Thoughts re. Flo's weight please

Flo has lost 400 gms since August and about 800gms in the last 12 months. She needed to loose a little but since her feet problems have been discovered her weight has plummeted. I am wondering what to do. She is a little on the skinny side now - her hip joints are obvious at a glance although her spine is not. We seem to still have good poos. I have put a hay basket near where she chooses to sit to try and encourage her to eat more hay, which is what I feel she has stopped eating. I have also been slipping her extra fenugreek crunchies, fibafirst and bits of bananna when Bruce is not looking (as he needs to loose about 200gms ). However I am wondering whether I should be trying to build her back up whilst her feet are still bad? I am aware that extra weight could exacerbate the foot problem. I am also wondering what other foods I should be slipping her to help her out. She is still eating her pellets from the treatball without problems.

how about some herbage mixed in with the hay would that help

I am sorry Cheryl love, I hope she is better soon.

Hugs

JO xx

She gets herbage already Rob.

mine love parsley and i believe that can make them put on a little weight maybe a little extra of that will help her gain a little

She gets parsley almost daily as well.

Her diet looks like this.

first thing - greens, parsley, coriander, fennel, rocket
mini shredded wheats with metacam and glucosamine

all day - meadow or ings hay, herbage, timothy hay, readigrass

evening - her share of 23gms pellets

gosh stop her running amok and burning it all off

I'd be inclined to be feeding her more until her weight is at least staying stable and it sounds like ideally she could do with putting some on (although, as you say, there's probably a benefit to her being a bit lean while she has sore feet).

Can you sneak her extra pellets without Bruce getting to them?

What do you think the link between her feet and the weight loss is? Is she less active because she has sore feet so eating less? Or do you get the impression she is more stressed than usual, with the treatment, handling and pink socks?


ETA - while we are trying to get weight on Poppy, she is getting more mini shredded wheat than anybun else, two or three a day. She seems indifferent to most food and hay and will not overeat, and she is very active so trying to plump her up is hard going. Humum thought mini shredded wheat *probably* aren't bad for her, and at least she does wolf them down...

When Humum wants Jack to get a few extra pellets, she distracts Layla with a pot with about three pellets in it while Jack is nomming his way through a little pile of them. That does rely on the fact that Layla is a bit thick though

I couldn't quote the source, but have heard that green oat hay is good for weight gain. I'm not sure if it is recommended for adult buns as a main hay (Maysie? Gentl?) or if, like alfalfa, it is a bit high in something they should not have too much of. But it might encourage her to eat more until the Ings is available again - all of us go barmy for it when we get it as a treat hay.