Remedies for Sand Colic

Sand colic is a disease occurring in horses that graze in sandy pastures, are fed on the ground, or who have developed a habit of eating dirt. A buildup of dirt and sand will occur in the intestines, causing an impaction. The prognosis for sand colic is usually good as long as the exposure to poor quality pasture and grazing is minimized.

  1. Supplements

    • If feeding a horse on sandy soils is unavoidable, supplement the horse's diet with soluble-fiber bulk-inducing agents such as psyllium (Metamucil or Modane) for a week each month. These supplements help to gather the sand and move it through the digestion track.

    Medications

    • Many veterinarians will prescribe common pain-relief and anti-inflammatory medications such as Buscopan and phenylbutazone (Bute) in order to manage sand colic.

    Surgery

    • In most cases of sand colic, surgery is necessary to remove impactions of dirt and sand from the intestines. The University of Liverpool states that "surgical treatment of equine colic cases is never entered into lightly. It involves risk to the horse, expense for the owner and a big commitment in time and effort from the surgical team. However, in most cases it offers an affected horse the only chance of survival and should be undertaken without delay."

    Intestinal Lubricants

    • Often, mineral oil is used to flush impactions out of the digestive tract. This is administered by a veterinarian with a stomach tube.

    Exercise

    • If a horse is suffering from any kind of colic, gentle exercise is often helpful in moving sand particles through the intestines. Such exercise should only take place under a veterinarian's supervision.