Sand Colic Prevention for Horses

Sand moves through the digestive tract with food and is passed in manure, but it can irritate the intestinal lining along the way. This irritation can lead to colic. If sand accumulates, it weighs down the intestine and can impair motility, hindering proper digestion and function. Reduction in motility in turn hinders the passage of sand and leads to more accumulation, and in some cases, the slowdown and accumulation cause a blockage.

  1. Causes

    • Some horses eat sand for unknown reasons. In areas with sandy soil, unintentional ingestion is possible when grass is short-grazed or pulled out by the roots. Sand is also consumed when hay is fed on sandy ground. For both of these reasons, these kinds of impactions are more prevalent in certain areas; Florida and California are among the states where sand impactions are more likely to occur. A continuous low-level intake of sand leads to colic and diarrhea, a condition called sand enteropathy.

    Symptoms

    • As with all types of colic, the most prevalent symptom is abdominal pain. Other symptoms include diarrhea, dehydration, repeated laying down, sweating, pawing at the ground and weight loss.

    Diagnosis

    • According to Dr. Thomas Gore, DVM, rectal palpation will diagnose a sand impaction if the impacted segment is within reach. When not within reach, the volume of sand in the feces can be estimated by filling a rubber glove with balls of fresh manure, adding water, mixing and observing the amount of sand that settles out in the fingers of the glove. More than 2 tsps. is significant.

    Problems

    • Sand tends to accumulate in the cecum and large colon. However, if a significant amount is consumed at one time, a sand impaction can develop in the ileum--the entrance of the cecum. The weight of the sand in the large intestine may cause displacement of the colon from its normal position, a torsion (twisting of one section of the intestines around another section) or a volvulus (a twist in the intestines greater than 360 degrees).

    Treatment

    • It is important to administer large volumes of water during an acute attack of sand colic, either by nasogastric tube or intravenously. Failure to replace fluids lost by diarrhea, dehydration and sweating makes sand impactions drier and more difficult to pass. The laxative of choice is a soluble fiber derived from psyllium seed husk. Psyllium forms a jelly in the intestinal tract that collects the sand and lubricates its passage. Surgical removal is necessary for difficult sand impactions and those unrelieved signs of intestinal obstruction.

    Prevention

    • Prevent sand impactions by feeding hay in racks or mangers. When horses graze on sandy soil that has caused sand colic and impactions in the past, dry psyllium powder can be added to sweet feeds as a form of prevention. There are also prepared psyllium products, such as Sand Clear. These horses may be fed psyllium daily for five to seven days each month.