Feeding foundered thin rescue pony

[dmiravalle]

I wanted to get a variety of opinions on this. We just took in a pony who, well lets just say he has a lot of issues we are fixing. He is severely foundered, but he is also very thin, we already wormed him and did all that. He is supposed to stay on a bland, low protien diet, but I am worried about him dropping more weight. I know with a pony this seems like an oxymoron, thin/foundered vs obese/foundered, but needless to say that is the case. His teeth are great, we have to reworm him in 14 days. His buddy his overweight and slightly foundered so the diet will be good for him.

Any suggestions?

 

[currycomb]

keeping him on the thin side is eaisier on the feet. do you know the cause of the founder? basically just good hay and clean water with access to salt and probably minerals. oh and time, lots of time

 

[goodhors]

Sounds mean, but you may want to invest in a set of hoof Xrays to see how much rotation of his coffin bone he actually has inside the hoof. You say severely foundered, which could be bad enough that tip of coffin bone is actually coming thru his hoof sole. That bad, bone exposure, would mean he really needs to be put down.

Being kind, doing things to improve the plight of rescues is a great thing. But when they come in with serious conditions, you need to be realistic, not stretching out something that is keeping him in pain.

Founder has a lot of ways it can go in being managed or really taking him downhill. Sudden changes of feed, extra feed he is not used to, all can be triggers for another founder episode. This is where the Xrays will tell you EXACTLY how bad he is inside the hoof. He could be just a bit rotated, not nearly as bad as described, or he could be bad as described above.

I would agree that having been foundered, pony should be kept "trim" in body condition. This could mean his ribs are not buried under fat layers. A lighter body is an easier load for him to get around on his bad hooves. I would want to feel his ribs as you would on a very fit athlete, not a porky show horse. No fat neck crest or fat pads above his tail head. He will need to be kept confined so he is not hogging down new grass or allowed free grazing that will trigger another episode of founder. Small amounts of hay fed, no free choice hay bales.

I just want to save you grief later, if he is really bad to start. Don't drag the pain out for him, and the Xrays will tell you. Some animals are totally stoic in dealing with bad pain, because it is the only way they can manage it. Too sore to choose which leg to limp on. It is not a kindness to leave a foundered animal standing on those painful hooves with no sole depth or let him continue moving about with bones exposed to the hard ground. Painkillers are NOT the way to go with this. He would need putting down as the best kindness you can give him.

 

[sandburs]

Totally agree with goodhors here. Have him X-Rayed to check the actual severity of the founder. If the rotation is too great have him put down.
If the rotation is not bad though, best thing to get him back in shape is a good grass hay, three times a day, small amounts that he cleans up within an hour each feeding. Grass hay only though, no alfalfa at all. And DRY LOT, no pasture. Pleanty of water and salt and minerals free choice, but be sure to use pure salt and mineral blocks not the equine ones that are loaded with molasses. Any pony that has already foundered is at super high risk again. Even an apple can cause a prone pony to have an episode. Are his feet hot or cold to the touch? How long ago did he founder or has he been like this for a while. And if the other pony is fat, overly so and this one was in the same place, may be you are looking at something metabolic going on, and bloodtests and such may be needed. All depends on how much you are willing or able to spend on proper care. It is extremely expensive to care fro a rescue and nurse them back to health correctly. And sometimes the end result may be an unusable animal that has no value at all.
Good luck in your endeavor. we rescued three this winter and that was more than enough. Had four but had one put down a couple days after getting her home as she was just too far gone and her likelihood of ever being healthy and happy again was not good. just gave her lots of love and brushings and good hay for a couple days then had her euthanized. Sad and hard to do, BUT sometimes is the best option for the horse.

 

[Julie_A]

Sounds mean, but you may want to invest in a set of hoof Xrays to see how much rotation of his coffin bone he actually has inside the hoof. You say severely foundered, which could be bad enough that tip of coffin bone is actually coming thru his hoof sole. That bad, bone exposure, would mean he really needs to be put down.

Being kind, doing things to improve the plight of rescues is a great thing. But when they come in with serious conditions, you need to be realistic, not stretching out something that is keeping him in pain.

Founder has a lot of ways it can go in being managed or really taking him downhill. Sudden changes of feed, extra feed he is not used to, all can be triggers for another founder episode. This is where the Xrays will tell you EXACTLY how bad he is inside the hoof. He could be just a bit rotated, not nearly as bad as described, or he could be bad as described above.

I would agree that having been foundered, pony should be kept "trim" in body condition. This could mean his ribs are not buried under fat layers. A lighter body is an easier load for him to get around on his bad hooves. I would want to feel his ribs as you would on a very fit athlete, not a porky show horse. No fat neck crest or fat pads above his tail head. He will need to be kept confined so he is not hogging down new grass or allowed free grazing that will trigger another episode of founder. Small amounts of hay fed, no free choice hay bales.

I just want to save you grief later, if he is really bad to start. Don't drag the pain out for him, and the Xrays will tell you. Some animals are totally stoic in dealing with bad pain, because it is the only way they can manage it. Too sore to choose which leg to limp on. It is not a kindness to leave a foundered animal standing on those painful hooves with no sole depth or let him continue moving about with bones exposed to the hard ground. Painkillers are NOT the way to go with this. He would need putting down as the best kindness you can give him.

 

[mydakota]

I agree with the others about getting him radiographed to see the extent of the actual damage. Recovery might be totally manageable or it might not.

I don't think there is any reason to keep a founder-recovery horse thin. (maybe this is not what they meant to imply). There IS reason to keep them not fat. Two different things. You should be able to feel his ribs, but not see them. His spine should not stick up and his hips should not stick out. Feed grass hay, and have it tested to determine sugar levels. As long as the sugars are not too high, there is no reason for him to be denied access to grass hay in ample enough quantities to gain his weight back to a healthy level. You can also supplement the hay with soaked beet pulp. Beet pulp is a great low-sugar way to get extra calories in and it has almost no risk of causing a metabolic disturbance.