Not eating hay Help

She is outside, but in a dirt paddock away from any of the grass. Good and bad news, I can't get a hold of the vet at all, but I am trying to call all day if it takes that. Good news Mooney appears to have eaten some hay last time, I told her temperature and it is good, and because I was worried about her not drinking enough I convinced her to drink a 5 gallon bucket of water with a little bit of cherry kool aid. Hopefully it gets better from here, and I get a hold of the vet.

Is she eating her grain, but not the hay? Do you know the quality of the hay? RFV? What are the storage conditions of the hay? Is the mare drinking?

She is drinking just not much (5 or 6 gallons? Would be a good guess) that is why I added kool aid to make her more interested and it seems to be working. She is eating her grain and is attachly happy to see me with it like normal. The hay is in a barn, up on pallets and with a trap on the walls because they have a minor leak by the windows.

Something seemed to be bothers her this morning though, she was snorting and stamping her feet a lot like when she sees a deer or coyote (they don't come up the hill but their there). And tried to kick at the fence when I was searching for her feed pan (she threw it down the hill). I guess she might be a bit more stressed lately if that helps, from the weather and wildlife.

Mooney, if she still isn't eating her hay, perhaps get some hay stretcher pellets and soak them for her. Perhaps there is something in her mouth that the hay is hurting. At least until she can be seen by a vet, she'll be getting something from the hay stretcher and some extra water from the soaking it.

Keep us updated on how she's doing and how you manage with finding a vet. Good luck to you both.

Thanks for the idea Walkamile, she is already on hay stretcher because she maintains weight good on them, so maybe I'll soak a bunch for her and put them in her run in for her to find that tonight. Got a hold of the vet and I am afraid he is busy with a few serious cases and not able come out until monday, so I am trying to get as much water into her for now.

This morning I got a surprise, she some how manage to chew through half a two by four that was across the gate. She drank maybe 1/2 a gallon of water and some hay. Going to try the vet again.

So the vet came, after we went back this after noon, and she didn't touch food, water or hay and wasn't responding to anything. We ended up walking her for three hours on and off, when he got there we found out she was colicing in a minor way I guess. She had a probotics and a shot of pain killer and in the end she has to eat and pass gas. If she doesn't she needs more pain killer until it passes. I was scared so badly, and it isn't over, I have to check on her every couple of hours to make sure she is okay. If she isn't so what better by tomorrow afternoon he needs to come back. Luckly she is going to hopefully be okay, but I am so broke from paying over $800 I have no clue how I am paying if she needs him again. But I will.

You did the right thing Mooney, so glad that he came out and was able to figure out what was going on with her!

I am glad I did, but right now I have never so emotionally and physically exhausted in my life, and just want her to be better.

It doesn't look good this morning so the vet is probably going to be called again to give her more painkiller. Yeah.