Colic and/or Choke FAQ’s
“What do I do if I see one of my horses spit up some kind of white frothy liquid and the next day two of my horses are doing it. What is it and is it anything to be worried about?”
Dr Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:
Brianna:
White, frothy liquid is never normally produced from a horse’s mouth, short of a small amount of salivary bubbles during eating. Can your horse chew and swallow normally? It is possible that, if your horses got near a clover patch or had a batch of hay cut near one, they may have eaten some clover which contains slaframine, a compound that can cause excessive salivation. This is usually relatively harmless if ingested sporadically and in small amounts. However, your horse could have gone through what is called a choke episode which is an emergency. Choke occurs when feed or some other object gets lodged in the esophagus or throat, and the horse cannot swallow anything down (feed or water). This can look like a similar condition, but usually when choke happens you will also see the feed/froth come out the nostrils, too.
Either way, if it continues or if your horses are not looking totally normal, you should call your veterinarian right away. Sometimes they can walk you through something, or they may recommend exam & treatment based on your description. This will be more helpful than me, as the area you live in may be very important in answering this question.
“My horse is colicky from eating rocks.”…….
There has been rocks in her manure and we have had the vet out to pump her full of mineral oil. This worked for a couple of days, but she is colicked again and i was wondering if there is some way to flush the small stones out of her system. Please, any help you can give would be appreciated.
Dr Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:
Diane:
Your veterinarian would be the best one to address specific dietary supplements, but I can give you a blanket recommendation. Here in the Southwest part of the U.S., we deal with a lot of this condition, namely sand colic. The ground here is hard granite/sandy soil, and sand (or gravel/pebble) ingestion is a daily part of life here for any horses who spend time on this surface We recommend feeding psyllium at a dose of one 8 ounce cup per day, for 7 straight days of each month. This dose is for maintenance, ie., monthly. If you are having a problem (like current colic), then your veterinarian may want to change that dose; we typically increase the dose according to each patient (this is where you really need to ask your regular treating vet). And a recheck is in order to follow up.
Psyllium functions to bind the sand/stones and carry it out with the manure. No other feed additive is effective in doing this, not even bran. Most people have better luck with their horses feeding the pelleted form (fed dry, not soaked) of psyllium, rather than the powdered flaky form. Some horses won’t eat it – try the flavored versions instead, or else add some karo syrup, carrots, or something else yummy to entice your horse to eat it. This is the only medical treatment to clear the gravel out of her intestinal tract. Otherwise, your only other option is surgery – at a much greater cost, and this doesn’t completely eliminate all of the gravel.
Additionally, to prevent sand/gravel ingestion by your horse, feed on rubber mats that are swept off daily, use heavy bedding in the stall/pen, and feed in a huge trough (not elevated feeders) are ways to help. The idea is to prevent access to it. If all else fails, wearing a muzzle is an option. You can’t free-feed with a muzzle, but it should be mostly effective in preventing ingestion of excess dirt/gravel. Take it off to feed & replace it as soon as your horse is done eating. Sand/gravel is also very abrasive to the insides of the intestines, so ask your veterinarian about supplementation to help heal that, too. Hope this helps.
