? TN

How did you locate this forum? Consultation

Re: Older Gelding has Heaves

Update--his fecal showed him to be VERY wormy, so he was wormed with Safeguard today. He has shown signs of having Heaves--has a dry cough, and my vet did feel this to be heaves when he was out today. What is the best type of diet to treat this (he's getting TC Lite soaked, and Timothy Balance hay cubes soaked). I have not been soaking his hay. It is very dry here and the pastures are beginning to die out. I would like to be able to still feed him free choice grass hay--is there a supplement that would help him with the cough and heavy breathing?

Where are you from? TN

How did you locate this forum? Consultation

Re: Older Gelding has Heaves

Hi Cindy,

Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with this poor fellow. My, my - he is so lucky to have found you.

Wet down his hay, if you can to remove dust. And I hope he is able to be outdoors -- fresh air is very important.

From a nutritional perspective, vitamin C -- 20,000 mg per day. And I have had good results with Hemo Cease by Peak Performance Nutrients. In addition, add SuPer DMG3000.

Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse

Cind
Update--his fecal showed him to be VERY wormy, so he was wormed with Safeguard today. He has shown signs of having Heaves--has a dry cough, and my vet did feel this to be heaves when he was out today. What is the best type of diet to treat this (he's getting TC Lite soaked, and Timothy Balance hay cubes soaked). I have not been soaking his hay. It is very dry here and the pastures are beginning to die out. I would like to be able to still feed him free choice grass hay--is there a supplement that would help him with the cough and heavy breathing?

Where are you from? Waverly, Ohio