Eating poop???

[schutzandwhinnies]

I am calling my vet tomorrow to see what he has to say, but why would mare and the foal be eating her poop? I was out this evening and noticed our foal eating some of mom's poop. :new_shocked: then about an hour later I noticed momma eating her own poop. Has anyone else ever seen this before? I have heard of dogs eating their own poop trying to satisfy a deficiency need. Do horses do the same. We feed her EW grass hay and horse guard suppliments with selenium and water. She also gets sandclear once a month. She is on a regular worming schedule??? Usually she won't even eat grass that is near her poop. I hope everything is ok.

 

[nootka]

Don't know for sure about the mares eating the manure, but the foals do this quite normally, mostly when they're very young (under two months, but I've seen and heard of it going on longer).

Do you also have a salt/mineral block for them?

This hot weather we've had they'll need it.

I've heard various explanations for this (read them, too) from the foal needing certain bacteria in its intestinal tract/digestive system, to just the fact that "it's there".

I wouldn't worry a lot about it though it's good to consult your vet as well.

Liz M.

 

[schutzandwhinnies]

Thanks Liz, :bgrin We had Barbie colic soon after the foal was born and just Sat the foal colicked and he was tubed etc....we are still giving him the meds and one of them is the Probios and Gastroguard for 5 days. So it's my watch right now and I just saw her poop and he got up and started eating it. So Maddy went out and picked it up.

We just wormed her for the first time after the foal was born 2 days ago. I was a bit worried, but there isn't any worms in her poop.

 

[nootka]

Well, since you added that they have both colicked, then I would definitely be in touch with my vet about their eating manure and checking why that may be.

I'm sure you're keeping a close eye on them. I'm betting vet will say it's ok and just to clean it up fast to keep 'em from doing it. I know I try to, but there's some I miss (like overnight and in between checks), so I have to figure that "foal breath" is far worse than I dreamed it could be.

*LOL*

Take care,

Liz M.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

OK- as Liz said the foal eating poop is fine, the mare eating poop is abnormal and indicates a mineral/fibre defence.

Since both these animals have colicked you need the Vet ASAP, PLEASE do not delay.

In a case like this I would rather have the Vet say there is nothing wrong than wait, and believe me I do not call the Vet unnecessarily!!!

 

[Jill]

We had a mare who used to have this disturbing habit (frequently eating it), and over time, I think I have caught most of mine at least nibbling their home cooking.

What I believe helped stop the one mare who really endulged in this snacking was switching the horses off sweet feed (which I now think is BAD for many reasons) to complete pellets and feeding them all more. I think I'd let them get too skinny when this was happening and also that maybe the nasty girl was eating poop because some of the oats in the sweet feed were passing through undigested. Anyway, it has stopped with her a couple years ago and has not started back up agan.

 

[HGFarm]

I agree with rabbitz on the mineral/ fiber deficiency possibility. Usually fiber is what causes this. I am greatly concerned that they have both colicked- as a new foal should NOT, however the foal HAS to eat the mom's poop to obtain the bacteria necessary for his digestive system to work correctly. Rabbits must do the same or the babies will die without it!

I would certainly have the vet out to take a look!!!

 

[nootka]

Any updates on your girl and foal?

Curious what the vet said. Hope all is well.

Liz

 

[Miniv]

As Liz posted, I have seen some foals eat their mom's poop, but not often.

I would be concerned that the mare is also eating it. There must be something lacking in the diet. It may be fiber or mineral, probiotics, or all of the above.

I would assess your feeding program for fiber (quality hay) and minerals (grain/supplement) to your mare. And if all else fails, consider feeding them both a probiotic paste until it's all sorted out.

Just my 2 cents.....

MA

 

[schutzandwhinnies]

Well I talked to the vet this morning and he asked these questions:

Is she still on the horseguard suppliments? Yes w/selenium

Is she finishing all her food? Almost, it is lasting up until about 3 or 4 hrs before her next feeding. She has been outside during the day now and has been eating whatever grass she can find.

Hmmmmm, he said. Just keep an eye on her for anything different with her food. It's ok for the foal to indulge, but we want to keep close attention to the mare's food intake and what she is forageing on.

So there you have it. I am still scared. :no: We have had her almost a year and she has never ate poop before??? She has been wormed and has had her sandclear. I am going to take an hour or so today and look around for any missed poopies and get them up. The only other thing I can think of is that I usually had a salt/mineral block w/selenium out for her and the vet said if she is getting the horseguard suppliments with selenium that, that should be plenty and we don't want an overdose of selenium with the foal so I took out the block. That is the only thing that is different in her enviroment, besides the foal of course???

 

[Miniv]

Just popping in since you updated..........

I would put back a salt block for them. We have a salt/mineral (with selenium) block available during the daytime for all of our mares and babies, but NOT in with them at night. There is such a thing as TOO MUCH of a good thing.

Give it a try at least and see.......

MA

PS: I also just noticed where you are located. We are also in a low to zero region for selenium (Central Oregon). I have chosen to not feed the Safeguard supplement because it is not designed for ALL of our Northwest needs in vitamins and minerals. You might be okay puting out a salt block that contains both minerals AND selenium, under those circumstances. Just watch your mare and foal's poop. If it gets too soft on you, change the type of block.

 

[schutzandwhinnies]

Miniv, is probotics different from probios? I am already giving the foal probios and if that is just a brand name and it is the same as probotics, then I could just give it to Barbie too. Can it do any damage or disrupt anything internally for her if that is not what was needed? Kind of like what they did with the foal, even though he was not dehydrated they gave him electrolytes anyhow, just to cover the bases, he said it can't hurt. Would that rule of thumb apply with the probios for Barbie?

We are watching them nonstop for colic anyhow, so we'll be keeping close eye on the all you can eat poop fest. The foal will dive in as soon as she poops, but Barbie won't eat her fresh stuff she seems to only go after the dried crunchy stuff??

Thanks for sharing your info.

 

[nootka]

Yep, put out a plain salt block. Horses need salt esp. in hot weather (as per several reliable sources). My feed that I use recommends plain salt as it does have certain minerals in it that don't need to be overdone when given in an amount that corresponds w/body weight.

Sounds like you are doing what you can, and I hope all works out fine. SOMETIMES (more often than not it seems), they like to keep up on our toes and do something odd, but with the colic history, I don't think you can be too careful. Did the vet say what caused the colic, just out of curiosity?

Liz M.

 

[Joyce]

Foals eat their Mom's poop and it helps them build up immunity. If a foal doesn't do that, they sometimes get sick and then you have to make "poop soup" for them and syringe it into them. I had a friend who had to do that per her Vet. But I don't know the answer to Mom eating her own poop. I have no idea there.

Talk with your Vet.

 

[schutzandwhinnies]

Nooka, when the foal colicked my normal vet was out of town and I had to use one off his list to come out. He said when he examained rectally, there was nothing at all blocking the way. He said everything was normal and that sometimes they do this in the first two weeks and they don't show any signs of why. He said that is why in a case like ours that they cover all the bases just in case. He said for these little ones in the first two weeks they are known to have ulcers in the tummy and the intestines?? He said he is very healthy and his bloodwork IIG was over 1600 which was double what they consider normal for a healthy foal. So Barbie had some goodies that she passed onto him. He nibbles on everything. We were out all day today with the leaf rake combing the ground for any sticks or just whatever would come up. We have a lot of tall timbers around and salah from last year, so there are the pine cones, branches, etc....he seems to be sticking to nibbling the grass for now, but with how his attitude is, he will be climbing the trees soon :lol: so we want to get everything up that he might try to swallow. We are trying to be proactive, though my neighbors probly think we are crazy outside raking the dirt :lol: but every little bit helps. I did see our mare out licking the salt block I put out for her. She was on it for a bit and would drink, then back to it and then drink. I was out all day raking and didn't see her eat anymore poop, so maybe the salt block was the key

:

: I'll let you know if we learn anything new. Thanks for all your advise, experiences, and good wishes :saludando:

 

[schutzandwhinnies]

Nooka, when the foal colicked my normal vet was out of town and I had to use one off his list to come out. He said when he examained rectally, there was nothing at all blocking the way. He said everything was normal and that sometimes they do this in the first two weeks and they don't show any signs of why. He said that is why in a case like ours that they cover all the bases just in case. He said for these little ones in the first two weeks they are known to have ulcers in the tummy and the intestines?? He said he is very healthy and his bloodwork IIG was over 1600 which was double what they consider normal for a healthy foal. So Barbie had some goodies that she passed onto him. He nibbles on everything. We were out all day today with the leaf rake combing the ground for any sticks or just whatever would come up. We have a lot of tall timbers around and salah from last year, so there are the pine cones, branches, etc....he seems to be sticking to nibbling the grass for now, but with how his attitude is, he will be climbing the trees soon :lol: so we want to get everything up that he might try to swallow. We are trying to be proactive, though my neighbors probly think we are crazy outside raking the dirt :lol: but every little bit helps. I did see our mare out licking the salt block I put out for her. She was on it for a bit and would drink, then back to it and then drink. I was out all day raking and didn't see her eat anymore poop, so maybe the salt block was the key

:

: I'll let you know if we learn anything new. Thanks for all your advise, experiences, and good wishes :saludando: