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RE: [RC] Feeding "moderately overweight" pony - Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVM

I talked to the vet about doing blood work, and he didn't seem to  
think it was necessary.

I agree with him, unless you're *clearly* seeing symptoms of cushings or
some other issue.  Remember that a standard CBC/chem panel tells you
virtually nothing about their nutrition status except for maybe a few
electrolytes---which in her case, will not be out of line given her current
diet.  Once she's lost weight, if she still has a cresty neck, then fine,
check her for Cushings.

For now, i'm going to go with what he said and assume she's  
just suffering a little from too much food and not enough work.

Sounds like it to me.

The Barn Ladies I talked to said not to decrease her feed until the  
winter was over

You're in California.  There won't be any winter unless someone back east
ships you some in a box.  Start the diet now.


But I wanted to  
run her diet past you folks.

Cut the supplements entirely, give her a plain white salt block, and cut her
hay so that she's getting a pound and a half for each 100 pounds of
bodyweight, split into two meals.  At lunch, if you feel strongly about it,
give her a handful of grass hay, and by "handful", I mean what you can get
all your fingers around with one hand, so that your fingers and thumb touch,
not what you can hold together with both arms wrapped around it.  Ride her
at a walk with a little trotting three or more times a week.  She will not
die.  She will lose weight and start getting fit, and then you can give her
a little more.  She's a BLM mustang and anything better than sagebrush
counts as a feast.

JMO.

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM



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