need help/advice for emaciated pony

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Get a vet to check him...then have his teeth examined. He might not be Cushings...if he's loaded with parasites. I'd use something like Ivermectin on him for the first round & then Panacur Powerpak. You don't want him to colic when those worms start coming out--I had that happen with my Arab x Andalusian mare....not fun. Also, I had her on Equine Senior for a few months (small amounts at first because you don't want him to founder or colic with rich food)....

He looks like he's very cute & sweet...

 

[NewChickenMom]

thanks for all your advice! yesterday he started to act like a pony again instead of ghost. i called him (I named him Bubbles) and he came trotting up to me to get his alfalfa. I have been giving him probiotics. he seems to be perking up and doing great. i'm going to hold off on shaving him, i'm hoping good food and worming will help him shed off. if he doesn't, then i'll shave him. vet has seen him, says there is nothing metabolically wrong with him, just been starved and the lice were making him anemic. havent had the farrier out yet to take a look at his feet, but i will. he seems to be doing much better. i'll keep everyone updated

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I dont have any ponys/horses. But thank you for rescuing him. That poor soul! How could anybody let an animal get into that kind of condition!

 

[texasreb]

Is there anything you can put the pellets into so that they're not in the dirt? A bucket or a tub would be good or the bottom of a hay manger. You don't want the poor thing ingesting too much dirt/sand while he's trying to get every last alfalfa pellet.

Keep those pics coming. I love to see before, during and after pics of rescues.

 

[chickbea]

nccatnip rescued a horse and a pony (and then two more

) and she has a blog about them. You may want to look on that, as she has been consulting with some professionals to help put weight on, esp. on the pony (Prince). I've fallen in love with that little guy - when you look at his initial picture you will cry your eyes out, no matter how tough you are!
http://ponyrescue.blogspot.com

 

[Southern Gardener]

I no nothing about phonys or horses either, but thank you for rescuing him!

Another great save!

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
Ah, you must be another FHOTD reader

Great story that was!

 

[cindydj]

Good for you NCM! Now the journey begins, you will have your ups and downs and it can be rewarding or heartbreaking... I don't know much about ponies but I will post a pic of a quarter horse we rescued in March. Having never done anything like this I dove in with both feet, spoke with a friend that is a vet numerous times, and many, many rescue organizations....he is our story, I hope it can help and please feel free to contact me.

We rescued this horse in March and the weather was turning cold for Texas. As you can tell he was very wooly and infested with millions of lice. This is very uncommon even in this state in Texas. He had been at a trader friends pasture with running creek for a month so I knew he had been eating some. We put out coastal hay free range and stated him on Senior feed a cup at a time a few times a day. He would follow us around for more, it was SO hard to not give him more...each day we increased it as long as his stool stayed good and thank goodness it did. When reached a scoop full, we added a handful of calf manna, and cup of steamed oats and we started him on lixotinic, simular to red cell. We knew with all the parasites he must have this. After about a week of good eating, we wormed him with a 1/2 dose ivermectin. In a week or two we did this again. Then in a month we used a full dose. You would not believe what he passed...YUK! The he stared to shed that hair by the handfuls, he was bald but good pretty growth soon followed. Most of my friends thought he had cushings also. I didn't think so because it was not curly at all...long storyshort. After all the shedding he has a big scar on his shoulder and we think was once a rope horse. We always have made him mind his manners and this has really helped. You want to spoil them but make them respect you.....Anyway tonight he is going to his forever home at a local Bed and Breakfast to offer light riding and will be just down the road. I can tell you we have had many tears and laughs with this guy...Sorry for the journal

 

[michickenwrangler]

A nice bran mash with some shaved carrots and a SMALL amount of applesauce would be a nice treat for him after all he's been through. SOme TLC oughta perk him right up, once he gets some loving and grooming. Might want to clean his sheath, too. A palomino that a friend of mine rescued had so much smegma he could hardly "let down" to urinate. The poor gelding let out such a huge sigh of relief once that was cleaned and he could pee unimpeded.