Worms or fat? Vet keeps rescheduling!

I have had my little rescue for about 2 months now! She is a mini! She was bought from a lady who kept them I a very small small muddy lot. The lady who rescued her went with her hubby to pick them up and ALMOST missed her! She was covered in mud and laying in it. She couldnt walk. They loaded her and had to leave her momma. However! They did a great job packing on the pounds! Although her 'foster' began to get very ill and after hearing about me, meeting me, she offered her to me. I have let her eat, and have kept an eye on her, but she hasnt foundered. (Altho she will wear a grazing muzzle in spring JUST IN CASE!)...

But anyway... when she got to me I noticed her backbone stuck out slightly and she had a very bloated tummy and her fur was really rough. I gave her and our pony a round bale which she has been munching on, and recently she escaped and joined the herd of big horses! They got along great! My mare even acting as a mother to her. She was a ferocious momma, I was proud, lol... But I brought her back in with the pony.

She has been doping great, but her tummy is getting me awful confused and the vet rescheduled on me. I wont see her for three more weeks. She had worms and I lost count really of how many times I have wormed her. I have changed wormers every time and have tried really hard to have a broad variety and range of worm killer for her.... but her belly still seems puffy to me. Bloated....

I last wormed her 3 weeks ago. I will be worming again next week. I used Zithromiacin Gold last.... Is she just puggy? Her back still sticks out slightly, but I think it's bc she is so young (one year old)...

Here are pics of her when I first got her, a little bit skinny, just slightly underweight and then 1 1/2 months later.... filling in but big tummy.... Someone said she may be pregnant... God I hope not!!! :( She is so young and little! And please ignore her hairdo, she will kill me if she finds out I showed them to anyone!

It's really hard to see the improvement, but she does look better in person. I can tell anyway! I thought the belly would go away tho.

How old s she? She could be pregnant. A large bloated stomach does take time and exercise to go away though as they need to develop muscle to hold the stomach up (if not pregnant)

I am really concerned that you just keep worming her. Why not do a fecal? You can take that to the vet and eliminate that as a possibility, as long as you have already wormed for the ones that don't show, and it sounds like you have. It is not good to just keep giving meds of any sort to the point where you lose track.

The vet has okay's the wormings. And I just realized the way I worded it made it seem like ALOT!I think she has been wormed about 4 times now. I wormed her when she got here, then gave her another dose a few weeks later, but used a different wormer. Couple weeks later I wormed her again with the Z-gold... (just read my calender). So three...and I was going to worm her again bc of this belly, but we just had first frost, so the whole herd is up form their wormings.

I don't really know how old she is exactly. I am new at horse teeth, but I can usually age a dog for you, lol... But she looks to be about one. They are small and white! Like chicklets! And she has six on top and 6 on bottom, that the ones on the sides are just barely out of the gum. I can't see bad in there for caps. I was going to have the vet check them though too.

The vet has only rescheduled once too, lol... I'm being overly dramatic bc I am just a bit concerned. I think Clava may be right. She was kept in a stall by her foster mom for the most part, bc she liked to escape. And she doesnt have much definition or muscle mass,especially in her butt and chest.... So I am not going to worry to much unless the vet tells me different next week.

Is she only on grass or does she get grain too? She may need more protein in her diet - that seems to be the #1 cause of the thin on top, bloated on bottom look. A good quality growth feed and some alfalfa hay might be in order.

All the de-worming in the world won't help if you aren't addressing the problem - a FEC will establish if the problem even is parasites and then identify the specific parasites you need to treat for - which can assist you in directing your treatment. The vet may be okaying the de-worming, but that doesn't mean that they are saying that is the problem or that the de-worming is needed, only that they do not see any harm in you doing them at those times.

I'll take in a fecal Friday to be sure. But she has been in a dry lot on hay with the pony. The pony founders really easy and I am worried she will... Altho when she got out with the horses she didnt seem bothered. BUT I am still going to use a grazing muzzle on her.

I'll also pick up some supplement for her. This is what I was thinking of getting. I had my horses on it until they were a year and a half. She could probably use it. I can't really read the brand, but it's grow colt. Really the only think available around here for young horses (supplement wise). We just started graining them when Hurricane Sandy brought us this cold weather!

Grow Colt, 3 lbs. - 5022073 | Tractor Supply Company

Then I think I'll put her on mare and colt feed, WITH the alfalfa, and supplement. Do you guys agree? I'll update this again and let you guys know what the fecal says Friday!

She is worm free! I recruited a few friends to help me with her feedings and supplements. I'll update her HOPEFULLY in a few months! I'm hoping it wont be too hard to get her looking better!