My veteran Hunter is gradually losing weight and the dentist said he will have difficulty chewing hay and haylage, what can I feed him?
Alongside challenges from parasites and failure to keep up with deworming programmes, poor dentition can be a major cause of weight loss for older horses. Inadequate dentition can predispose the horse to choke as well as weight loss. Calories from fibre are provided predominantly by hay or haylage during winter and make up a large proportion of the ration. Considering your horse is struggling with long fibre sources such as hay and haylage, and assuming there are no other clinical problems, the most likely cause for this weight loss is a reduction in fibre intake. Fibre is essential to maintain a healthy digestive tract and in order to synthesise B vitamins (via fermentation) for energy utilisation. Furthermore, fibre digestion will help to generate heat for winter warmth. This is why it is essential to arrange for a registered equine dental technician to visit your horse twice a year and ensure they can process fibre effectively. Another useful method of assessing your horse’s grindin
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