Horse with Chronic diarrhea???

cindyf · 08-14-2007, 06:32 AM

Ok, I just acquired a horse that has been suffering from diarrhea for the past couple of YEARS. They have had vet after vet come out and check him and try things but nothing seems to last forever. One of the issues is they have him on grass and that is a no no with horse with diarrhea, but other than that I don't know of any other treatment? Anyone have something for me to try? I will be boarding this horse on a dry lot no pasture.

seerfarm · 08-14-2007, 06:56 AM

Might suggest contacting one of the larger teaching schools for veterinarians, and see what they have to say. Cal-Berkley, Auburn and there is one in New York but unsure of name. Sounds as if he has Colitis. Has anyone tried a daily regumen of probios.

Touche · 08-14-2007, 07:02 AM

I agree with using probios.

Thanks to being educated by another forum member, I use Fastrak on my horse.

I have also use "Probios" in the tube.

I will say that I have a friend that has a horse that had chronic diarrhea for years. He was worse this spring and it turns out that he has "Coccidia".
Not very common, but it would be another thing for your vet to check.

KatieMae · 08-14-2007, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seerfarm

Has anyone tried a daily regumen of probios.

My thoughts exactly... A gelding that I was going to purchase at my boarding facility had diarrhea for a while.. Nothing showed wrong with him, just his loose bowels. Until the day he cast himself in his stall.. The vet ran the liquid coal stuff through him, and put him on probios. He was fine with in a week or so... It turned out he was fed hay that we found out can be poisonous in large quantities (wheat hay; aka: first cut of Coastal) Maybe try something like that...

There was also a mare at my barn who was ill as all get out (though you couldn't tell the owner that.) with diarrhea for a year.. The owner claimed it was only when she was in heat; which unless her heat cycle never ended, was impossible. She had numerous vets out, none could pin point it. She ended up having an ulcer..

Not saying that this is what is wrong with him, but maybe if you try the probios and it doesn't help, try having a vet check him out...

ToveroMom · 08-14-2007, 07:10 AM

For this I would definately want to know WHY the horse has it all the time. Needs a real work up. I acquired a horse that had contracted Giardia and it gave him that symptom also.
In the interim I would bring out the big guns. There is a daily probiotic that is just amazing. It is the best I have ever used on horses with serious issues. Do a search for "FORCO" It is a unique formulation and worked wonders for my gelding.
If you cannot get it in your area the company will ship it to you.
Good luck

soccer mom · 08-14-2007, 07:23 AM

When I first got my TWH, he had the runs. Found out he couldn't tolerate alfalpha hay or supplements. He is now on grass hay, oats and a little beet pulp and things are fine. You could try changing his diet to help. Senior feeds are more digestible.

cindyf · 08-14-2007, 07:30 AM

The lady I'm getting him from said if she kept him on a dry lot and fed him grass hay with senior feed he would get better but not totally. And if that changed at all it would come right back. I'm just questionable about that though. I don't know that she has ever tried the probios so we will try that. She has all his vet records so I'll read thru those when I get them. Keep the ideas coming, I will try anything.

divinemisselle · 08-14-2007, 10:49 AM

I'll ditto the probio advice! Or even yogurt in a pinch.

Knowing what I do about Salmonella, I would have him checked for that, too. Among what the others have already suggested, but this horse definitely needs a full workup to determine the cause! Poor guy!

Do you have a safe place to quarantine him before introducing him to any herd situation?

Alaskan Okie · 08-14-2007, 11:08 AM

Has he been on a good, consistent, rotational worming program? My grandpa is a little old school (he is 84) and insists on only worming once a year. When my gelding was in his care, he had chronic runs. It was exaggerated when he was worked or when he got nervous, but his back legs were constantly caked with gunk. I was young, and didn't know any better. But when I got into college I took over his care and started worming him more regularly. He got better.

I don't know if it was something else causing his problem, but it seems that parasite damage would irritae the bowels, causing colitis like symptoms. Just thought I would ask...

crittermom · 08-14-2007, 11:17 AM

I would definitely try all the "normal" stuff first. I have read in "People's Pharmacy" that humans with constant diarrhea sometime get relief by eating a coconut macaroon cookie or two. I don't know if this would work in a horse, but I would be willing to try anything to keep the poor guy from having continuous runs. I don't think coconut would hurt a horse----but really don't know.