Too Much Psyllium?

[Vicki1061]

So I am feeding my 26 year old QH gelding sand clear, and I'm just starting the 3rd month on it. I started it at my vets suggestion because he was having these passing colic episodes - although they are usually just gas, one spasmoidal and one impact within the last year (last March). I had noticed he was having some slightly loose manure (Still in balls, just loose), and the vet thought it couldn't hurt to treat for sand.

Horse had a 10 minute colic with not treatment on Thursday - came right out of it with a rumbling gut - very gassy. These passing gas colics have been apart of this horse as long as I have owned him.

Started Psyllium (1.5 of the cup in the sand clear crumbles, the max dose) on Friday night, had a really dumb moment and gave him Saturday's dose in the AM.

His manure was fine until about noon on Saturday, when while riding it suddenly started to be loose and has since become liquid with some cow paddies. Eating, drinking normally.

I stopped the psyllium completely until he gets straightened out. Does anyone know what happens if I overdose him on it? I thought he would have impacted, not turned his poop into soup.

Any ideas?? I feel so bad, I think I got his system all screwed up now.

[Simkie]

My horses have always responded badly to Sand Clear, but did not have the same problems on other psyllium products.

What you're describing is about par for the course with Sand Clear, IMO.

[KrazyTBMare]

Never used Sand Clear but I use "Natural Psyllium Fiber" from Valley Vet and have NEVER had that problem. Hope you get your boy straightened out.

[scribbles]

ive never heard of a horse ODing on psyllium... we had one that came in that was "addicted" to it tho, had gotten sand clear daily for a year with his owner, if we took him off it he coliced! so it obviously changes the way their system works...

[Live2Jump]

We have a filly that has had several gas colics recently, so our vet also suspected sand. He has us giving her a full dose every day for a month to really clean her out, then back to the 1 week a month that is normal after that.

The filly is a yearling, so only weighs about 650lbs. When he said to give her the normal horse dose, I asked if that could be too much for her and he said that you can't really over-do psyllium. She's been on this now for 3 weeks and (knock wood) we haven't had any issues like you describe, so I definitely don't think that your extra dose caused the problems.

Sorry to hear that your guy is having problems, hope he gets better soon!

[dwblover]

Psyllium clears the sand because of its gelling action, but it is also a laxative. So giving a lot is not going to cause impaction like you suspected, but it will cause loose manure like what you saw. I would NOT stop giving it if I were you, he also may have had diarrhea because the sand clear is moving lots of sand out, which is good! Just make sure you only give him the normal dose each day. My horses have always used either Sand Clear or Metamucil powder and the only time I saw diarrhea was when one horse had a good amount of sand accumulated.

[cloudyandcallie]

Psyllium clears the sand because of its gelling action, but it is also a laxative. So giving a lot is not going to cause impaction like you suspected, but it will cause loose manure like what you saw. I would NOT stop giving it if I were you, he also may have had diarrhea because the sand clear is moving lots of sand out, which is good! Just make sure you only give him the normal dose each day. My horses have always used either Sand Clear or Metamucil powder and the only time I saw diarrhea was when one horse had a good amount of sand accumulated.

Yes. Altho I prefer equi-aid, just because I like it and get it in the 50 pound container, but both it and Metamucil are fine. One of the symptoms of sand colic is diarrhea, so that may be all the sand coming out. I just read in some magainze where Metamucil might help keep the colon mucus in good shape. I give both equi-aid for 7 days a month and I often give Metamucil on other days, since we live in the sandy south.

[Vicki1061]

Thanks guys! MUCH better today, so it must have been. I think I will let the dust settle a few days, and try it again. I don't want to keep starting and stopping, so now that I know what to expect I'll stick with it next time through. I also want to give the sand clear one more try before I switch, just in case it wasn't that giving him the loose manure.

Thanks guys! I love this board.