Emaciated Rescued gelding any tips?

Ok some peopleI know bought this gelding about six weeks ago. Great horse rides and drives, kids rode him everywhere. About three andhalf weeks ago I went to there house to see there horses and measure there height for them. I saw this gelding he was a little ribby. I checked his teeth and they were a little sharp so I suggested they get him floated. They got an amish man out to float him the next week. Well this Sunday they asked me if I wasnted him. They said he was losing weight and they were going to shoot him. Well the person that I am I'm like no I'll make room for him not a problem I'll pick him up today. Know that I jsut saw this horse three weeks ago I'm thinking its not big deal won't take long to get him back to par. Well when I show up I'm in for a shock of a lifetime. COuldn't believe my eyes. Justa skeleton with skin streched over him. It was sad. I didnt know something could lose that much weight that fast. THye said since they had his teeth floated he hasnt touched any hay at all. When he pooped I saw that the oats they were feeding him were going straight through him. He had the runs with scalding all down his legs. Three of his four legs are swollen and covered in scratches. When he chews I can hear this very loud whooshing noise. I'm hoping that it is jsut his teeth issue. That the amish was just learning to float and screwed it all up horribly. Unfortunately my vet can't get me in to see him and the dentist til next Tuesday. I have been soaking hay that he does try to lip so that he atleast gets some nutrient out of the water. I am only feeding him sweet feed with vegetable oil. It is still going straight through him so didn't want to start him on anything more til I get his teeth done. Anybody got an opinoin on this or suggestions. I've taken on rescue cases before but this is the worst I've come across. I didn't know teeth could do that much damage that fast but if he wasnt eating at all for three weeks I guess it is possible.

Soaked oaten or barley chaff , not too rich and not much chewing needed until your vet arrives.

Could he eat some semi dissolved alfalfa pellets? How old is he? Do you think it is just a tooth issue, or do you think he might have some internal problem that is terminal?
You are an angel to care about this horse and spend your energy and money on him. Bless you!

First I have to say good for you taking on this guy, he looks like a mess. Next, horses often start losing weight which isn't noticed at first and then it becomes apparent and seems to rapidly progress. However, since you were just out there a few weeks ago, this does seem awfully quick. Additionally, given the rapid weight loss, I'd be thinking about some sort of systemic illness, especially with the edema in the legs. Make sure the vet runs a CBC and chem panel when they do make it out to you.

I have to say just feeding sweet feed and oil is likely to give him diarrhea and add to your problems rather than help. Can you get hay cubes and soak them instead? Also, sweet feed in the face of the stress this guy is under is going to set him up for ulcers which will further add to your problems getting weight on him. The best thing this guy could have right now is as much hay as you can pack in him. If he can't eat the hay, get cubes and soak them. Maybe some beet pulp too, but if you get too rich with the fat and sugar content it is going to hurt rather than help. Good luck with him and please keep the forum updated.

Oh goodness :[ Bless you for taking him. Are you in eastern US? He looks a lot like a gelding I used to show that got sold to who-knows-where :/ Not very reliable from the picture but ...

Good luck. I am glad you have him now. Keep us updated!

I have him on the sweetfeed cause they were feeding him sweet feed and oats. I just thought to keep the same thing going til he got to the vet rather than starting him out on something new that I would have to give such a small amount to work him into it slowly. But your right that would make more sense to start him now with more nutrient becasue he will have to be converted over anyways after his visit. He is eating fresh grass fine during the day while he's out but I fill his hay manger with hay and then give him a tub of soaked hay on the ground. He seems to be taking in two to three laps of the wet stuff over night but that's it. I think I will get a bag of cubes to soak for him. I had a horse a few years ago had no teeth but the front couple and we fed him soaked cubes. But then we got smart and used the neighbors chipper to shred up haybales for him to eat. I think he has a worm issue also. I wormed him Monday with Ivermectrim Gold and I have another one I forget the brand right now the lady at the feed store suggested to give him tomorrow. I'm not too sure of his age. I'm anxsious to find that out myself. They said he was 15 but... The corner tooth that tells you between 10-20 is not there on either side. The top front teeth are very short and worn like an older horse but they have alot of decay and I'm almost sure he is old by that but his front bottoms are very nice shape like a mid teenagers. Without that corner tooth to judge I am at a complete loss and can only wait for the professionals opinion. Hehe. He seems happy and full of life for the most part but then when he tries to lip through his hay after about five minutes of that he turns in the corner and gets real forlorn. Stands there rather depressed and wont move or aknowledge that I'm there. And yes we are on the east coast in Pa actually. He had a laid back personality when I met him previously and there 6 and 8 year old grandkids rode him no problems. Seemed very well trained. I am treating the legs with Bannix. My first round with Bannix but it seems to be gold to everyone around here. I have hadso many recomendations on it I thought we'd give it a shot so I bought a bottle today. I'm a little leery that one bottle that looks like water is suppose to be a cure all for everything under the sun. Everything from thrush to scratches to open wounds. You name it its good for it it says. I guess we'll see.

First, I am in Western PA...if you need help, send me a msg on PM here and I can see what I can do.

Second, he needs 'soup' if his teeth are bad. Some sort of pelleted feed that can be softened with water. No whole grains, nothing hard. In his situation, I would try something like Purina Strategy or Nutrena Prime/Performance. Soak it overnight so that it is good and mushy. Drain the extra water off but leave enough that he can lip it up easily. It might not be a horrible idea to get him a bag of 'hay stretcher' which is essentially ground up hay in pelleted form. Add a scoop of that to the overnight soup and he's getting a big meal at once. If he is gulping it down too fast, give it to him in smaller doses or add some big river rocks to his feed pan.

I feel for this poor fella. All he did was serve his humans and look what happened. Let me know if you need any help.

Poor guy. Thanks so much for helping him. My only suggestion would be to call the vet and ask about their procedure for fecals. It would be really nice if you could take them one prior to the vet coming out so that he would have the results when he comes to see him. The more pieces of the puzzle he can have the better the solution. A fecal is the only way to know IF he has a parasite issue and exactly what to use. Usually costs about the same as the wormer.

Thts what our mare looked like when we go her. I fed her a gruel made of strategy and alfalfa cubes, with yeast and probiotics in it.
I pray he's ok.
Posted via Mobile Device

FnB that is a great suggestion- I totally agree with dropping off some fresh feces for them to test (if possible) before hand so you know what kind of parasites and how much of a load he's carrying. You definitely want the complete picture and again, I'm not sure this is a complete neglect issue- we don't know that there is not some underlying serious condition which has lead him to being so bad off.