Why Do Horses Lose Weight?

It is a common and frustrating struggle for  horse owners when horses lose weight. 

There are several reasons for weight loss in horses including chronic  illness, dental issues, poor feed management, decreased feed intake Weight loss is often caused by the body using more energy than it consumes. A horse can also lose weight due to starvation. A survey found that horses can lose 30% of their weight and still survive. In such cases, they should receive special attention and follow a balanced diet. Horses that lose 50% or more weight will not survive even with the best care.

Symptoms of weight loss in horses: Symptoms your horse face while experiencing weight loss include:

• Accentuated shoulders and withers
• Cracked hooves
• Depression
• Dull coat
• intolerance
• Lameness
• Lethargy
• No fatty tissue
• Prominent bone structure
• Ridge along backbone
• Sensitivity to touch
• Stiffness
• Unusual aggression
• Visible ribs

How to measure the weight of your horse

Using a weight tape and measuring strip (made of strong and flexible cloth), horse owners can weigh their horses. You can learn more about measuring your horse here. How to measure a Horse

Weight Loss 

Chronic illness  – Chronic illnesses such as inflammation of bowel, cancer, and diabetes can lead to weight loss. Weight loss can also be caused by disorders such as arthritis and laminitis.

Dental disease – This can occur in many ways such as not consuming enough food, horse increasing their training but not their caloric intake. This also occurs due to poor quality feed or deficient absorption through the intestines  

Nutritional inadequacies – Many factors can lead to this, such as a horse consuming insufficient calories or increasing their training without increasing their caloric intake. It can also be caused by a poor quality diet and poor intestinal absorption.

Parasites – This can be caused by internal parasites as well as external parasites.   

Gastric ulcer – A gastric ulcer is a break in the tissue lining of the stomach. Gastric /stomach ulcers are usually caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 

They will reduce the stomachs natural defense against the acid it produces in order to break down food. Weight loss has been observed to be a major risk factor for the development and progression of gastric ulcers in horses 

Treatment of weight loss in horses 

Healthy nutrition and exercise are critically important for weight management and management of weight-related chronic diseases.

If your horse is experiencing symptoms of weight lose due to gastric ulcers, then it may benefit from treatment with omeprazole.

Omeprazole is available as a paste formulation and has been very effective in preventing and treating gastric ulceration in  horses.