Help any ideas to help my colt

[Willow Glen]

O.k I have a colt that has runny poo (like cow poo), He has been like this now for a little while now, When it first happened he had been fine one day and then the next day after I brought him in off the grass I noticed he had poo on his legs I didnt really think anything about it at that time and just thought maybe he had had to much gras so gave him some hay to help him get them firm again but the next morning he still had it so I kept him off the grass for a couple of days in hope it would help (the other horse he was out with in the same paddock was fine) Well it his poo turned to the colour of his hay and his hard feed but was still runny as so I went to the vet and they gave me stuff for scourers and gave him a course of that stuff then it got way worse and his poo turned to water so the next day so I rang the vet up and out she came ( he had also noticabley became thinner), we did all the usual stuff like temp and stuff and that was all fine he was nose drenched with a concoction of stuff to help bind him up and to dehydrate him ( he still had an appitite but was drinking more than usual)he also was given a wormer that had to be given everyday for bout 5 days as she thought he may have have had a infestation of worms maybe ( he has always been on a regular worming programme) she also took bloods and a fecal sample and sent then off, he was also put on a digest rite powder that was added to his feed everyday to get the right bacteria back in his tummy, The test results came back all clear no worms and his bloods where normal, the drench did thiken up his poo so it wasent water anymore and the vet said that there isint anything showing up as a cause and couldnt find a reason or a cure ( so now I'm left with a huge vet bill that i'm paying off with no result for my boy)So I shifted him to my parents to change his paddock in case there was anything in his current one that had caused it. I heard to give him afidofilose yogert ( bad spelling sorry )so gave him that syringed in to his mouth every day for just bout 2 weeks that did improve his poo to the state it is in now like cow poo. he has been at my parents now for a while and has gained back all the weight he lost and is looking really great but still has runny cow poo poo's and still drinks alot and the poo dus smell, he is one of my horses I want to show but how can I when he has the craps and poos over his legs and tail ( not a good look), what ever he has it is not catching as all the other horses on the property are fine.

Is there anyone out there with some idea on how to help me PLEASE HELP.

 

[Magic]

I'm trying to think of what else can cause the runs... sand can, has he been on sand? Even if they are fed on rubber mats, etc, they can go chow down on sand for some odd reason if there is some available to them (had a weanling filly do that myself). You could try giving him a psyllium product and see if that helps. That's all I can think of right now, hopefully others will have more ideas for you. Good luck, it sounds very frustrating!

 

[eagles ring farm]

we have a mare we have to keep on a daily dose of pro-bias powder (similiar to yogart)

or she ends up with the runs started her on it

about 3 months ago (once a day)and she has been great since

but when we tried to take her off it after a couple weeks treatment (pro-bias)

she went right back to the runs again, so vet said just give it to her every

day for now on and she has been great the last 3 months this is just

her lifetime diet every day now

 

[nootka]

In addition to the sand, ask your vet about coconut. I have heard that coconut macaroons have been known to help stop chronic diarrhea when no known cause can be found.

Let us know what you find out.

Hopefully the pro bios or probiotics can help him out. They helped a mare that was here when she was being bred. She was pretty chronically runny, and after about two weeks on them, was pretty normal.

Liz

 

[mini1]

I agree with the probios. You can get it in a paste like a wormer. I would try that. Be careful with the psyllium though, I have heard that if you over-do it and they do have sand in the gut, you can do as much harm as good.

Good luck, I hope you find something that works!!

Kelly

 

[ClickMini]

I think that psyllium can really help. I recently had a bout of this with my weanling filly. Put her on Sand Clear (adjusted for weight), Probiotics, and regular human Pepto-Bismol. You can give 30 cc's of Pepto 3 times per day very safely.

I have one filly that was very sick with diarrhea for a year. She is lovely now, but we really had a battle for her life for a long time. I had to do a lot of different things for her and my vet bills were beyond large. What I have learned from that is:

1. Sand in the gut is VERY common, and can cause this problem. Foals seem to be especially prone to it. Use psyllium (products like Sand Clear, Sand Trap) to clear it. I used it for a month on my really sick filly, I used it for a couple of weeks on the one that had the problem this year.

2. Foals need to be dewormed more often than adults. Keep on top of your deworming program! Use Equimax or Zimectrin Gold to make sure you get tapeworms at least twice per year.

3. Products you can use that can help: Pepto Bismol (30 cc's 3x daily), BioSponge (http://www.platinumperformance.com/animal/equine/products/productcategories/product.cfm?category_id=458), Probios or similar.

4. Make sure your horse does not get dehydrated!

5. A very bland diet of grass hay and soaked beet pulp. A side benefit of the beet pulp is that it is easy to mix in some of the other stuff like the sand clear and the probiotics. I always feed Pepto, Biosponge, and dewormer from a syringe into the mouth.

Good luck. This is a frustrating problem that CAN BE DEADLY. Don't let it slide. My friend's beautiful yearling colt just died from this.

 

[Willow Glen]

Wow thanks guys I was thinking my horse was the only one, He hasent been anywhere near sand that i no of the scour stuff I used was a pepto-bismol I didnt no ya could use humane stuff that would be cheaper,I also got those biscuts yesterday but he wont try them (the others sure wanted to haha) I also got shredded coconut and thought I could add that to his feed would that would like the coconut biscuts?, where can ya get the probios and psyllium from ya vet?

 

[ClickMini]

They can pick up sand even from grazing on grass or from the footing in your paddocks.

You can get most of the stuff I listed from the feed store, or online. You can get the biosponge at the link I put above.

 

[Marty]

Exactly what kind of feed are you feeding and what kind of hay? Sometimes things are just too rich and will cause it.

And don't forget that a fecal test does not show all worms

 

[shelia]

Put a ration of hay in a tub and fill it with water. You will see how much dirt comes out of it. It is terrible when you think about it. No matter how carefull you are they will get sand. Some pass it faster than others. You may have to give psyllium for a long time to help clear it all. In my opinion, bio sponge is the best for diarrhea. It has no side effects and can be given for a long time. It also absorbs 99% of toxins. pepto bismal can give ulcers along with some of the other anti diarrhea meds. I wouldn't give bio sponge and psyllium at the same time though. (you should ask your vet) You can also get bio sponge from your vet, but it is very expensive that way.

If you get the diarrhea pretty stable at cow pie then it would be a good time to start psyllium. If the diarrhea is worse, you probably need to get that under control first. With psyllium you should start to see results in a couple of days. The only way to know for sure if they have sand is to get x rays. You can put some clean manure in a baggie and fill with water, squash it up and see how much sand falls to the bottom. That is not a full proof test though.

I am rooting for him! I know how scary this can be! Give him a hug for me.

Shelia B.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

For my elderly full-sized horse who suddenly developed chronic diarrhea after a lifetime of no problems and no changes in diet it seemed like we tried everything. In the end what helped was peppermint! My holistic veterinarian told me to put him on 1 tablespoon of dried peppermint leaves once a day and lo and behold he dried up right away. I spend about $5 for a large bag that lasts three months and he's completely normal. Gosh forbid I take him off it though, it becomes obvious very quickly that the problem is still there!

Yuck.

Leia

 

[eagles ring farm]

Hobbyhorse23 Where do you buy Dried Peppermint leaves? i'm asking for a friend

who has this problem with a pony

 

[hobbyhorse23]

The local health food store may have it. You can get it at Fred Meyer nutrition centers too but it's more expensive and you have to scoop it out into one of those static-y, easily ripped produce bags. The health food store orders it in bulk for me so it comes already bagged.

Leia

Edited to add: Bonus- it makes his breath smell great and I can steal a little for peppermint tea if I want to! No worries about inhaling this medication! *LOL*

 

[Alex]

Leia, Ive never heard of that! Mabe Ill give it a try.

 

[Miniv]

The peppermint sounds like a neat idea! It's supposed to work for human babies too!

 

[Willow Glen]

thanks alot guys so many great ideas I think i'll try the peppermint first as a natural approch and if it still dosent work I'll try the probios and stuff. He currenly isny on any hard feed as I thought it may have been the feed he has been off it for a month with still no change so cant of been that. My dad makes our hay at his place which we have paddocks we have grassed out specally for the pourpose of making hay for the minis so we no what we are making for them, since we have a mare that has laminitis we make our hay when the sugar content is low just for her, I cant wait to try the peppermint can ya grow ya own peppermint and dry it ? I no mum has it in her herb garden.

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

There was a Horrible rash of deadly and super infectious dirreaha going around from a place in FL for awhile, some of my friends horses ended up catching the nasty bug at a horse show, and it was all they could do to save them.

They went though Everything, and ended up putting them on a very bland home made grain mixture, and soft hay, and on a Pharm drug paste that they had to be on for a Long time. (And had already tried Everything else, including Bio Sponge.)

They also had a horrid smell, and very very touch and go. The vets all told them that the survival percentage was only 20% on chronic dirreaha, they didn't lose One!

All are Perfect now, it's really amazing!

I've never heard of the peppermint thing though- and after listening to all of my friends trials, I though I had heard it all!

Good luck, and I agree with the rest, Stay Right On This. It can be a really horrible situation!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I'm not sure that the peppermint would do anything for diarrhea resulting from things like bacteria or poor food as it wouldn't fix the cause (it can't provide any bulk for instance) but it certainly is a stomach-soother for me and my vet said something about it calming inflammation in the gut and soothing GI spasms. Who knows!

Like I said, at least it smells good and you can use it in tea if it doesn't help the horse.

I give Kody some in his grain when he goes off his hay in hopes that it will settle any beginning ulcers or stomach pain but would definitely discuss that with your vet before trying it. My mom worries for instance that it might be too strong like an essential oil although I've chewed on some myself as a trial and gotten nothing more than a pleasant taste.

Leia

 

[albahurst]

E-Coli can also cause diarrhea. Just a thought-

Peggy

 

[skylineminis]

Have you changed feeds recently or started him on grain from pasture? Sometimes, horses can not handle the higher protien of some feeds. I would put him on a 10% protein food and if you can find FASTRACK (a probiotic) I would suggest giving him the paste form for about a week. That will help his gut get back to normal. I prefer FASTRACK because I feel it's the best you can buy but it's hard to find in some places. If you can't find FASTRACK, use the Probias, it's better than nothing but I'd give about a half a tube per day for about a week.

Good luck.