Re:Psylium / a vets recommendations

[karen Clanin <kclanin@fix.net>]

below is a paper a vet in our area (central california) wrote a few years
ago to hand out to clients.  as we have some horses that don't need 2 to 3
lbs of sweet feed i mix the psyllium with alfalfa/molasses.

the best way to know if your horse needs treatment is to test the manuer on
a regular basis.  

btw, feeding on rubber mats is fine -- if the horses track in sand/dirt
then sweep them off.  i have to sweep out the stalls once a day.

karen clanin


SAND COLIC by Mathew Eliott, DVM

The term 'colic' refers to any upset of the horse's digestive tract.  A
common cause of colic in this part of California is the ingestion of sand.

Horses will seemingly vacuum up large quantities of sand as theya clean up
any loose hay around their feeders.  In addition, some horses seem intent
on 'grazing' even though there may be no pasture present.  The ingested
sand after being moistened by the intestinal secretions settles out in the
large intestine where it remains and accumulates.  As the intestines
undergo their normal movement (peristalsis) the heavy wet snad acts as an
abrasive on the delicate lining of the intestine.  Exercising the sanded
horse can result in greater intestinal irritation as the sand abrades the
gut lining.

The presence of large quantities of sand in the digestive tract of the
horse can result in an array of aclinical signs.  Depression, rough hair
coat, off feed, occasional diarrhea, intermittent bouts of colic, stretched
out position resenbling the urination posture are typical symptoms to watch
for.  Other clinical signs include progressive weight loss despite adequate
feed intake, cranky/grumpy behavior and any other vague clinical signs
resulting in what i call "ADR" ("ain't doin right).

The dignosis of sand colic cna be made by one of several means.  Carefully
floating out several fresh manuer balls in a glass jar may reveal the
presence of sand after the water has been poured off.  More reliable is
using a stethescope on the lowest portion of the abdomen and listening for
the presence of sand.  The shifting layers of sand will make a sound
similar to that of sand in a paper bag which is being slowly rotated.  The
most definitive means of identifying the presence of sand in the intestine
is to ultrasound the abdomen.  The sand is readily visualized on the
ultrasound screen.

Treatment of sand colic involved the daily administration of psyllium.  It
is derived from a plant grown primarily in India and is the active
ingredient in the laxa tive Metamucil.  Although classified as a laxative,
psyllium is used to treat diarrhea as well as constipation in humans.  It
is also used in the treatment of colitis, diverticulitis, irritable bowl
syndrome, diabetus, and high cholesterol.  In horses, psyllium is the only
substance that effectively removes sand.  Bran and flax seed are of no
value in the removal of sand.

The dose of psyllium is 2 oz. per 200 lbs body weight given once a day
until the manuer is negative for sand.  For a 1,000 lb horse, this is about
3/4 of a 1 lb.coffee can full of psyllium.  The psyllium is mixed with 2-3
lbs of sweet feed and 2 oz. of vegtable oil.  The vegetable oil will
prevent the horse from separating the grain from the psyllium.  The
psyllium=-grain mix is fed once per day until the manuer is negative for
sand (usually 2-3 weeks).  The horse is then placed on a maintenance dose
given once every 2-3 weeks.

The duration of the treatment will vary depending upon the amount of sand
in the horses intestine.  Horses which are 'sanded' will have readily
accumulated 5 lbs to 40 lbs of sand by the time I am called to examine
them.  Therefore, sometimes up to 6 weeks or more of daily psyllium is
required to remove the accumulated sand.  Horses that have died from sand
colic will frequently have over 50 lbs of sand in their abdomen.

In addition, foals are well known for their indiscriminate eating behavior.
 In other words, as they investigate their surroundings, they do so in part
by nibbling whatever  is in front of them.  A common cause of colic in
foals in the summer months is related to the ingestion of sand.

An additional recommendation I have regarding the feeding of horses is to
not use feeders that hang from fences.  Hay will usually end up scattered
on the ground instead of in the feeders.  I encourage horse owners to use
large tractor tires with plywood bolted to the bottom.


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