HELP! need diet plan

[Charlotte]

We just got the results back on Pia's allergy testing. I would appreciate any help with a balanced diet plan for her.

She is allergic to:

orchard grass

Bermuda

timothy

Johnson grass (I don't feed that anyway)

a number of weeds

Cedar tree

Pecan/hickory

mulberry

a number of molds/fungi

alfalfa

corn

rice bran

no insects thank goodness

She is not allergic to beet pulp......the only other kind of forage I can come up with is Prarie hay...any other suggestions?

Pia spends ALL the time rubbing! Rubs sores, has no mane at all. Her weight has dropped drastically from the energy expended with the constant rubbing and no time to eat.

We put her in dry lot 3 weeks ago and the situation has improved considerably, but still a long way to go. And she is in foal.

I can't feed her just oats and prarie hay and beet pulp...........that doesn't sound right......ANY help appreciated

Pia is one of our most treasured broodmares....A National Top Ten herself with several Top Ten foals. She is 12 and 29 1/2". we have owned her since she was 2 weeks old.

We just want to give her a good quality of life which she hasn't had lately.

Any suggestions appreciated

Charlotte

 

[Frankie]

We had a yearling colt come down with food allergies last year. It was a long haul, but he did outgrown it.

And yes, that is exactly what he ate! Plain oats, plain hay, and he did very well. He couldn't have beet pulp, and still did very well and is very healthy. He wasn't putting on weight at first, but upped the oats as needed, until we found what was working for him, that would keep his weight on. Just keep an eye on her and adjust when needed.

He was broke out in scabs/sores over 90% of his body. We sprayed him with Listerine and that was the 10th thing we had tried, and the first thing that worked. After a few listerine sprays, used baby oil to loosen the scabs, that is when the itching stopped . Not that you want to hear it, but it took 4 months to get rid of them. She can get through this!!

Good luck!!!!!

 

[chandab]

She should do just fine on the prairie hay, oats and beet pulp. If you are worried about her not getting enough vitamins/minerals why not check into one of diet balancer products: Progressive Nutrition, Buckeye and many more.

But, don't forget to discuss diet with your vet, he'll probably have some good advice as he knows what she is allergic to.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Actually she can do qite well on BP as her source of roughage. For a "scratch factor" try some oat hay.....none around? Consider some wheat/oat seed from the farm supply as they use for grain productions. Around her winter wheat is growing wonderfully. You could plant, cut it, dry and use "just for her".

BP is a lot easier to deal with. Shame she has so much grass allergy as it will really, really limit her grazing with others, etc. I had one who was allergic to rye grass & some molds.

Another thing that she may find really tasty, peanuts! Now, there's fantastic fiber in the shells and protein, too. Just keep them really dry because of mold. But, for only one, she'd probably love a couple handfulls and with BP, she'll have enough fiber, I would think. Run it by your vet. Also, soybean hulls.

Best of luck, it's always something!

 

[Margo_C-T]

Brome hay?(Offhand, I don't know its nutritional breakdown, but I'm sure you can find it via Google or the like...) With oats, BOSS, and beet pulp, I'd bet you can put together a very decent feeding program.

Another thought-do you have Matua grass hay available? Do a Google on it; it originated in NZ, is QUITE interesting,and looks like an excellent possibility(IF properly grown, cut, and handled-which is true of ALL hay...this one claims to come very near alfalfa in overall nutritional value, the above being true...)! A training client brought some for her little mare-it was such GORGEOUS-looking hay that I did some looking-up about it myself, and was pretty impressed. When they got this mare, she was 'way too fat. They used this hay, alone, in a weight loss diet, and were ADAMANT that it was ALL she was to get. Well, she has already lost enough weight(slowly, as she should), and now needs a maintenance diet(especially with cold weather coming!). I have been quite generous with this hay-she LOVES it, and has gained just a bit, to put her in good shape going into winter.She looks and feels good,fit and trim, and has NO 'belly'. (I am recommending they add a little nutrition balancer to the hay diet, is all.)

Good luck; I believe putting together a nutritionally whole diet for your little mare is very 'doable'!

 

[chandab]

Brome hay?(Offhand, I don't know its nutritional breakdown, but I'm sure you can find it via Google or the like...) With oats, BOSS, and beet pulp, I'd bet you can put together a very decent feeding program.

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Brome Hay is very good, our horses love it. We mostly seem to have crested wheatgrass hay around here (we're pretty dry), but some brome grows and we've cut and baled it with the rest; they really love it.

I have a so-so nutritional program with this information about Smooth Brome:

DE - 2.13 Mcal/kg

Crude Protein 14.4%

lysine - .36%

Calcium - .29%

phosphorus - .28%

Magnesium - .1%

Potassium - 1.99%

More nutrients are listed, but these are the main ones.

 

[Becky]

I would think the Progressive Diet Balancer, prairie hay and beet pulp would make a very satisfactory diet. Sounds like she is allergic to about the same things Copper is. He's done very well on just the grass balancer and bermuda hay although he's probably not supposed to have bermuda. I have noticed a big difference in him rubbing since I took him off of alfalfa.

 

[Stargirl37]

We have a similar problem to you and have our gelding on hay chaff and beet pulp. I also add trace elements, mineral salt and cider vinegar. I have found that he is way less itchy and scratchy now after 4mths of the cider vinegar which has neutralised his system.

 

[Charlotte]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I've combined some of them and talked with Dr Chancy and for now we are trying prarie hay, beet pulp, Progressive diet balancer for grass and going to try a bit of Envision fat supplement (she needs to gain weight)....if she'll eat it

It is very calorie dense

Dr chancy said he was trying to get some good brome in. I'm wondering if brome is related to orchard grass and Timothy? Does anyone know?

Charlotte (& Pia)