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  Discussion on Beet pulp and urinary infections
Author Message
New Member:
cjincnd

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010 - 12:01 pm:

Hello,

I have two arabs, 4 and 6 years. I have been concerned with them both for the past month due to ongoing reddy orange urine. At start of winter i started feeing beet pulp and they eat good quality alfalfa hay. I recently just got a large bale of grass hay to see if they liked it but they prefer the alfalfa so they only get the grass hay overnight when they run out of alfalfa. I should mention that they stay out 24 hours a day. When I first started feeding beet pulp, I don't think I was soaking it long enough before feeding and there fore, I think that it I may have caused to urinary infections with both my horses. I'd soak the pulp for half hour until one morning I left some extra beet pulp in the bucket that soaked over night and it very much expanded more that usual. I now soak it over night with LOTS of water! Anyway, so I first noticed my mare's tail starting to rise and she was winking with her vulva. This was a concern for me because she is the type that you rarely seem come into season even in the spring and summer months let alone the middle of winter. Then a couple days later I noticed blood in the snow and on her back pasturns. Then next day she has some clear gew coming out her vulva. I called the vet and he said that it was a bladder infection and to treat her with borgal. It cleared up in the 7 to 10 days of treatment and then I noticed my gelding to be acting funny, urinating in odd paces and often, looking at me and trying to urinate while i was out with them and finally blood in his urine as well. So he was put on the antibiotic too and it cleared up as well. While they were on the drugs I did some research and since I'm taking holistic nutrition, I decided to put them both on a probiotic and a kidney and liver flush all omega alpha products, when they were finished the antibiotics. So I did this for 2 weeks, noticed yellow urine and then started to notice my mare acting funny again, winking and holding her tail high again, then it followed the orangy red urine again but no puss thankfully, I called my vet and he said try some vitamin c, absorbic acid in their feed. So for the past week they have been getting about 2-2.5 grams of absorbic acid in their feed daily and I still see orangy urine. They haven't been acting funny at all it's just that they have discoloured urine still. What could it be? Is it that they have a lot of calcium in their diet? Should I supplement with magnesium or a multi vitamin? Stop the beet pulp or add salt to it? I don't think they drink a lot of water especially my little mare she doesn't drink much. Thank you
Member:
scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010 - 7:34 pm:

Hi Christa, welcome to HA. I don't see how beet pulp could cause an UTI. Are you seeing the orange/red color in the snow. If so that is a common occurrence, but quite scary until you know about it. Something about oxidation of the protein in the urine turns it that color.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010 - 8:09 pm:

Welcome christa,
Beet pulp will not predispose to urinary infections and urinary infections are pretty rare in horses so to have two horses with red urine at one time lends credence to what you are seeing is a variation of normal. For more explanation on red urine in horses and investigating urine abnormalities in horses see Diseases of Horses » Urinary System » Normal Urination and Urinalysis in Horses.

If you continue to think it is blood the next step is to document it by catching some urine and submitting if for urinalysis. This test will also check for other signs of infection. But the sample should be fresh and kept cool following collection.
DrO
New Member:
cjincnd

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010 - 8:48 pm:

Thank you for your welcomes, it feels good to know I can get some great support and advice here. I've read the other inquiries and feel much better about what is going on. I'm sure my horses are both healthy but will keep my eye on them as I always do. Thanks again!!
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