Can not eating enough cause scouring?

[Darkwater]

A horse on my yard (not my own, but i'm helping look after him as owner is away) has over the last couple of days gone off his hay and started scouring.

The scouring deffinitely came after he started rejecting the hay, not the other way around - and i'm almost certain the reason he went off the hay to begin with is because this is a recent change from haylage.

The change from haylage to hay has been done over a several days by mixing them together to begin with, but he has mostly only been eating the haylage part of the mixture, and since he has been on only hay, has barely touched it at all. (He is turned out in the day so has been eating grass and has been seen doing so) He is eating his feeds but often isn't finishing them - but this isn't entirely unusual for him as he is on quite a 'boring' mostly sugar free diet so it isn't particularly tempting.

He has not lost any weight and seems fine in himself, is drinking normally, accepting carrots and his grass nut filled treat ball with his usual gusto.

It was last night and more so today he has started scouring, and my feelings are that it is because he has barely eating anything in the last 2 days that is causing this - I'm really just posting in the hope that people will either agree with me and put my mind at ease that is what it us, or if I am completely wrong let me know!

As owner is still away I have made the decision this evening to put him back on his haylage - As I feel it must be better for him to be eating something than to eat nothing and I didn't really have any other alternatives at hand. In hindsight I should probably have done this last night but I thought if was hungry he may be encouraged to eat the hay. He was tucking into the haylage as I left - So no apparent loss of apetite unless the hay is involved. Should also note that temperature, pulse etc also normal and others on the yard eat the hay with no apparent problems so there isn't anything 'wrong' with it.

Sorry if this is a slightly pointless post - I could just do with some assurance that I have done the right thing, and that it is his lack of intake that is causing him to scour. I will of course keep a close eye and if no change or worse later tonight or tomorrow I will be getting owners permission to call the vet.

Thanks to those who have read this far

 

[Sophstar]

When my pony had laminitis and was on a strict diet with only 3 small soaked nets a day, he suffered from scouring. If there isn't much fibre going through the gut, it cannot absorb the water and hence the absence of more 'normal' droppings.

 

[Echo Bravo]

If he's gone off the hay but eating grass if it's had a frost on it, that could cause scouring, but I'd be more worried that he's not finishing his short feeds. I would call the vet.