Possible Sand Colic

[Chariot Ron]

I am wanting to know as much as possible about Sand Colic. Our Vet had to put down a yearling mare of ours due to what we thought might be Sand Colic. She did not give the normal signs of what I have seen or read about Colic. I watched her off and on Sunday Night and she did not go down at all. Thought we were over the worst then Monday Morning it just went bad. Have heard of giving Metamucil but not sure how much, wet/dry etc. Not sure what else to say just would like to hear from you to help me should something else come up. Thanks, Ron Hayes

 

[Roxy's Run]

Ron, I'm so sorry for your loss. I use a product called Sand Clear. It comes with a plastic cup inside the bucket and I mix one cup full in my bucket of feed that hold enough feed for my six minis. I give the minis Sand Clear once a day for seven days each month. I do it on the first seven days of every month so it is easy to remember. I'm sorry my measurement of how much to give isn't more exact, but this is what works for me. I had a mare a few years ago who sand coliced. Luckily, she pulled through fine. That was when I started the Sand Clear and (knocks on wood) no problems since.

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Linda

Roxy's Run Miniatures

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

Ron,

I just wanted to say that I am sorry to hear that you lost one of your beloved minis. :no:

Sheryl

 

[Chariot Ron]

Ron,

I just wanted to say that I am sorry to hear that you lost one of your beloved minis. :no:

Sheryl

Sheryl,

This is a young mare that I had planned to sale but I still do not wish any harm to any of them. They are all special. I worry about Star and the others now. Am sure I am just running a little scared but I will do what is necessary to try to prevent this. Ron

 

[bevann]

I am dealing with a mild sand colic right now.This 3 yr old mare was just curling her lip and had very tacky gums indicating not drinking enough Sunday PM feeding time and wouldn't eat.I thought it was beginning colic and treated her with mineral oil and water in a syringe, some banamine and made it throught the night. Still not much better Monday so off to the vet.She did a rectal and came out with some very gooey runny poop and said she could feel sand in the glove.She was tubed with oil and electrolytes and is now putting out some very oily gooey poop.She is eating and drinking well.This mare is out with 2 others in a lot that is very dry and it is sandy where I live.I have had so much problem with sand in 18 years that I feed everything in feed bunks and all hay is off the ground in bunks or hay bags.I feed pellets and mix Equus brand psyllium 2 parts feed to 1 part Equus and that is fed 2 times daily along with hay. She is not getting about 1/2 cup Equus 3 times daily with no feed.Hopefully she will have normal formed poop in a day or 2 when the oil runs through her.Sand is not fun.I don't know how the Arabs survived all those years in all that sand.

 

[eagles ring farm]

First let me say so sorry for your loss :no:

we are in a sandy area and also give our minis sand clear 1 x a day 1 week on their feed a month

i'm not real sure of the exact measurement as we us a small plastic scoop but if I had to guess

maybe 2-3 tablespoons would fit in it

we have also in the past used metimucil 1 tsp every other day on their feed all year long.

I like the sand clear better but both seemed to work fine for us.

you can check for sand yourself :

take a couple balls of poop and drop in a clear container even a plastic bag hang the bag with one corner down the poop will float and the sand after a short period of time fall to the bottom of the bag.

I didn't live in a sandy area before so it was new to me 12 years ago.

 

[Marty]

Hi Ron. I am very sorry to hear of your loss.

Ron I am from Florida and have had many horses, big ones, hit the ground from sand colic. It's a killer and I lost horses from sand colic. Our vets always tube mineral oil more than one time usually, give banamine and then we walk, and trot, and lunge until we get poop.

Personally I do not go in for Metamucil only because no one really knows the exact dosage to give. I used it many years ago in Florida with no success but that doesn't mean it won't work for you.

I used Sand Clear and Sandblast. You have to follow the instructions to a T. Horses hate Sandblast at first and do not want to eat it. You cannot mix it with water or anything so it may sit in the bucket for days before they eat it out of desperation. You do an initial "flush" for 10 days with Sandblast, but once they eat it, they will eat it readily afterwards. If you use either product, divide the dosage by 1/3 or 1/4 for a mini size portion.

According to the University of Florida, they have studies now that show feeding soaked beet pulp helps rid the gut of sand. We are in a very bad drought here Ron and all my fields are dirt, not a drop of moisture in the ground. It's dusty and dry and horrible and the horses are coughing so I am wetting down the hay with the hose daily and feeding sloppy wet beet pulp for lunch. They think it's a treat and may gain weight from it. I don't care if they get fat, I do care if they colic.

If you go to Jeffers Equine you will find many other options there for Sand Colic remedies. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[Kathy2m]

Ron,

Sorry for your loss.

You are going to get alot of ways to take care of sand here. I live in Florida where like Marty said is very sandy soil. I use the Metamucil 1/4 c. Mon. Wed. Fri. dry in their feed. They eat it like candy. Its the walmart brand orange flavored. Kathy

 

[whitney]

Have you done the sand test on them yet? Do that FIRST to find out if your dealing with sand or not. I put 4 or 5 turds in a bucket fill it with water stir it around and let it sit until "things" settle pour off the liquid and repeat until all your left with is the sand. My vet said anything over a pinch treat with pure phyllium. I get my from Uckele.

 

[Chariot Ron]

Wanted to say thank-you to all that responded. I am going to try a couple different things to try and ensure that this does not happen again. All my Children seem to be doing OK at this time. Thanks again for helping me.

Ron

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I feed beet pulp and also feed whole flax seed daily and that seems to do the trick. I do a sand test on a random horse about once a month or so

 

[CKC]

It's good to see Marty's response.

We lost one of my beloved geldings years ago due to sand colic. We had no idea. We aren't in a sand area, but the dry lots are just as bad.

We started feeing a psyllium product.. vets recommended after Major died which worked ok, but we started feeding soaked beet pulp for other reasons and we also, add a small amount of soaked wheat bran. We have been fortunate since then not to have any loose stools or any colic symptoms. This is just my opinion not suggesting that others do it. Just wanted to say what we are feeding and it works for us.

KIm

 

[Sue S]

Ron I am so sorry for your loss, we do the same as Kathy does, our vet told us 3 times a week and we do the same amount as Kathy, working great so far.

 

[Charlotte]

Marty, I have tried to find something written about the U of Fl studies on beet pulp and sand colic and can't find anything. Do you have a link to such as that? We live in a sand box and having psyllium problems.

Charlotte