High amount of sand in feacal sample??

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countrychick

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I have two ponies at a DIY yard on sand, they are both out 24/7 on a routine yard worm test, all horses were tested for sand. This is not something that has regularily been done before. Most horses and ponies tested high for sand. The vet suggested putting them all on Sand-Out. Surely of they have a high amount of sand in the manure this means they are passing the sand...? After the wet last two years I would kind of expect sand present. Very unsure about using Sand-out as is expensive and also heard reports that is can accumulate in the gut? Anyone out there with a solution?
 
I don't have an answer for you though can see how the vet may think this is proof the horses are ingesting sand but no proof that it's all being passed, IYKWIM, so can see the logic on their part.

Think you can buy non-branded Psyllium Husks for less than a branded treatment like Sand Out...

As I say, don't have an answer but will watch with interest as have researched this since moving to a sandy area and found as many people who think it's marketing bunkum as think it's a real risk, so am left undecided!
 
Thanks I may look into the non branded stuff, I have my suspicions that the vet was just trying to sell a load of sand out. They are always too keen to sell products etc...
 
We have a local yard that is on extremely sandy ground. 2 horses have died in the past 8 years from colic due to ingested sand there. I have a friend who used to stable her 4 horses there. One of them got repeated sand colic and was put on Sand-Out which he had to remain on for a further 6 months after leaving the yard. I would never underestimate the seriousness of the possibility of sand colic.
Sand ingestion is a serious problem and some horses seem to suffer whilst others not. Sand-Out is expensive, but I don't understand your fear of it accumulating in the gut - the whole point is that the sand in the gut adhers to it and passes through the horse's system. The standard test for horses at risk of sand colic is to mix their droppings with water and to see if there is any sand present. If your horse is pooing out sand he is ingesting it and therefore at risk of sand colic. They will not pass all the sand naturally which is how the colic occurs.

I understand that the pyslium husks will perform a similar job.
 
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countrychick said:
I have been told that Sand Out on occasion has actually caused severe impaction colic due to lumps of it not moving through the gut...
But I do take your point.
Click to expand...

Personally, I think you are playing with your horses lives if you don't listen to the vet on this. It seems to me you are trying to justify saving money and not paying out to protect your horses. If your horses had worms... would you worm them? No difference in my opinion. You are risking your horse... If you do not want to pay out for this product/or something similar. Your best course of action is to move to a yard that does not have sand. I would not consider keeping my horse in that environment without using some form of preventative treatment. I would also say your risk of colic is far higher without treatment than with.
 
Not a case of saving money at all! I have read extensively on the subject and research clearly states that there are plenty of arguements for not using Sand out type products, and just to uses beet, which is what I have been doing. The practice has reputation for selling loads of supplements etc..maybe I have just become too cynical in my old age...
The welfare of my ponies will always come first, but I will not be drawn into gimicky products that have no proven worth.
 
try posting on a US forum-they have alot more experience of this sort of thing. please don't play around with the risk of sand colic, I've seen horses on the table with it and its staggering how much they were carrying around frankly-would have taken years to accumulate and all of them had extensive surgery.
 
Personally knowing the colic risk i would follow vet advice.
HOWEVER......
Use it for a month, then re-test if no difference i would try alternatives.
 
Hmm an interesting read here:

http://www.ecmagazine.net/vol5_4/sandcolic.htm

Among other things, seems to suggest the psyllium has only been more effective than control when horses removed from the pasture during course of treatment (ie they haven't only changed one variable at a time = not reliable as scientific proof the psyllium works, but may show stabling while treating with psyllium is effective)...

I wonder if there are any other studies looking at the other conditions (besides just sandy pasture) which could contribute (ie lower forage diet, etc)...

PS the study quoted in this article suggests 250g twice a day, quite a lot more than other recommendations.
 
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Yep read this one and others esp from US, all saying pretty much the same, unless you remove the cause i.e. sandy pasture then the psyllium is not proven to help.....ordered some to try but not convinced. It was a bit of a random test, livery yard has been there 30 years and never had a case of sand colic and up until now has never done a sand test through the vets, so no real base line to work from...
 
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