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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
 
Location: Nevada | I just had a yearling filly put down due to an impaction and during her necropsy we found 2 to 3 lbs of sand and now I am a little paranoid for my other horses. What are the best supplements for sand? Thanks |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
 
| We treat with sand clear for a week at least once a year, more for the horses that tend to pick up more sand. We've had one sand colic, but he was a horse that had previously been starved so we assume he picked up a lot of sand picking around for something to eat. I've recently had a couple of younger horses act colicky. They also had intermittent loose stools. I treated them with the sand clear and the symptoms cleared up. What I've noticed with the horses with sand issues is that they will act uncomfortable, but not all of the time.
An easy check would be to check their manure for sand. Grab a couple of fresh pieces off of the top of the manure pile. Put in an OB glove or Baggie with water. Mush it up and let it settle. The sand will sink to the bottom, so you can get a visual on his much sand they are passing. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Id also add soaked beet pulp.. it helps |
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | I feed whole flaxseed every day. I've heard the hulls aid in ridding the gut of sand. I also feed high fiber feed. My entire pasture is nothing but sand. And they all love to eat off the ground.
Metamucil (or the generic brand) once a day for at least a week every month. I feed mine about a cup a day. You can adjust for age/size. It's the same psyllium fiber in the sand clear, only in a powder instead of a pellet. I get the unflavored kind.
ETA: Formula 707 also has psyllium pellets and I do believe they're a little more affordable than the sand clear pails.
Edited by hlynn 2015-04-30 9:37 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: South MS | kendra_turn_n_burn - 2015-04-30 6:50 PM I just had a yearling filly put down due to an impaction and during her necropsy we found 2 to 3 lbs of sand and now I am a little paranoid for my other horses. What are the best supplements for sand? Thanks
Per my vet - I buy a big bottle of Metamucil and pour 1 cap in everyones feed for 5 days once a month - works great and its cheap |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | I fed Sand Clear the first 7 days of each month. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Nevada | So it sounds like most of these supplements are a monthly dose instead of everyday which I think I can handle cost wise. I am just so paranoid know. I have never had a horse colic/impaction and never want it to happen again. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Everyone at my barn feeds psyllium pellets. One gal does it daily, most dose for 1 week a month. I need to start doing that--haven't yet. You've inspired me to pick some psyllium up!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | When i moved further west in Texas and my horses transitioned to the more sandy/dry environment - they had some issues and vet told me to feed the flax ( i feed renew gold so that has some flax but now i also add 3/4 of a cup of dumpor ultrashine which is flax based - you can see the hulls in it that are suppose to help w/clearing sand out) since its a lot like sand clear in that the part of the flax will gel up and help clear sand out (sand being the irritation in their gut). Alfalfa is suppose to help since the leaves are good at moving the sand through the gut. Can also do an ultrasound when doing annual vaccs or teeth to check...
One way to tell by yourself if your horse is ingesting sand is to do the "mason jar test," also called the "fecal flotation test." Take six fecal balls from the middle of a fresh pile (this assures they are not contaminated with sand from the ground) and place them in a quart of water. Stir the contents, let the concoction sit for around 15 minutes and then check the container to see if any sand has settled in the bottom If more than a teaspoon of sand collects at the bottom of the jar, your horse is probably ingesting a potentially dangerous amount of sand. However, the absence of sand doesn't necessarily mean he's home free: It's possible that sand has settled in his gut and is simply not moving through the digestive tract. Seems gross but if you are worried it might save a vet call to check..
I started feeding my hay in hay bags and my alfalfa in a big tub so they weren't eating it off the ground as much.. i also put big plastic/rubber tubsin the turn outs for their hay outside so that they weren't eating out there as much off the ground too.. since then they've been doing great w/o any issues.. knock on wood!!!
Hope that helps - sorry to hear about your yearling! |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Feeding a few cups of soaked beet pulp daily helps push sand thru. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Any psyllium product will do the job but I have always done (per my vet) the Walmart brand metamucil. Once a week, 2 consecutive feedings, 6 tablespoons per feeding.
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | I did a lot of product development on sand products in past years. A few thing to consider came up. Psyllium has been shown to help move accumulated sand out of the hind gut. I greatly prefer it in its meal form, and not in a pellet. The pelleting process can denature it to the point that it is not as effective due to the steam used to make the pellet. Loose Psyllium may be harder to get the horse to eat, but I feel that it is much more effective at moving sand out of the system. The best way to manage sand is not to put it in there in the first place. Don't throw hay on the ground in sandy areas. Even putting down some stall mats to feed on can help. One week per month treatments in very sandy regions can help. A lot of horses die from this every year across the southern part of the country, though there are sandy northern regions also. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Nevada | I just brought two fillies including the one that died down from Idaho two months ago. They were on clean pasture and are now in a dry lot were it is sandy. I really just blew me away how much sand had gotten into her stomach in just 2 months. |
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Location: Texas | Anyone know for sure, how BP compares to supplements? |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | For the Metamucil, or a powdered form, what is everyone feeding dosage wise?
Also, Pet Club is gaining a sale on 4x6 stall mats so I'll be grabbing one during the sale. Not sure if there are Pet Clubs other places or just in Arizona but thought I'd throw that out there. This post has really motivated me to get after doing the things that I meant to do a while ago. |
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A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | hammer_time - 2015-05-01 6:07 PM
For the Metamucil, or a powdered form, what is everyone feeding dosage wise?
Also, Pet Club is gaining a sale on 4x6 stall mats so I'll be grabbing one during the sale. Not sure if there are Pet Clubs other places or just in Arizona but thought I'd throw that out there. This post has really motivated me to get after doing the things that I meant to do a while ago.
1 cup per day per horse for a week.
1 cup for a roughly 800-1000lb horse I would think. Adjust as needed. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Sorry about your filly. And I also like the beet pulp |
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 Knowledge is Power
Posts: 4051
Location: wherever my daughter's running | So sorry about your filly. We had one sand colic a few years ago. He survived with surgery. 40 plus years of horses at our place and he is the only one ever to do this. To echo what others have said and what the vet at UGA told us to do I feed the Wal-Mart brand Metamucil to all of ours for a week the first of every month. I fill the top of the container with the powder and add to their feed. I feed soaked beet pulp year round at every feeding. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 538
Location: Nevada | Thank you all for suggestions i think I will start with medamucil and see how that goes. Thanks again |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| I have a question. I typically feed beet pulp in the winter months for extra water going in. I don't both much with it in summer or spring because the flies seem to be more attracted to it. Anyway, we've gotten pounded these last few days with flooding rain and my entire barn got flooded out. My stalls still have about 3 inches of water floating. So I've had to move my crew into the indoor arena which connects to the outdoor area we usually feed our roundbale in. So they do have access to it but can come inside the indoor to get out of the weather and stay dry. My indoor is very sandy.. and I've had to feed in there. My horses drop feed and of course eat it off the ground along with their alfalfa hay. I'm now worried about sand getting in them. I'm wondering if I should treat for sand or just start feeding them beet pulp again. It'll probably be a few more days till I can get them back in their stalls and back to normal living conditions. |
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