Horse had diarreah...what could cause this? **UPDATE**

[FLchook]

Hi guys. Im rather new to the world of horses, and have not incountered a new issue. Sugar...my 21 year old mare....has had the runs for several days now. Nothing seems to be bothering her, its just nasty looking. It streaks down her legs...

We havent changed her food any, still the same type of hay. She was wormed about 2 weeks ago, could it possibly from that? Should I do something about it, maybe some pepto-bismal <grin>?

Any suggestions would be great!
Thakns,
shannon

 

[Wildsky]

Get a vet out.

 

[Chickaree]

you need to get a vet there asap

 

[ibpboo]

Yes, call the vet as she could dehydrate very quickly. Make sure she is getting plenty of water.

 

[patandchickens]

Yes. Vet.



Pat

 

[GwenFarms]

Older mare sometimes have problems digesting fiber and it will cause this to happen. I have a 21 yr old Arab that developed the same problem last year. We continue to give her hay, but also give her well soaked beet pulp mixed with her grain twice a day. Within days of starting the beet pulp the diarhea stopped. If I skip a day of the beet pulp it comes back.

I'm not saying you shouldn't get a vet out, you are the one looking at the horse, so only you can judge if it is called for. However, when the vet checked mine when it started, and it did start suddenly like this, she didn't really do much; just told me to make sure she had plenty of water and we discussed the possibility of it being ulcers.

I had two choices, start the $300 twice a month ulcer meds, or try adding easy to digest fiber....I went with the fiber and lucky me...it worked!

 

[verthandi]

Quote:
Everyone elses advice is excellent and I agree if it continues get the vet out to look at her. But is there any chance that she is having her first spring heat cycle? Some of my mares will get very loose stools when they first come into heat. Several days seems a little long for it to continue...but just a thought.

 

[helmstead]

None of my mares have ever gotten the runs from being in heat...

I would call a vet out, too. Especially for an aged horse.

The recommendation for added fiber is a good one...just make sure the beet pulp is a slurry, so that plenty of water goes in with it. If you are feeding a sweet feed, I'd gradually remove that, too, as sugar can exacerbate the runs. Add table salt to the slurry also to encourage her to drink, and try adding Gatoraide powder to her water to balance her electrolyte loss.

If she had a heavy worm load, the deworming might have damaged her intestinal lining. What dewormer did you use and how often do you deworm her?

 

[verthandi]

That's interesting helmstead. I probably shouldn't say the runs, but cow patty manure on their first spring heat. That first heat here is very strong and drawn out...and usually not a good heat to breed them as they tend not to take. Might be due to the fact that I am far north and the mares take a definate break during the winter months here from cycling unless I keep them under lights during the winter.

So all in all if it is a northern trait, very useless information for FLCrook.

 

[helmstead]

Maybe it is a northern thing, because I never get a break from cycling here! <<sigh>> Hmm...maybe our move to Indiana will have more benefits than I thought!