Why do my horses have sudden goopy, smelly poop that looks like cow patties?

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear that Betsy is having this issue. At 9 years old she is not old. Horses can live to be 30 years old!! She is a youngster! I suggest you get your vet out to check her. One of the most common reasons for diarrhea in a horse is intestinal parasites. She may need deworming. Other possibilities are: 1. bacterial colitis 2. stress 3. diet change 4. Potomac horse fever 5. toxicity 6. excessive sand build-up in the GI tract 7. enteroliths Don't leave diarrhea un-treated for too long - this can make horses dehydrated and that will cause more issues. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Yes it is probably because it's getting colder. Horses will typically drink less water which slows down their gastrointestinal tract. This may be OK but it could also indicate they are on their way to getting an impaction colic. This is the most common type of colic vets see in the winter. I suggest you make sure they have a salt lick available at all times and that you give them an electrolyte supplement that will encourage them to drink more water. Also, you should try to increase their exercise. Here is a link to an article about this issue that may help you: http://www.succeed-equine.com/succeed-blog/2013/01/22/four-factors-that-increase-the-risk-of-impaction-colic-in-winter/ Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to ask again.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While this could be parasites, this is likely some degree of colitis. You can add a probiotic to her diet such as Fortiflora. You can use it for 1-2 weeks to see if it makes a difference. If it does not, you can consider switching to a sensitive stomach type diet. If no improvement, have her evaluated by your veterinarian so that the stools can be assessed. If she develops diarrhea at any point before then at that point she should definitely be evaluated by her veterinarian. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I suspect that what you describe could be actually liquid feces or if not it could be anal sac fluid which can be expressed excessively in cases of gastrointestinal issues. Soft stools can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Blue evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hello. Any change in formulation of feed can change the color & consistency of the feces, especially in hindgut fermenters like guinea pigs. It does take time for the bacteria to adapt. But if your pigs are only picking out the good parts, then it makes sense to change back to their regular hay. This should not be too upsetting to their GI tract since you are doing a relatively fast switch back. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Your dog has most likely gotten into something that has caused her stool to be abnormal. I would keep an eye on her for now. If thenstool continues to be abnormal or if she starts vomiting and/or having liquidy stools I would take her to the vet to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Yes this can be from intestinal parasites, but also from bowel irritation from eating things, or stress causing gastrointestinal inflammation. I recommend a fecal exam to rule out parasites and then they can give the appropriate treatment to take care of this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Remy.