What's wrong with my horse?! Please, any ideas? She won't eat!?

Question

My mare is 5 years old. Just recently she has bascially stopped eating. She is not lame, does not to be in any pain, and doesnt seem to have any unusual discharge from her eyes or nose.

We thought it might be her teeth so we had them floated (7/25).

She started nibbling food but she wasnt really chewing anything. Then we put her putside in her paddock and she started eating old nasty smelly (seriously!) hay! I brought her some fresh hay and she wouldnt eat it! Then I brought hay from someone elses stock and she just nibbled at it before she wandered off.

I think we going to call the vet tommorow. Any ideas anyone?

Answer 1

When animals don't eat it usually means something is wrong. It does sound a lil about collicing. I have been around horses my whole life and if a horse doesn't eat i make sure to have the vet check for everything.

Answer 2

call your vet right away! that is not the sign of a healthy horse!

Answer 3

Sounds like colic

I take the back. she could just not like the hay your trying tog ive her. did you recently switch hay? is the hay dust, mold and weed free?

Answer 4

just because she is not eating, does not mean she is going to colic! my trainers gelding went off his food for 3 days before his sheath started to swell, and they said he had an infection...after 1 day on the meds, he was back to normal.

she also could be bored with the choice of hay, some horses don't like sweet hay!

Answer 5

Symptoms are not the same in every horse.  Just like some people only experience belching as a symptom  when they are having a heart attack, your horse may be going through an atypical colic.  The fact that she ate moldy hay and then quit eating makes colic the likely condition.

Answer 6

it does sound like she is colicing (i dont know if i spelled that right)

when a horse colics, a stone forms in their intestines and can be deadly. i suggest asking an expierience horse owner, vet or going to this site below for some answers.

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/co...

Answer 7

Never had a horse that would refuse to eat.  Better call the vet.

Answer 8

Anerexic for horses? Just kidding. I dont know call the vet. I feel horrible! I really hope she gets better soon! I hate when people say call the vet but I would for this!

Answer 9

Wait...  Was the horse eating before?  If a horse turns down sweet feed, theres a problm!  My horses will eat sweet feed off the blacktop!  Hate to say it, but get a vet, now!

Answer 10

have you checked her for gut sounds? you should be able to hear gas moving thru the bowels.also have the vet check for ulcers.some horses have a higher pain threshold masking some of the signs of colic.

colic is a general term used for any guteral problems and doesnt always include rolling,biting and kicking it can also include tail switching,pawing,urinating and defecating in small amounts this also includes ulcers of the stomach,feed toxicities,indigestion and also includes diseases of the liver,ovaries,uterus,bladder and kidneys.

Answer 11

maybe it is lonely or sick