Emergency Treatment of Equine Diarrhea

Identification

• "Diarrhea is a symptom, not a disease," Welty says. "We need to examine a fecal sample to figure out what's causing the diarrhea."

What to Do

• Welty says the best thing to do for a horse with extreme diarrhea is capture an uncontaminated stool sample--one that hasn't come into contact with soil or sand. If the horse isn't agitated, stand behind it with a large plastic bag or lay a tarp on the ground, collect a sample and close up the plastic so it can be be carried back to the lab and analyzed.

Additional Help

• Confining the horse allows the owner and the vet to observe additional symptoms, Welty says. She also suggests offering a half flake of hay to gauge the horse's appetite. Fresh water should be made available to replace lost fluids.

Dehydration

• "Dehydration caused by diarrhea can lead to adverse health complications," Welty says. But she cautions that correct dosing of electrolytes and water requires veterinary expertise. Dehydration can lead to kidney failure if the horse is not properly rehydrated.

Causes

• Equine diarrhea can be caused by changes in activity, stress and diet. Other causes include sand ingestion, intestinal parasites, bacteria and tumors.