Malnutrition

At the Brooke there are 3 important steps we take to address malnutrition among working animals. 

1. Expertise - from the Brooke vets.

Skilled at diagnosing malnutrition, our vets and animal health teams act quickly to stop suffering by:

• providing veterinary care in emergency situations  
• dressing the wounds frail horses get through falls
• dispensing intravenous vitamins and nutritional supplements

Our experience shows that well nourished animals are less likely to become ill and more likely to recover quickly from wounds. So our local animal health teams advise owners on feeding their animals correctly at low cost.

We recommend three types of food, such as maize, bran and barley, mixed together and supplemented by leafy green fodder. This should be fed to the animal from a container or feedbag – not from the ground where food can easily become contaminated. 

By explaining how owners can improve the nutrition of horses and donkeys within their budget and demonstrating that it improves their condition, we can change the way they care for their animal permanently.

As well as advising owners individually, we run group training and also teach children so that they grow up with a better understanding of how to care for working animals.