A highenergy, highprotein diet should be fed. A range of foodstuffs can be used for this. In most cases a variety of feed will need to be offered until one is found that the patient will be happy to eat. Feed should be offered 45 times daily and succulents can be included in these feeds to make them as appetising as possible. It is more important that they have what they want, even if it does not seem like the ideal diet.
Most patients prefer the feed to be moist.
Feeding from a manger is also recommended as it can aid swallowing. Appetite is likely to vary from day to day, and few horses will eat well consistently in the early stages of treatment. Many patients suffer from sweating and to make them more comfortable it is important to groom daily in some cases washing may be necessary, although it is not recommended to wash the whole body. For some reason, rugging will often prevent sweating, with the horse dry under the rug and wet where not covered. Patients that suffer from crusting in the nasal area will benefit from having the nostrils cleaned.