foal diarrhea...when to worry??

[horsechick]

I brought our new colt home last Tuesday and as soon as he was here, he developed watery diarrhea. Vet felt it could be stress and change in environment so did 3 days of Probios. Had decent improvement for two days, but since Friday evening has had terrible diarrhea. He’s alert, temp is normal, nursing regularly, super active, and in all other ways normal. He’s been on biosponge and yogurt since Friday evening, but I don’t see any improvement yet. When should I panic and throw him on the trailer??

ETA…he was drinking lots of water and licking the mineral block, so I just got those out of his reach-could that have had something to do with it?

[not_again]

We have some foals who are salt hounds and get horrible diarrhea. We give the mare a salt brick in her food and then take it away when she cleans her feed tub. So, yes, too much salt can make projectile poo.

[Callaway]

I would call the vet, and if the vet doesn’t seem too concerned, then I would give him ulcergard.

[TrueColours]

Ive had to remove the Himalayan salt block from the feed tub as baby was licking it non stop also

She has a case of the runs as well - dam just finished her foal heat, but filly is nursing well, active as all get out, bright and alert with no temps. She has been getting some Neorase - a combination of kaopectate and antibiotics for foal scours “just in case” but at this point I have no real cause for alarm with mine and it sounds like you are in the same position with yours

I would honestly hesitate throwing him on the trailer and changing his environment yet again, unless you can see actual signs that he is not doing well and is starting to go downhill

[sixpoundfarm]

BTDT…
If nursing, bright and spunky I would continue the yogurt, probiotics, gastro and biosponge (2-4 times daily). As soon as I see a clean butt or some consistency in their output, I cut back on the BS and keep the rest until the consistency firms up to more normal. Some foals will have ‘dog poop’ as normal, and some have the bunny poop look.

Watch for dehydration, depression, lack of nursing and a temp. Any of those things and I’d call my vet.

[horsechick]

thanks for all the responses so far! Any tips on how to make the dosing of all this stuff less horrible for him? He is the BEST baby and I can do anything to him, but now when that syringe goes in his mouth he is NOT happy! Poor little guy…

[Edgewood]

I had a baby like that his year that got diarrhea at foal heat (lightly) then better, then at 1 month old, got it again, much more liquidy.

My vet had the probios/yogurt/pepto initially, but it wasn’t helping all that much. He was bright, nursing, playing etc throughout. But had very runny poop.

She then suggested to me something called “Tuff Rock” which is a volcanic rock mixture designed to treat foal diarrhea. You can actually buy it OTC from BET Pharmacy. It worked super and only needed to be dosed 1 per day and within a day or two, he was much better and firmer. He had a one day relapse about 2 weeks after going firm and another single dose corrected it. I guess a very large local TB breeding farm swears by it.

http://www.myequineclinic.com/store/foal-plus/

FWIW, OP, my foal liked the Tuff Rock and much preferred it to the multiple doses per day of yogurt, pepto, etc he was receiving previously.

[Laurierace]

I spent tons of money last year treating my foal’s diarrhea to no avail when finally I saw him standing on his tip toes and craning his neck to reach the himalayan salt block. I took that out of the stall and he was normal within a day or two.

[TrueColours]

Yeah Laurie - I am really thinking the Himalayan may be the main culprit with my filly as well …

horsechick - isnt dosing babies fun! :lol: Especially after you have them pinned and the stuff squirted down their little throats, they have clenched their jaws firmly tight and it is all dribbling out the corners of their mouth and you are stroking their throat and whatever else you can think of to stroke to make them swallow and when you finally give up, most comes back out again?! Oh - and they have that “eff you!” look in their eyes and “Im gonna stand here as long as it takes with my mouth clamped shut to show you you might be able to force it down my throat, but you CANT make me swallow!” :lol:

And you come inside with more of it on you than they have in them … :yes:

[Kyzteke]

Well, I’m old-guard. I’ve never had a case of the runs that 2-3 doses of plain old Pepto didn’t fix…in the case of foals they call it “the Pink Stuff.”

Dose is 10 cc.

Is your foal running a temp? Foals can get dehydrated SO fast, I would get right on it stopping that diarrhea.

Good info about the salt blocks…at what age does this cease to be an issue? My foal is out in the main pasture where there is a salt/min. block – she’s 6 weeks old. I haven’t noted any problems, but better safe than sorry.

[sixpoundfarm]

I always start with the yogurt. We give vanilla, so its sweet and most find it palatable. My filly LOVES it, she now sees the tube and comes over, licking her lips. LOL.
So, I make it a point to give her that first, then the other not so nice tasting stuff.

They seem to hate the Biosponge the most, maybe mix it with applesauce or something like that instead of just water.

Thanks for the info Edgewood, will check that out!

[TrinitySporthorses]

When I had a foal on antibiotics a few years back, mixing it with applesauce seemed to “help the medicine go down”

[horsechick]

Thanks for the applesauce idea-I’ll try it tomorrow!

[TrueColours]

HUGE difference in my filly’s bum yesterday since taking away the Himalayan 2 days ago. Like - night and day!

Maybe coincidental, maybe not, but I will be very aware of it now and take it out of the tub as soon as they are done eating at night. Hope your baby is coming along well horsechick!

[SmartAlex]

My mother’s foal had inexplicable diarrhea too, and the Himalayan Salt Block had to go. I’d say that there is a fairly substantial correlation. If nothing else, it makes them wild for more milk or water.