Weight loss and diarrhea in horses can be as simple as a horse not feeling well, or as serious as a fatal illness. Weight loss and diarrhea, on their own, can be caused by many different factors including eating habits, illness and exercise habits. When your horse shows these symptoms, especially when they appear together, you should seek the attention and advice of a veterinarian.
Weight Loss
Horses can lose weight for a number of reasons including a change in their diet or exercise routine, parasites, disease, poor nutrition and stress, but the three most common reasons are dental problems, malnutrition and parasites.
Weight loss is easy to determine by someone who sees the horse every day. If the horse is getting enough feed, hay and/or grass and clean water each day, malnutrition is not the culprit. If nothing else is wrong, the feed or hay may be very low quality. You can have this tested by taking a sample of the feed or hay to your local agriculture extension office or university.
Dental problems are easy to spot if you watch your horse carefully. Dental problems such as sharp points, broken teeth or infection in the gums or teeth can cause extreme pain while a horse chews. Most horses with dental pain show obvious signs of trouble while chewing feed. They may hold their heads sideways or at odd angles after taking a bite of feed. They may also do this while chewing hay or grass. Call a veterinarian or equine dentist if this happens.
The other main problem that causes weight loss in horses is the presence of parasites. Parasites can strip the horse of important nutrients and calories. Most parasites can be taken care of by deworming the horse on a regular two- or three-month schedule with a paste wormer, or by feeding a daily wormer in the horse's feed.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea can be caused by several factors including serious and nonthreatening situations. There are two basic types of diarrhea in horses, one being more threatening than the other. The less harmful situation is when a horse has loose feces but doesn't go any more frequently than normal. The type of diarrhea that is cause for concern is when it is very loose and the horse goes frequently. This can mean he is losing body fluid and may become dehydrated.
If your horse has diarrhea along with blood or a foul odor in the feces, loss of appetite or irregular behavior, fever, colic, increased pulse rate or the diarrhea lasts more than twelve hours, see a veterinarian immediately.
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