This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > "Karen Keith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > at the local therapeutic > riding center where there is a Fjord in residence. She is a late teen, > maybe 20 year old mare. When I last saw her a little over a year ago, she > was pretty darn obese and sadly has a broken crest. I was told she is on > thyroid meds and that caused her to be fat.
My old Nansy mare was on Thyro-L for many years. However, it was prescribed BECAUSE she was obese, and it helped her to lose that weight. > So, first question would be what is a normal thyroid level in Fjords? Does > anyone have their Fjord on thyroid meds? BTW, this mare foams at the mouth, > and the explanation is the thyroid meds make her do that. Not sure what Fjord-normal values are. Nansy tested slightly below the normal level, but she certainly fit the physical profile---cresty neck, gained weight on high-calorie air, and (my favorite) "a temperament so unflappable as to be almost nonexistant"! Adding Thyro-L to her diet perked her up and slimmed her down. In retrospect, she probably did not have a thyroid problem, but the beginnings of insulin resistance. Eventually, she progressed to Cushings syndrome. Interesting about "foaming at the mouth". Nansy slobbered---a lot. I didn't connect it to the Thyro-L, but it is possible. OTOH, we've had several discussions here about slobbery Fjords, very few of whom were on medication. > Does a broken crest ever resolve? I told him I didn't > think so, but maybe someone has some input. It's sad to see that lovely > dorsal stripe be interrupted and hang over sideways. :^( I don't know about Fjords, but when a fat donkey gets a broken crest, it's there forever. It can be reduced somewhat, but the structure never repairs itself. Marsha Jo Hannah Murphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
