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Discussion on Diarrhea and constant weight loss over time
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Member:
jonr
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 7:36 pm:
Hi, I have read all the posts but wanted to check one more time if anybody has a suggestion regarding a diarrhea and weight loss problem. I have a mare that has been going down hill daily for the last 3 months. I have dewormed her several times with different wormers and have seen no positive results. She is still eating but has generally become lethargic. She has diarrhea and it will not go away. If you have any thoughts other then deworming please let me know. I am open to trying new things before we have to put her down. I have spoken to other horse people and my local Vet and they did not have anything positive to say about the situation.
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Member:
jonr
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 8:08 pm:
Some additional info to provide more background. The mare gets free choice hay and pasteur and gets an oats/wheat mixture now on a daily basis. The rest of the broodmare band is in good condition. She is 5 years old. Just want to make sure the obvious solutions are ruled out. Thanks...
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Member:
freshman
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Posted on Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 8:42 pm:
Has your veterinarian ruled out inflammatory bowel disease? These horses are usually treated with steroids. It may be something to explore before euthanizing the mare.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008 - 6:19 am:
Hello Jon,
The first step to successfully treat diarrhea is to try and get a diagnosis of the cause. If a cause cannot be found there are some empirical treatments that should be attempted. The article associated with this discussion explains the diagnostic steps and has a list of empirical treatments. I would recommend you give the article's suggestions a try.
DrO
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008 - 9:15 am:
I think the article Dr.O mentions will help you. If you have read it and nothing seems to "fit" have you considered a problem with the hay? You didn't mention what type of hay she's getting. I have a mare that just can't eat alfalfa hay; if fed it her stools get looser and looser until they are very watery. If she kept getting alfalfa I'm sure she'd be in the same condition as your mare. The vet hasn't found any physical reason that has showed up in blood tests or by examination. It would be worth a try, imo, to experiment with her feed. Good luck.
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