Fat_Pony
Well-Known Member
My horse has always had a sensitive gut. He is only 4 and always has droppings on the looser side, they often smell quite strongly and he always passes brown liquid afterwards. He looks bloated and his abdomen is hard to touch. He will often rub his bottom, but he does not have pinworm. I have had him since weaning and he has always been this way. His diet consists of ad lib forage (either grass or hay) and a vit/min supplement with pre and probiotics. He has been regularly worm counted and wormed when required, so no issues there.
I have tried pretty much every supplement going and spoken to vets numerous times. No supplements seem to help and vets are not worried. I requested a blood test a few months back and all was normal, except very slightly elevated muscle enzymes which the vets were unconcerned by. As far as I am aware, the acid in the hind gut can cause tying up type symptoms of which raised enzymes would be one? He has had a couple of very mild episodes of what the vets called spasmodic colic - he was quiet, had a slight temperature and would not eat. All cured with a sachet of bute very quickly and again vets unconcerned.
He is now backed and other than not being overly forward, is going well. He struggles with right lead canter. His canter is very punchy and he doesn't step under as well as he could. His trot is better, but he still holds a lot of tension when he moves.
He is barefoot and is occasionally footy. He will also sometimes object to his back feet being picked up - just waves it about a bit before relaxing.
Now, I have been reading and all this screams hind gut acidosis. But is it because I am looking for answers and this seems to be the new "in" thing that horses are being diagnosed with? I am fed up with my vets being "unconcerned", they seems to think he is normal and I am worrying about nothing. His symptoms aren't severe and he doesn't seem grumpy or overactive to my leg, but all these little things seem to add up. Should I just get the vet out again and see what they think? Or try something like equishure and see if it works, if it does I can go back to my vet with some sort of evidence? My vets are normally very good, but seem to think I am worrying over nothing here.
I have tried pretty much every supplement going and spoken to vets numerous times. No supplements seem to help and vets are not worried. I requested a blood test a few months back and all was normal, except very slightly elevated muscle enzymes which the vets were unconcerned by. As far as I am aware, the acid in the hind gut can cause tying up type symptoms of which raised enzymes would be one? He has had a couple of very mild episodes of what the vets called spasmodic colic - he was quiet, had a slight temperature and would not eat. All cured with a sachet of bute very quickly and again vets unconcerned.
He is now backed and other than not being overly forward, is going well. He struggles with right lead canter. His canter is very punchy and he doesn't step under as well as he could. His trot is better, but he still holds a lot of tension when he moves.
He is barefoot and is occasionally footy. He will also sometimes object to his back feet being picked up - just waves it about a bit before relaxing.
Now, I have been reading and all this screams hind gut acidosis. But is it because I am looking for answers and this seems to be the new "in" thing that horses are being diagnosed with? I am fed up with my vets being "unconcerned", they seems to think he is normal and I am worrying about nothing. His symptoms aren't severe and he doesn't seem grumpy or overactive to my leg, but all these little things seem to add up. Should I just get the vet out again and see what they think? Or try something like equishure and see if it works, if it does I can go back to my vet with some sort of evidence? My vets are normally very good, but seem to think I am worrying over nothing here.
