Agwest Newsletter - April 2013

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Newsletter Series
"Poop Juice" - Your horse has the squirts !
No, it’s not the latest health craze, or a fancy pyramid scheme from neighbors to buy health drinks from them. It’s
just a slang term for a fairly common problem. Every barn likely has that one horse that who has a bit of extra fluid
before or after bowel movements. A dirty tail or back legs, wet stall, and stained pants usually get everyones
attention. Fortunately, this is not usually a serious health concern. But it does warrant some investigation on your
part.
The GIT System
The equine gastrointestinal tract is a complex
biological system. Measuring in at over 80ft long,
with 10 major sections along the way, it has perhaps
the most dramatic influence on your horse’s health
than any other body system. While several
abnormalities can occur in the “front half”, this
paper focuses on the “back end”.
After food leaves the stomach, it enters the small
intestine. Here it gets broken down into smaller
particles and absorption of nutrients starts to occur.
Starch, sugar, protein, and fat get digested & absorbed in the small intestine.
The Large Intestine
The large intestine is made up of the cecum and the colon. The main function of the large bowel is to digest fibre
and remove water from the feed. Coordinated movements back and forth within the large bowel allow time for the
gut bacteria to break down the plant fiber. Proper fermentation of this fibre produces Volatile Fatty Acids the
horse can absorb for energy. Segmentation and water removal finally results in normal fecal balls.
For Poop Juice to occur, there is dysfunction of the large intestine. This is seen as the characteristic
watery splat that happens either just before or after the horse has a bowel movement. The volume varies, but it
can be up to a few cups of fluid in severe cases.
What are the possible causes?
1. The HORSE is the problem → The cecum or colons may have actual pathology (abnormalities). Damage
from parasites, bacterial infections, improper gut microbes, and previous medications like phenylbutazone can
cause inflammation of the bowel lining. Inflammatory bowel disease is becoming increasingly common. The
result is damaged and inflamed bowel that is less efficient at absorbing fermentation products and
water.
Causes cont’d →
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2. WE are the problem → More commonly it occurs because the feed reaching the hind gut is not balanced
correctly. The fat, protein, starch, and sugar is supposed to be handled by the small intestine first. If we provide
a diet that is too concentrated with these nutrients, they get past the small intestine, enter the large bowel, and
the horse starts “hind gut fermentation” on ingredients that are not supposed to be there.
What diagnostics can we do?
1.Good History - often getting the full details on duration and severity of
symptoms, feed changes, medications administered, or other horses with
similar symptoms will help point towards possible causes.
2.Physical Exam - your veterinarian will do a complete exam to assess the
overall health of your horse. Sometimes there are other issues being
overlooked.
3.Fecal Sample - we check for parasite infection and do lab tests for infectious
diseases. Positive results from this testing needs specific treatment discussed
with your vet.
4.Diet Evaluation - this is most important. Having an accurate record of
the past and current diet is crucial. Hay analysis is inexpensive and easy to do.
Measure feed weights of grains, supplements, and hay flakes. Once you see the
numbers on paper it is remarkable how some problems stand out. We make
diet evaluation part of our routine service at Agwest.
More advanced diagnostics including bloodwork, tissue sampling, and digestion tests can be helpful in certain
cases.
Treatment
Infectious, parasitic, or inflammatory diseases can be addressed with specific treatments recommended by your
vet. While some large bowel abnormalities respond rapidly to drug treatment, some long standing cases require
patience and several weeks of treatment before successful results are seen.
Dietary evaluation & modifications are always part of the treatment plan. Choosing the correct hay,
grains, and supplements is the basis of bowel health. Specific probiotics can help with fibre digestion. Spending
a little time consulting on this area of health care will have huge benefits for your horse.
New
Farrier’s Formula
Now Available at Agwest
We are pleased to announce the availability of Farrier's Formula Double Strength
to our product line. This popular hoof supplement is commonly recommended by
veterinarians and farriers to help build a health foot.
Great Price, and available for pick up or drop off.