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Re: [RC] Complete Feeds - Susan GarlinghouseShe (the vet) suggested that we go to a complete feed until the ulcerations have healed (been dealing with my mare for two months over this now). The older mare is on Equine Senior and the Tb will be on an Adult Complete Feed. Currently bought one bag of local Complete Feed for my mare that is pelleted but am concerned about impaction. You're kind of between a rock and a hard place, because although there are a number of complete pelleted feeds available, it's still not a great idea to make rapid feed changes. The odds of having a bout of colic (whether impaction or otherwise) is considerably higher whenever there's been any feed change in the last two weeks. There are a couple things you can try. As Pat suggested, Purina Complete Advantage is a good, beet-pulp-based feed which can be fed dry. The feed crew can just dump it into the feed bin and that's that. If the oral ulcers in your horse's mouth are extensive, don't be surprised if they drop some weight---it might just bother their mouths too much to eat any dry food and so their intake might decline. If you can convince the barn crew to wet the feed, and thus soften it, so much the better. I'm happier with Complete Advantage than I am with commodity beet pulp for your purposes. The beet pulp in CA is processed differently than straight beet pulp is, and I like it a lot better if you're going to feed it dry. Also, straight beet pulp alone is not a balanced ration and the nutrient profile is far better feeding the CA. The fiber content is high enough that you can feed it free choice as a substitute for hay and keep them munching (hopefully), but again, there's not a whole lot you can do about the rapid feed change. If there's a feed mill near you, here's something you might look into. See if they have a grass hay based pellet that won't upset the gut as much as a quick change to straight beet pulp or alfalfa might. If you can soak the grass hay pellets, all the better. If not, then I would start out feeding t hose, and over about two weeks, add an increasing amount of the Complete Advantage. Either you can go entirely to CA, or half and half with the grass pellets. If the feed mill doesn't already carry a grass hay pellet, then see if they at least carry a 50/50 grass/alfalfa---what you want to try to stay away from is a rapid change to all alfalfa if you can possibly avoid it. Another possibility is see if the feed mill will grind up a few bales of grass hay for you into chaff and bag it just to get you through a week or so of transition time. The grinding will mostly take care of the fox tails so it can be eaten and it can still be fed more or less free choice while you're introducing the Complete Advantage. Or, you might try getting a big half barrel full of water and soaking the existing grass hay in there either before or while it's being fed. That won't remove the fox tails, but should soften them to some extent so they are easier to eat. If you cleaned out the barrel each afternoon and if the hay was pretty much submerged so the horse is playing Bobbing For Forage (as opposed to just dampening the hay), I think you should be okay. I'm just not wild about the idea of going straight over to Complete Advantage (or any other form of beet pulp)(or alfalfa-based feeds as well). Both beet pulp and alfalfa are a lot more fermentable than the grass hay your guys have been getting, and I think you have a pretty good chance of getting some gas colic to one extent or another. You might luck out and be okay, but then...maybe not. I'd be a lot happier taking at least a week or so to switch over to new feeds. As for impactions....well, best you can do is keep them drinking as much as possible. If you're submerging the hay, some horses really get a liking for the "tea" in the barrel. Other horses like a little Kool-Aid added to their water, or you can syringe them with some elytes when you go by the up the thirst response. The antibiotics shouldn't cause stomach irritations, though the stress of having oral ulcers and reduced intake might. Unless you want to go whole hog and put them onto omeprazole for a month, best thing you can do is just keep them eating forage---the increased saliva production is usually pretty good prevention against gastric ulcers. I know this discussion was a little rambling, so my bottom line suggestion is to soak their grass hay in a big barrel of water and let them slurp it out and slowly introduce Complete Advantage over the next few weeks. Good luck. Susan G She was on grass hay...don't like Alfalfa if I can help it. Read that Strategy is Alfalfa based. Vet did approve Beet Pulp and have my mare on 1/2 of a 1# coffee can--well soaked of course. Will increase to a full 1# can later in the week. What suggestions should I use for a Complete Feed and/ or any other feeds to reduce the risk of impaction or colic? Should I soak the pelleted feed? She is not prone to chock that I'm aware of...and it would need to soak 24-36 hours as stable won't soak it...must be all prepared to throw in to the horse. All three horses are on anti-biotics as well...lymph nodes are swollen to various degrees. Is this OK for their guts without hay? Wouldn't think so...but can anything else be used with it to reduce stomach irritation? TIA, Val + Sania __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. 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