Posted 2006-06-05 9:25 PM (#42658) Subject: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Millburn,Illinois
I've been trying to put weight on my horse and followed advice in a horse magazine to add pure corn oil to the feed, which I've been doing for the past week. For the past few days, my percheron seemed to be losing weight instead of gaining. What I didn't notice is he has diahrea, and tonight seems weak, and slightly unsteady. Everything is closed, is there an over the counter electrolyte replacement I can get him until tomorrow? He still is eating good and drinking water.
Posted 2006-06-05 9:31 PM (#42659 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Veteran
Posts: 207 Location: Illinois
I would call the vet's emergency number and ask them what to do before trying other things. My vet is always willing to talk me through things. I even have his home number memorized! (Small town).
Posted 2006-06-05 9:33 PM (#42660 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
The diahrea comes from the sudden addition of oil to his diet. You need to introduce it a little at a time. A 1/4 cup per day this week, 1/2 cup a day next week etc.
If you don't have electrolytes on hand, Just make sure he has plenty to drink. If you have a salt block, give him access to it.
And while the corn oil will cause the diahrea, if he has access to and is drinking water, it won't dehydrate him.
I'm not a vet, so usually disclaimers apply. Just my opinion.
Posted 2006-06-07 5:13 PM (#42738 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Member
Posts: 8
Location: michigan
When adding fat oils you need to add only 1/4 cup at a time and work up to the amount you intend to use. A horses diet can be 8-10% of its daily diet or 1-2 cups a day depending on the horse. Any sudden changes in a horses diet will cause diarrhea, colic, or founder. It takes the gut microflora 2-3 weeks to adjust to feed changes. As for the weight loss and now diarrhea, you could have sand in the gut-this will cause weight loss and diarrhea. Your horse could also have ulcers. This will cause weight loss and hard to put weight on. Parasites will also cause weight loss and diarrhea. You might want to re-look at your deworming program. Parasites are becoming resistant to many deworming drugs. Your vet can do a FEC to help determine what is working and what is not. Also your vet can do an endoscope to check for ulcers and he/she can check for sand in the gut. You can too. Take six clean fecal balls that dont touch the ground and put them in a container with water. Shake it up and let it all desolve, when it is all settled, check the bottom for sand. If you see any, your horse has sand and if it is a teaspoon, that is cause for concern. There could be a number of reasons why your horse is losing weight and now has diarrhea and the one who can help you is the vet. Give one a call.
Posted 2006-06-07 5:50 PM (#42741 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
I grab their tongue,pull it out and stuff palmful of SALT(table salt) in them.Several times if needed with eaither free access to water or a couple 5 gallon buckets of it in the stall.I SALT mine after long hauls to sales or when needed.It gets them ON the water.I had one get BAD ill last year and was told needed $1000 bucks of fliud just to START with.I salted that boy every few hours all NIGHT.He was hydrated in 12 hours or so as his blood work indicated.Learne this from a old horseman that had a fresh gelded 5 year old that would NOT drink and was hurting badly.
Posted 2006-06-13 6:44 PM (#42976 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
If a horse is eating he is usually not dehydrated enough to worry about. If you think it is from a digestive upset, fast him for a day or remove the added fat in this case. There is alot more to depletion of electrolytes (ie potassium, calcium, magnesium, dextrose, and glucose) than sodium and chroide. I'd be very careful about throwing loose salt in a horse's mouth, salt poisoning is very difficult to treat and the end results are not pretty.
Posted 2006-06-14 7:57 PM (#43025 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
What you do to your horses is your business. Although rare this is not folklore, 6-10 ounces of salt given to horses off water can cause signs from diarrhea,and colic to seizures and coma. I am just giving facts.
Posted 2006-06-15 3:45 AM (#43031 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
6 to 10 oumces is a lot of salt.What you can hold in the palm of your hand AND get in the mouth is no where near that amount. Even serval applications over a few hours is not 6 to 100 ounces.I'd rather do that and get them on the water then have a colic due to a blockage etc.its work for me numerous times.I understand what your saying.
Posted 2006-06-18 9:04 PM (#43212 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: ark/ok border
We live in Oklahoma where the temp rite now is avg. 93 degrees. We get loose horse minerals at the local feed store(25lbs) mix it with loose white salt( same place but 50lbs) put 1/4 minerals with 3/4 white salt put it in a feed bucket in open covered stall and let them go at. We do this year round and havent had a problem. I had an older horse that colic from dehydration ( had a salt block out that she licked on) and older horseman gave me recipe. When we go camping and trail riding ( usually once a month and ride 6 to 8 hrs each day) and still no problems but boy have I seen others have them.
Posted 2006-06-18 9:19 PM (#43213 - in reply to #42658) Subject: RE: HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
We also use free choice ADM(Moormans)horse minerals fortified with electrolites. I use the cow type mineral holders,put 50 lb bags in at a time.I travel with a normal size loose white salt container in case I need one to get on the water.Same container has lasted three years or so and no where near half used up.We've been high 80s to mid 90s with hardly any rain in weeks.Its bad dry and spring was cool and nice but NO rain to speak of.
HELP! Need info on electrolyte replacement!!
