Diarrhea in Horses, an Overview
  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Diarrhea is a common problem in horses and can be defined as an increase in frequency, volume, or fluid content of stools. Most of us think of it as loose or watery stools. Diarrhea is not a disease, but a symptom or clinical sign that reflects some change in the digestive tract or in some cases a change in feed. Easiest to understood are the infectious causes, also known as inflammatory or infectious colitis, which includes other signs of inflammation like fever and toxemia. Harder to understand are some of the chronic diarrheas that are not associated with other disease. This article discusses how infectious and noninfectious diarrheas occur in horses and equines. Diagnostic guidelines and rule out lists for most causes of diarrhea in equines are provided, with links to articles about specific causes and treatment of serious diarrhea. Treatment guidelines for acute and chronic diarrhea not associated with serious disease can be found in this article.

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