Sloppy droppings (help again please)

[vicm2509]

I have posted about this before but im a little worried now. I got my horse in April and since then his poo seems to be very sloppy. At first I put it down to the grass as we had quite a rainy april. He was out 24/7 and being fed conditioning cubes and hi fi with hay when he came in. I added some fibre cubes (as someone advised them) and they made them a little firmer.

His dropping are still sloppy and quite regular and have been throughout the whole summer, they are getting very green and smelly now aswell, no doubt due to the sudden spurt of new grass. He is now fed on the soaked oats diet (soaked oats, alfa oil, with added biotin and carrots) and has hay when he comes in.

He has been kept in for a few weekends with hay only but his dropping are still the same. He has a constantly dirty bum, always gets poo down his legs and im starting to get quite worried, it is worse if he gets excited or worried ie at a show or on a hack. His weight doesnt seem to be affected by this. Is this normal? Can I add anything to his feed to help or should I get the vet to have a look at him?

 

[vic07]

you could try a probiotic. We have a horse who when worried does cow pats! The probiotic does help though.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

As this has been going on for 6 months or so now I would bring a vet in. If this was going to right itself it would have done it by now. A vet will probably come up with the answer after taking bloods. Good Luck

 

[Alibear]

vet and blood test for tapeworm which are a common cause for this.

If all clear and vet doesn't suggest anything then try coligone worked on my chap.

 

[miamibear]

My best friend has a horse who is exactly the same, think she may be getting him checked out soon, a couple of weeks ago he got bad but we are sure it was the grass!

She has tried every food going, she has him on Acid x by global herbs at the moment but its not making much difference!

She has tried pink powder too.

ATM he is on fibre cubes and happy hoof.

Very wierd!!

 

[Petrie]

Yes, I would get the vet if it had gone on that long. Mine had very sloppy poos when they first when out 24/7 on the spring grass, but then became normal.

 

[vicm2509]

Vet it is then, thanks for the advice

I will let you know what the vet says.

 

[MillionDollar]

I really wouldn't worry, my cob who is now 22, always has sloppy poo when shes on grass. She goes out for 12 hours, then in for 12 hours, but she has been in for a few days coz of an injury and her poo went a light brown colour and was no longer sloppy, but firm and had proper droppings. Its just the grass that makes her poo sloppy, i really wouldn't worry.

Oh we're sooo sophisticated talking about horse manure!!! lol!

 

[cornwallexracers]

One of my exracers had this for the first 12 months I had him, we finally discovered he had a sugar intolerance and he went on to A & P ride and relax, which is barley and molasses free and also contains a prebiotic, swopped his alfa a for alfa oil, and it has made the world of difference, no more cow pats!! We now have nice normal poo's!!

If you are worried though I'd get your vet to check him to rule out anything more sinister.

 

[Theresa_F]

I would personally have a check by the vet, but I am a cautious sort.

I can recommend Equimins pro-bio - I have fed this to several of my horses over the years and it is excellent and cheap.

Bad teeth can also cause digestive problems.

Hope he is ok.

 

[appennea]

My last horse was like this. I managed it by feeding balancer instead with sugar beet,readigrass and plenty of hay to maximise fibre intake as much as poss.

 

[flowerpot]

One thinks one may be taking in a little too much fibre in ones diet. Do as i do and settle for sloppy seconds!

 

[vicm2509]

Well his teeth are ok as they were checked just a few months ago. When he is in they do go slightly firmer and light brown but they are still quite sloppy. I am having the vet out to give him his jabs so I will ask him to take bloods while he is there.

Im not sure about too much fibre though as when I put him on the fibre cubes he seemed to get a liitle better. I do think it may be the grass as they get much worse at times like now when all the new shoots come up. He comes in at night on 1st november so I will see if they improve then.

I know that haylage or horsehage makes it worse as around april time when I got him the yard ran out of hay, I gave him some haylage and they went like water so I tried horse hage and they were the same.