Metamucil, mineral oil, what do you for prevention of sand colic

[Judi A]

What do you use for prevention of sand colic + how much + how often. My horses won't eat the horse form of psyllium. It solidifies into a hard lump. Someone told me that you can feed Metamucil, but forget the dosage + how often. Also how much mineral oil w/ bran + how often to feed? What do you use + know of any other stratagies? Thanks, Judy

[luvmywalkers]

When we lived in "sand colic" capitol Florida, my vet adviced me to use Metamucil, 1 cup/day, 7 consecutive days per month. I always used the first 7 days of the month, 1/2 cup in morning and 1/2 cup in evening feeding. Never had a colic.

[KristiKGC]

Metamucil solidifies into a hard lump as well if you get it wet. I have tried feeding every type of psyllium I could find (I feed a pound per day for colonic ulcers, so it's not an easy task!) I had to take my horse off beet pulp so he wasn't getting anything that had to be soaked. I feed his dinner, with the psyllium, dry. I also add a handful of sweet feed, alfalfa pellets, chopped alfalfa, treats, etc. to try to convince him to eat it.

SandClear is what I feed, I find it easier to feed the pellets than the powder of Metamucil. Plus, SandClear is supposed to be apple and molasses flavored, though my horse doesn't like it anyway.

[Rusty Stirrup]

Most around here use the metamucil. Have you tested for sand? I feed oil for the fat anyway and so far (knocks on wood) have always tested clear. I think the most important thing is to limit the ingestion of the sand in the first place. Hay fed only on rubber mats. Paddocks rotated so they are not over-grazed, etc..

[ksojerio]

Sand colic kills a lot of horses here in AZ.

1 week out of the month I feed psyllium pellets to my horses. I buy them in bulk at the feedstore and just top dress them.

[esdressage]

Also in AZ, I feed Sand Clear one week out of each month. Also, I have my mare fed on large rubber mats to prevent her picking up any sand while she eats.

My horse does not like to eat the psyllium or Sand Clear, so I mix it in with her pellets and that seems to convince her.

[Mrs. Cowboy]

I find that 24/7 pasture and a high fiber diet works better than anything.

[Hampton Bay]

UF did a study a couple years ago and found that psyllium was worthless, as was mineral oil. They did find that feeding 2.5% of the body weight in hay removed almost all of the ingested sand.

I've been down here for almost 4 years, and I just feed a lot of hay. Never had a sand colic.

[Jaegermonster]

I've lived in FL my whole life and don't do anything. My horses have 24/7 turnout unless the weather is really nasty, they get free choice hay (and it's the dreaded coastal ACK!) and I have some grass (actually quite a bit because I baby it and manage it carefully).
Plus I use the daily dewormer, or the appropriate paste like clockwork.

Don't remember the last time I had a colic.

[MelantheLLC]

UF did a study a couple years ago and found that psyllium was worthless, as was mineral oil. They did find that feeding 2.5% of the body weight in hay removed almost all of the ingested sand.

So 25 lbs of hay a day for a 1000 lb horse?

[esdressage]

I find that 24/7 pasture and a high fiber diet works better than anything.

My horse would love you for that. Unfortunately, living in the desert, there is no pasture for us. Any quasi-pasture that people are lucky enough to have to offer is usually very scant and on sandy soil, so the horses will ingest sand trying to graze on it.

[SGray]

UF did a study a couple years ago and found that psyllium was worthless, as was mineral oil. They did find that feeding 2.5% of the body weight in hay removed almost all of the ingested sand.

I've been down here for almost 4 years, and I just feed a lot of hay. Never had a sand colic.

quick google found the study here
http://www.ecmagazine.net/health_pdfs/preventing%20colic.pdf

one sentence jumps out
"Feeding of psyllium 2x daily (about .5 lb of psyllium per day) for 6 days appeared to suppress sand passage through the tract. "

[dwblover]

And here is a link to a study showing psyllium does clear sand from the intestines.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B75GX-4RTYS35-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2944542689e1a00f50b3339ced1437a7

I would not stop feeding psyllium. And fecal sand tests are not always accurate. The whole point of a sand colic is that sand is getting trapped, not passing out freely in the manure, so just because your horse is not passing sand in manure does not mean he isn't collecting it. Psyllium should be fed dry.

[Amwrider]

I don't have pasture, only sand paddocks for turnout and I have never (knocking on wood as I type this) had a sand colic. I was feeding Metamucil and was getting gassiness in a few of the horses when I did it. Now I just push a lot of hay through them and I have not had any issues.

[purplnurpl]

Horsetech carries a nice product for sand colic. I just ordered one to use on our horses this month. I usually use it once or twice a year for a week.

HorseTech has a product that you use for a week out of every month or something like that. It also has probiotics in it. If you call them and give them my name as referral they will send you 2 weeks free sample. It clumps when wet but it's not quite as slimy as some of the psyllium products. Hey, for free it's worth a try right?
Kristen Wertz
kaboomeventing.com

[JB]

The best thing for sand removal is, as stated, plenty of long-stem fiber.

Psyllium (which is basically all Metamucil is) and *whole* flax have also shown to be good. They gel up when wet, trapping sand and moving it out.

Mineral oil is worthless for sand. And, you shouldn't feed it, especially not on a regular basis. It's purpose is to coat things, ie impactions, to help them move along (sand is too little). This means it coats the digestive tract, this means nutrients don't get absorbed.

Corn oil (or any oil like that) is digestible, unlike mineral oil (though both are edible), so does not coat anything, so does not help with sand.

[ponygirl]

Florida girl here. I don't use anything other than free choice hay at all times.

[GallopHer]

I thought I had been told by my vet to wet the metamucil when I feed it. An earlier poster stated that it should be fed dry. I've found that when fed dry, it tends to clump with their saliva and I'm afraid of choke.

Opinions??

[dwblover]

I've had at least three different vets tell me to feed it dry.

[esdressage]

Yeah, I've also been told to feed it dry. It does clump a bit with their slobber while they eat it, but that's the way you're supposed to feed it as far as I know.

I feed the pelleted kind now.

[JB]

If you wet it, you just need to add enough water. I mean, people dump their serving of Metamucil in a glass of water ;)

[SGray]

And here is a link to a study showing psyllium does clear sand from the intestines.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B75GX-4RTYS35-4&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2944542689e1a00f50b3339ced1437a7
..........

since I don't want to pay $31.50 - I haven't read the article

but from the abstract it seems there was no control group of horses

also, I'd like to know who paid for the study

[theoldgreymare]

We use Equus brand psyllium pellets. We buy the bulk quantity and it works out to be very affordable. It has a slight flavoring to it (licorice I think) and is very palatable. We tried Horsetech's Sand Trap with DFM's and had several with white muzzles break out in a rash.