My mare has been on injured reserve so was putting in indoor instead of stall so she could move. Started some
diarrhea and I realized she may be eating sand. So I started a week long psyllium cleanse. Second day she started showing almost neurological in the back end and was not passing manure. Vet pulled her off everything, only water, electrolytes and hand grazing every few hours. We are getting some manure now but she still looks bloated and is off in back. All other vitals are normal. Anyone have anything like this happen??
My guess is the impaction is not fully resolved.
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Scribbler - thank you. I hope that’s what it is. Thanks for your response. ðŸ˜Ĺ
I don’t know if it works this way in horses, but in people, suddenly starting high fiber supplements like psyllium can result in blockages. Even though they are high-fiber and work to help “move things along,” systems that aren’t used to it can be unprepared to deal with that much fiber. Plus, increasing fiber means you also need to increase water, and without the water, the fiber can bog down the elimination system. Ask me how I know 
I would imagine the psyllium contributed, on some level, to the impaction (though if she’d really eaten a lot of sand, that could do it, too), and the impaction was painful and made her lame. If you’ve ever been seriously constipated, it affects your whole body. It can even feel like flu-levels of pain, with achey joints, etc.
So I would imagine a similar reaction could happen in a horse. Next time, maybe slowly incorporate the psyllium and include an electrolyte to encourage more water consumption.
ETA I agree, the impaction is probably not resolved. They can take a while.
Firefoot - thank you for your response! I think that is what happened- between the sand and psyllium. I will add it slower next time for sure. I feel like the impaction is definitely not resolved. She’s still bloated and some pain there. She pushes in to my hands when I rub her back right side. But her manure output is increasing. Keeping vet posted every few hours. I hope so much that when the impaction resolves she becomes sound again. I will post when I know. Thanks again!
@PennyB penny 2 both do that push into too…smart ponies know what they need so keep doing it as long as they want! You may want to try brushing/rubbing her tail. I hope your mare feels better soon!! Sometimes the psyllium starts to push the sand/ impaction through but more water movement fiber pain meds or vet tubing are also needed to get it OUT. I usually mash feed and add salt during psyllium treatment. Best of luck!!!
Just realized you were the same as previously posted this has been ongoing… wondering if the vet tubed your mare yet??? Again, best of luck
Just a thought, do you know where the arena sand was sourced? Could there be any contaminants? Idk what people use for dust control anymore, or what might be mixed into construction sand, but that’d be worth asking about if this isn’t already resolved.
Horses process fibre much differently than people. They are already getting a maximum amount of woody fibres in their hindgut and they ferment them for calories in a way that human guts cannot do. So I wouldn’t think that the psyllium would be added fibre the way it would in a person. I would worry more that the sand blockage, if it exists, has not been cleared enough.
Do you really know if she ate any sand?
Is diarrhea a sign of sand? I thought sand caused impaction colic. OK I looked this up, and yes it can be. However, did you have any other signs of sand colic or just diarrhea?
Have you had a vet check her over? Might be time for an ultrasound. there might be something else completely different going on back there.
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Scribbler and Hayltr - the Vet rectalwe and tubed. We are getting some manure and some drinking. Not enough fir vet to be satisfied and the weaknesss is the same. It seems like it is in only left back. She collapsed in on it in circles with that leg inside. She seems to stand funny too. I researched more and it seems to be coming up as a neurological issue. Possibly a spine compression that causes these symptoms. I hope that is not the he case here. Vet said she wants to get hit resolves first. But the longer this lasts the more I don’t think it’s related to the impaction …😒
Horses are already eating infinitely more fiber than people are. The amount and type of fiber on psyllium is insignificant for a horse. The purpose of psyillium for horses is to entrap sand particles, via the mucilage, and help move the sand out.
Could a horse have a problem with psyllium/ I’m sure. But it would be at appreciably large amounts than commonly fed.
