What Are the Causes of Chronic Diarrhea in Horses?
- With over 100 feet of intestinal tract, there can be a lot of different things that could cause diarrhea in a horse. Parasites and salmonella are just two such things. And while infectious agents like these can mean big problems for your horse, not all diarrhea is cause for alarm. This article will take a closer look at some of the main, less life-threatening causes of diarrhea in a horse.
- Many horse owners will testify that their horse has diarrhea immediately following a long ride. The loss of electrolytes and water during longer than normal rides can have that effect. Then too, just by taking a horse out of its usual surrounding, for an event or a show, can give it diarrhea. In either of these cases, providing the horse with electrolyte supplements and fresh water will generally get rid of the diarrhea.
- It may seem surprising, but bad teeth, especially in older horses, has been known to cause diarrhea. This is mainly caused by poorly ground feed. Poorly ground feed can upset and inflame the digestive track causing diarrhea. The best thing to do is to make sure you regularly maintain your horse's teeth along with feeding it healthy amounts of hay and grain.
- This article has dealt with some of the less serious causes of diarrhea in horses. But just remember, with horses, diarrhea can quickly become life-threatening. It's recommended that should your horse suffer from diarrhea for an extended period of time, getting it to the vet quickly is the best medicine.
