Question

I have a 20-year-old Quarter Horse mare that has severe diarrhea. She was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome two years ago. It has been a roller coaster ride since then, but the diarrhea has gotten worse over the last few months. The vet has put her on a few different steroids and also BioSponge. She is currently on 2 lb (0.9 kg) of a senior feed. She is about 100 lb (45 kg) underweight. Do you have any thoughts?

Answer

There is a lot we do not know about irritable bowel syndrome in horses, but close consultation with your veterinarian, as you have done, is the best place to start.

I assume you have tried a probiotic/yeast supplement or one of the commercial digestive tract treatments (other than BioSponge), which would be a standard recommendation for a horse with chronic diarrhea.

If you are not getting results with the current or any other treatment, perhaps you might be interested in trying EquiShure, the hindgut buffer. It works to alter the pH of the hindgut, which will help buffer the environment and cause less irritation of the intestinal walls. It is normally recommended for horses with hindgut acidosis, but may be worth trying with your mare.