Hello friends!

Since changing my horse's diet and getting him off pasture, he's had smaller bowel movements, and the stool is harder. He seems to be having trouble going too. I asked my vet about it at his recheck yesterday and he suggested trying psyllium. I haven't purchased any yet and wanted some other opinions. 

Thanks! 
--
Jessica J. in PA 2022
Case History: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Jessica%20and%20Augustus%20%28Gus%29 
Photos: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=281980&p=Created,,,20,2,0,0

Jessica,

Are you feeding salt, vs free choice salt?  Feeding salt will increase water intake a bit.
Psyllium without adequate water intake can make constipation worse. 
In my experience, horses may drink less water in the cold and now the hay has very little moisture vs pasture.
I have fed hay soaking in water (hay soup) to increase water intake in the winter but I live where it won't freeze.  Now I feed soaked hay that is wet due to my horse being IR.
I also feed very soaked cubes.
Is there a way you can increase your horses water intake?
--
Lesley Bludworth 
Phoenix, AZ   7/2022
Sophie TWH mare IR/EMS, PPID?
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/SophieB%20Case%20History
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=277749

Hi Lesley,

He is being fed salt as well as having it available free choice. I could start soaking his hay again, but he has this issue even when everything was soaked. 

He is a big water drinker too, but maybe not as big of one as I thought. 
--
Jessica J. in PA 2022
Case History: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Jessica%20and%20Augustus%20%28Gus%29 
Photos: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=281980&p=Created,,,20,2,0,0

Hi Jessica

I would discuss why your vet recommended psyllium, and is there concern of sand accumulation and/or sand colic.

If you've not done a treatment in some time, I would be inclined to do that. Powder is better than pellets. Make sure you feed your supplements separate from the psyllium.

https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/topic/73159371#248932

Deworming may also be in order if has not be done recently.
--
Nancy C in NH
ECIR Moderator 2003
ECIR Group Inc. President 2021-2022

HOW TO SEARCH THE ARCHIVES: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/wiki/1993

Hi Jessica.  How does your horse get water? Is there anyway you can measure his intake for a few days? Baseline calculation for water intake is 30-35 ml/ kg of body weight for maintanence  ..so roughly 5-6 gallons per day, for a 1200 pound horse. If the horse is shipping, exercising, sweating, etc the amount of water intake would need to go up. We also know that PPID causes an increase in water consumption. So as the PPID is correcting, water consumption should stabilize. Does he urinate frequently too? or have you noticed that has dropped off as well?  Frequent urinating is also a PPID symptom and stabilizes as the ACTH levels stabilize.  Once you get a baseline of what he's actually drinking, you can figure out your next steps. Let us know what you find :) 


--
Trisha DePietro
Aug 2018
NH
Primary Responder
Dolly and Hope's Case Histories
Dolly's Photos 
Hope's Photos 
HOW TO SEARCH THE ARCHIVES: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/wiki/1993     

We have some horses at our boarding barn that are not metabolic but do not drink enough water and have occasional mild colics.  For them we fill a 2 gallon bucket with warm water and add electrolytes and a handful of grain.  They drink it all down immediately.  Would one of the moderators comment if this would be safe for metabolic horses using salt and Timothy pellets, and maybe some wheat bran?


--
Nancy O, Colorado, 2022

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Nancy%20and%20Dot

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=280596

Would it help to add or increase magnesium?  Mine have had much better bowel movements (a bit softer) since I stated adding a heaping tbsp of mag oxide.
--
Linda in Grass Valley, CA  2020  Midnight and Ostara
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Linda%20Midnight%20OStara

Hi Nancy- years ago, I was using that trick before I knew my horse( Dolly)  was PPID/IR and she wouldn't drink the water, but she would blow bubbles into the water to get the grain to move to the surface so she could just eat the grain....It was the funniest thing...but she never drank more water! Thanks for making me think of that and have a good chuckle! 


--
Trisha DePietro
Aug 2018
NH
Primary Responder
Dolly and Hope's Case Histories
Dolly's Photos 
Hope's Photos 
HOW TO SEARCH THE ARCHIVES: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/wiki/1993     

Hi Nancy,

I'd be curious to find out if it's simply the warm water that does the trick. It is appealing to horses in the cold weather,especially.
--
Lorna in Eastern Ontario
2002

You should feed psyllium wet, mixed into a meal. In humans it is a  bulking/softening laxative but horses will adapt to it and eventually ferment it so it turns out to be a prebiotic. You still get the benefit of the extra water. Start with 1 cup dry and soak it to a slime consistency.
--
Eleanor in PA

www.drkellon.com 
EC Owner 2001
The first step to wisdom is "I don't know."

Follow up questions please Dr Kellon, about feeding minerals at the same time.

Once the horse has adapted and fermentation takes place, it loses the ability to carry sand out. Can minerals be fed at the same time at that point? IOW, they would no longer be carried out.

Thanks

--
Nancy C in NH
ECIR Moderator 2003
ECIR Group Inc. President 2021-2022

HOW TO SEARCH THE ARCHIVES: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/wiki/1993

RE: Warm vs cold water. I have one of each in preferences. One has to have warm; one cold.

RE: Magnesium. Need to be mindful of major minerals in the hay test. Some horses won't respond until a significant amount of mag is applied (I had one) and you can invert the calcium;magnesium balance.

--
Nancy C in NH
ECIR Moderator 2003
ECIR Group Inc. President 2021-2022

HOW TO SEARCH THE ARCHIVES: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/wiki/1993

Dr. Kellon,

Thanks for this reply. How much of the soaked psyllium should I be feeding daily? Would it be that full amount or is that a premixture and I feed smaller amounts of it? 

Thank you! 
--
Jessica J. in PA 2022
Case History: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Jessica%20and%20Augustus%20%28Gus%29 
Photos: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=281980&p=Created,,,20,2,0,0

That's the full amount but you can divide it up.
--
Eleanor in PA

www.drkellon.com 
EC Owner 2001
The first step to wisdom is "I don't know."