chloramphenicol

[DressageLin]

My horse is currently hospitalized for a nasty infection that won’t clear. After multiple cultures and sensitivity/susceptibility testing, chloramphenicol looked to be the most effective so he is receiving it orally 3x/daily. He has been on it for about 10 days and his affect has changed dramatically. My usual chow hound is not interested in his hay or grain. He would not even take a single treat when I visited him. I have read that loss of appetite and depression are common side effects.

Any advice in getting him to eat? He’s losing weight and seems to have no interest in any type of interaction, which is very unlike him. He’s supposed to be on this for at least another 20 days, so I’m worried if this continues. I’d appreciate any experiences in getting him through this treatment. Thanks.

[Texarkana]

Is he on ulcer prevention? It’s pretty hard on their systems and I would not use it without. Probiotics can also help… the good kind from the vet.

It’s something you just have to power through, since usually by the time you’re at needing chloramphenicol, you’re dealing with a serious infection. Our team would basically offer the horses a “smorgasbord” of different feeds & hays until we found something the horse liked. Alfalfa and surprisingly, plain oats are often tolerated well.

[DressageLin]

He has been on ulcergard and he’s been scoped. The clinic is offering him beautiful grass hay and even small amounts of alfalfa. I’ve been taking bags of his usual feed and they are adding a bit of sweet feed to entice him. I left bags and bags of apples and carrots to mix in and use as treats. I’ll mention the probiotics.

[DressageLin]

Just an update – his demeanor was back to normal yesterday and he is eating great. We upped his pain meds and that seems to have made the difference.