Loss of appetite..

[nightangel]

The past week or so I have been noticing my 12 year old arab not being too excited at dinner time. He's always ready to eat in the morning but at night he has been making frequent trips outside while the 2 1/2 yr old gobbles as much down as she can before he comes back. I feed them in separate piles, and they get plenty to eat, so its not like they are fighting over food or anything. (oh and we are talking about their hay not grain)
So tonight I stood outside the barn after I fed them and watched him. He ate for about 15 minutes, went outside and stood at the end of the padock, just kinda looking around, not seeming upset or sick, and then he would stick his head in the door and eat for a little while and then head back outside. After a while longer he finaly went inside and kicked the filly out and ate his fill, then let her in and went out and stood by the corner by me. I have tried feeding him outside before to make it more convenient for him but he still takes breaks while he eats. I was wondering if this could be some kind of digestion problem. That would be my first guess because it is very hard to keep weight on him. Not sure what to do here.

[kigerfan]

Could it be because of the cold weather that he is eating slower? Just a possible guess.

[Michelle Clarke]

I would do two things: start giving him some digestive enzymes in his feed - if you get some from the drug store, I can help with dosages. Also, Aloe Vera gel (human grade) - you can get this at any grocery store or health food store for the most part. The enzymes are to help digestion and the Aloe is for stomach complaints (specifically ulcers). Aloe, start with 250 mls. per day (split in 2 feedings) until you see an improvement, then you can begin to cut it down slowly until you are doing a dose of 60 ml. I started Bella Rosa on this and she is doing so well and looks like a different horse. I am sure her dam gave her them from being so nasty or maybe when she was at the vets for a few weeks.

[nightangel]

Okay thank you thank you. I will let you know what I find at the store today when I go into town.

[DianneC]

So have you had his teeth checked? That's my guess. Sometimes the teeth can get really sharp edges and it will make the inside of the cheek quite raw. Chewing makes it worse of course. Check under his tongue as well for thorns etc.
Is this the same hay you have fed for quite a while, out of the same cutting? We had most of the horses at the barn refuse some new hay or only eat part of it. We thought it had been sprayed too late.
Has he always been hard to keep weight on or is this a new thing? Is he fidgety or calm by nature?

[nightangel]

Hmmm the teeth thing sounds like a possibility, and it is the same hay we've had all winter.

But yes, he has always been hard to keep weight on. He is quite calm most of the time, but his arab kicks in once and a while and he can get jumpy, but other than that he's easy going.