Runny Poo's.

Firewell

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When I got my boy in this evening he had a really runny bum :(

I'm a bit worried by it tbh but I don't know if i'm overreacting. Last year my old horse was put down at this time of year with colic and bad tummy troubles so i'm a bit sensitive about this sort of thing!!

Ive tried to think what could have caused it but can't come up with much. I havent changed his feed for a while and what he is fed, he was fed all last winter without a problem. I haven't changed hay suppliers or anything and the haylage is the same brand as always.

He is in the same paddock he has been in all summer and the variations in grass over the past few months haven't affected him.

However yesterday and today when I have brought him in from the field his glands have been up slightly. He seems fine in himself, eating and not tucked up. Maybe a little on the quiet side but then again sometimes he is very quiet. I rode him this morning and he felt fine.

When I poo picked, it was his current droppings that were sloppy so i'm certain his runny tummy has come on fairly quickly this afternoon.

I hope hes OK in the morning!!!

The only things I could possibly think of which may have caused it are 1. His haynet ring is loose so instead of risking his haynet falling in the night I put his hay on the floor last night. This morning a lot of it was mixed in his bed leading me to think that he could have eaten some shavings with his hay? 2. When poo picking this evening I found some mushed up mushrooms in his field. He probably just stood on them, I cant imagine he woud eat them.. would he?!

What do you think could have caused it? I hope hes OK in the morn!

Just to add, the feed he does have is not competition feed its just alfa, kwiki beet and balancer. Also he was very chilled this evening so I dont think anything had startled him.

I'm panicking as per usual!
 
Sorry to hear about your boy. My Sec A is prone to a bit of a runny tum especially when it has rained a lot (which it did yesterday), which would make sense as the grass is that much wetter. I would think that eating the shavings (if he did) would have the opposite effect. You should watch out for spasmodic colic, although my boy tends to get that in the spring with the first flush of grass. You might want to put him on a pro-biotic (I use Baileys digest plus). But if he's really bad then I get a charcoal based powder from the vet which usually gets him sorted pretty quick. Good luck, and keep us posted.

ETA I'm no expert, this is just what I have worked out with my little chap!
 
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you might find the grass to be a little richer than to be expected at this time of year - I knows ours has come back massively with the autumn flush.

Mine will get a runny tummy if he has too much protein which is not helpful as he has to be on haylage. I put him on Naf Pink Powder as a balancer and he stays normal all the time now. Its not expensive either.
 
Thank you very much for your replies!

He has a live yeast probiotic in his balancer, but maybe I should add something else for the mean time.

I did think that maybe the torrential rain yesterday and then the sunshine we had this morning may have meant the grass is really damp and rich. More than normal anyway.

I wouldnt normally panick this much, but Im just paranoid that the same thing will happen that happened to my late mare :(
 
Glad I am not the only one worrying! My boy has had a runny bum too of late, did wonder if it was to do with all the recent rain and mild weather we have had causing a flush of grass. Will give the pink powder a try
 
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