# Runny bum, any ideas?



## Zayna (20 October 2008)

14.2 cob, good doer, on hay, a small feed twice a day and a few carrots, poor grazing on small paddock which is no bad thing as him and his pal can get quite rotund... no recent changes to feed, sent sample for worm count which came back negative, vet came on Saturday and advised worming with Equest Pramox which we did on Saturday teatime.

His droppings are formed but wet if you squeeze them (sorry), but he's passing liquid gas which ends up down his legs and in his tail. He drinks about 25 litres of water overnight.

Tried pink powder - no change.

No other symptoms. Happy, bright, eats well, coat flat and glossy (bit woolly for winter warmth now), membranes normal.

The vet says to ring in a week if there's no change after the worming. His droppings have firmed up but he's still passing this revolting liquid gas, it's all down his legs and in his tail. Poor chap.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas please?


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## fatpiggy (20 October 2008)

My mare had a dose of this about 5 years ago. Her belly was noisy and every time she moved she farted out gas and liquid poo. It made her legs sore and her tail a mess, plus she was obviously uncomfortable. I think it was what you would call colitis. I have no idea what started it off but what stopped it was sugar beet. It stopped very quickly and never came back. I would suggest you cut out the carrots - I've known them cause the trots in several different ponies.


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## joey1999 (20 October 2008)

One of mine had a bout of diarrhoea for about 4 days and my vet suggested Equine Gold Biotal. 48 hours later he was virtually back to normal. Might be worth a try?


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## Daffodil (20 October 2008)

My vet suggested I try Codeine Phosphate adjusting the dose to find what suits.  Anything up to 10 tablets is safe.  I found 3 x 60 mg a day has done the trick for 15 hh horse.


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## Zayna (20 October 2008)

Thanks for these replies. Do you not think it's anything serious then? 

The vet wants to see if the worming produces anything, then go down the route of stopping the squitting, rather than trying to bung him up initially.

She took blood samples which she'll send to the lab next week if there's no improvement.

Poor chap. His poor legs and bum, its so filthy. He's fed up of being washed and vaselined...


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## Box_Of_Frogs (20 October 2008)

A vet suggested codeine for a horse? I'm amazed. My ex-boss used to have to take soluble codeine on a very regular basis and she suffered chronic constipation. The reason codeine appears to dry up diarrhoea is that it slows the gut peristalsis/motility so food passes VERY slowly through the bowel so most of the water content is absorbed. I would have thought anything that makes a horse constipated is highly dangerous because of the risk of impaction?


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## itsgottobepink (20 October 2008)

Try feeding bran - only very slightly damp, as dry as poss (completely dry might choke him). Feed plenty of it either in his normal feed or instead of it (remember to add a teaspoon of limestone to bran to keep the calciumhospherous ratio if feeding long term). Bran dries them up like a dream, horses LOVE it and it's less than £5 a bag! Before anyone starts having a hissy fit over bran - my vet reccommends this as well, we use it on all liveries or competition horses that have the runs.


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## kellyeaton (20 October 2008)

keep her diet the same and add a good pre and probiotic to her diet and see if that has any affect!


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## Daffodil (20 October 2008)

I didn't say he was constipated!!  3 tablets a day has improved the consistency of his droppings to something approaching normal but they're still a bit looser than is possibly ideal, but for the reasons you've stated I don't want to increase the dose any more.   Also, since he's been on them he has filled out and put on weight, and I hope utilising his food better.  Going into the winter I think he looks better than he's done for some time.  He's always been a horse difficult to keep weight on.


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## clairel (20 October 2008)

My mare had this for a long time when I got her due to neglect. I found virtually dry bran as itsgottobepink suggested, but I also feed her live yoghurt, its cheaper than all those pre and probiotics, does the same job and she loved it!
I wouldn't be too worried if it is only a short term thing, as long as he isn't getting dehydrated?

ETS: Cut out the carrots! the high levels of sugar in them can affect horses stomachs very badly!


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## jeanne (21 October 2008)

Hi there,

try natural yoghurt, given with a 60 ml syringe, 4-5 time/day - after the first couple of time, horses start to like the taste - try not to wash him, I know it looks terrible but pat dry with kitchen roll &amp; apply vaseline or sudocream or some other barrier cream over the top


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## jendance (21 October 2008)

Hi...

Funnily enough I have had similar problems with my 14.3 cob gelding. He is now approaching 28 years old, and last winter i noticed he was getting extreme bouts of diarrheoa. I consulted a vet and they advised Codiene with Preds, which temporarily helped bind him up. Once we weaned him off it obviously came back and I was very reluctant to keep him on these long term for obvious reasons. A friend suggested I try www.simplesystem.co.uk as maybe he was getting to an age where his digestive system was struggling to cope with the cereals and molasses etc in normal feeds. Once I changed his diet I noticed a huge improvement. He is now fed a very basic forage based diet, including lucerne and beet well soaked, with linseed oil a couple of times a week, and ad-lib hay and this appears to suit him very well. He certainly looks good for his age!! It is only recently that I have noticed, as you described, solid droppings but a watery substance coming out after this, and also sometimes when he passes wind (!!). Nowhere near as bad as he was last winter however. I have been trialing Global Herbs Diareeze and this seems to be working well. My pony is also extremely well, with good coat condition, no sign of weight dropping, or being uncomfortable, so I have come to the conclusion that his problems is most likely due to his age. I would seriously consider looking at the Simple Systems website though - I wish I'd found it years ago. I have 2 other horses, a thoroughbred and a laminitic welsh pony, and they all look amazing on it.
Hope this helps!!


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## ozwolds (21 October 2008)

my boy is the same every winter he just lifts his tail and squirts out fluid its nasty and all down his legs and tail.
last 2 winters ive put bran in his feed with just a little water to take the dryness away from it, dont soak it. and its worked wanders.
this year i thought i would have ago at removing his haylage and give him hay instead and thats worked but he is starting to get nasty as he isnt keen on the hay and is hungry as he wont eat it, so i will be buying some bran tomorrow and going back to that this winter again, it works a treat.
Good luck with what ever you choose


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