With cold winter weather, snow and ice covering much of the country, many horse owners and caregivers turn to blanketing their horses. While blankets are very useful in keeping horses healthy during extremely cold weather, the fact that the horse is covered up much of the time may keep the horse caregiver from realizing that the horse is losing weight and/or condition.
Maybe it's time to take a peek under the blanket
if a horse has a good appetite and seems to eat normally but is losing significant amounts of weight, owners and veterinarians have reason to suspect a serious problem.
© 2020 by Ian Culley - Equine Guelph New window.
Given cold weather, many horses readily consume their daily rations of hay and grain. However, the fact that they continue to eat well, may give a false sense of well being to the caretaker.
Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine at University College in Dublin, Ireland, investigated the records of 40 horses that were examined because they were losing weight despite having a good appetite. Scores for body condition and blood levels of total protein and albumin at the time of admission to the clinic were compared with the outcome - whether the horse lived or died.
Horses with greater levels of plasma total protein and especially albumin were more likely to survive, as were horses with higher body condition scores.
Albumin is a protein that makes up about half the protein content in the blood. It is synthesized by the liver and is important in body functions such as the transporting of hormones, fatty acids, and other compounds.
A low albumin level can be a sign of liver disease, kidney problems, or bowel malfunction, any of which could cause weight loss and eventual death.
A horse’s body weight normally fluctuates due to the season of the year, the horse’s age, health status, parasite and worm load, dental condition, amount of concentrates given, access to pasture, exercise, and some other factors. If a horse loses his appetite for some reason, he can be expected to lose some weight over a period of time.
However, if a horse has a good appetite and seems to eat normally but is losing significant amounts of weight, owners and veterinarians have reason to suspect a serious problem. It’s important to look for a cause of weight loss and find a way to reverse the trend before the horse reaches a point at which a large percentage of body mass has disappeared.
Horses given poor quality hay might seem to be eating constantly, but their actual food intake could be lower than their calorie requirement as horses get little nourishment out of tough, stemmy plants. Changing to high-quality hay that is free of weeds, debris, and overmature plants will probably make a significant difference.
It may be necessary to add a vitamin-mineral supplement or a conditioning feed. Owners who are not sure of the best way to meet nutritional requirements for their horses should consult an equine nutritionist for a dietary evaluation.
Changes in management and feed quality might take care of weight loss problems in some horses. In other animals, weight loss may persist despite the best feed and careful attention to health management. Some type of disease may be the next thing to look for.
A number of factors may contribute to the loss of condition in a horse that eats well. Owners should schedule a veterinary examination for horses that cannot maintain body weight. The researchers in this study suggested that body condition score and albumin concentration could potentially be used in determining the prognosis for a horse that is eating but losing weight.
This research shows good reason for paying attention to horse body condition throughout all kinds of weather, especially when a caregiver may not be paying attention to the true condition of the horse's body.
Determining your horse's Body Score.
Note: Article is an updated version of news article first published on EquiMed 06/08/2013