# Black Tarry anal discharge ... what could it be?



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

My 4 yo. paint/QH gelding intermittently has a black tarry like discharge, primarily when passing gas and I am trying to determine what it is. He is not grey so I tend to think it is not related to melanoma. His stool is normal consistency and color. He is not off feed. He is wormed (every 2 mos, rotating types) and vaccinated regularly (spring and fall). His teeth are floated as needed. He is on a good quality grass hay and no grain because he is not ridden in the winter. He acts fine. This happens predictably if fed oat hay; so we don't feed that. However it continues to occur occasionally even on grass hay .. it seems to coincide with drastic weather changes which are not unusual in the Texas panhandle. Could it be stress/weather induced? Could it be ulcers? I feed hay twice a day and I feed enough to keep him 'grazing' for several hours. He is neither obese nor is he thin, nor has he ever been overly thin or gone without feed for long periods of time. When I do grain it is only 12% protein (Horseman's Edge) and he doesn't get much. He is an easy keeper. He is outdoors; not in a barn. He is in a large paddock most of the week and turned out on 7 acres of pasture at least 1 or 2 days a week for exercise. I am trying to protect (not over-graze) what little grass I have or he'd be turned out more often. He has a lean-to and turnout blanket for extreme cold or wet, windy weather. He's never been sick or acted sick. Any ideas on what is causing the messy, unsightly, and certainly uncomfortable black substance?


----------



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I have to say my first thought was something is bleeding further inside the intestinal tract causing the black look - by the time the blood has moved from its initial site to the anus it will have aged and taken on a dark colour. If that is correct, then it is still very much a mystery as to what causes it and why it appears to be sporadic (as opposed to continual - which is a good sign).

I think it may be a visit to the vet to get some testing done to find out the cause and correct it.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Black discharge is often associated with bleeding ulcers - as explained above the blood is black by the time it comes out. There might be bleeding from some other source in the intestines - enlarged veins etc
Encysted worms will cause sore and bleeding ulcerated areas in the digestive system
Hay is 'sharp compared to the softness of grass so its likely aggravating any sore places as it goes through so soaking it well before feeding might help reduce that risk
You could treat him for ulcers and see if it makes a difference and have him blood tested for encysted worms


----------



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

Chevaux; thank you. I am curious to see if anyone else has any ideas. The next time it occurs I will probably see our vet .. hopefully it won't be anytime soon.


----------



## Ninamebo (May 25, 2013)

I too think intestinal ulcers from this. Especially if it seems to be aggravated from a change in feed and change in weather/ stress. 

Have you ever tried palpating the left side of the barrel, a few inches back from the elbow for a reaction? Horses with ulcers may also react when palpating the upper back right near the withers, and the lower lumbar area (but, if you also have back soreness issues this won't be the most informative informal test)

It can't hurt to treat for ulcers, just in case. Have you asked your vet on his/her take on it?


----------



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

Jaydee; I guess what I am asking more specifically is what in the world would cause him to bleed internally or have ulcers? If I rotate the various de-wormer types how would he have trouble with worms? Wouldn't I see blood in his stool if he is bleeding internally? What would other signs of ulcers be? He's only 4; he's been de-wormed every 2 months since he was old enough to de-worm. He is one of 2 horses on our place and he doesn't travel away from our place often; maybe 1-3 times a year. The grass hay that I feed is actually 'fine' in texture and actually comparable in texture to the grass in the pasture ... I am from CT originally and I know there is a huge difference between the lush green grass there and the dry prairie and buffalo grass here in the TX panhandle  I agree if he is ulcered it could be irritating ... but what would have caused the ulcers to begin with? That is the question. Due to his age he is only ridden lightly (few days a week for 30-40 min) and only during the warmer months; March to October. He is not used for 'work' (ranch or feedlot) or show. What would have stressed his digestive system to the point of ulcers? Any suggestions? I've never had trouble with ulcers so I am trying to educate myself. I will certainly make a note of the blood test you suggested below so I can ask my vet the next time it occurs. Thanks!


----------



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

Nenamebo, he is not usually sore backed so I will try the palpation as suggested. Also ... since ulcers are new to me what type of things can I try to treat them? I've heard of Ulcer-guard and Aloe Vera juice ... any other suggestions? 

As for feed changes ... he's been on the same hay, from the same field for 4 years (his whole life). As a baby we had one bale of oat hay and it caused his dam to do the same thing and so he did also ... which also suggests it happened as a baby foal on his mother's milk which tells me it might be something other than an ulcer ... unless he was born with them? I assumed he was reacting to a change in his mother's milk at that time. And she would only do this on oat hay. When he is grained he gets about 2 lbs once a day of a 12% protein feed and only when he is 'in training'. I can't see where 'not giving him grain' would be that stressful. If he was getting a considerable amount of grain or higher protein and it changed drastically then I would understand. Am I wrong?

I truly appreciate the prompt responses! This is something new to me and I am so glad I found this forum. Thanks everyone!


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

You wont see fresh blood coming out - the bleeding in the stomach or intestines goes through a digestive process and comes out black - same happens in humans
Ulcers seem to be common in all sorts of horses


----------



## GreenBackJack (Feb 23, 2012)

I don't understand why you wouldn't at least call your vet up to talk about this? Intermittent or not something like that would cause enough alarm in me to at least pick up the phone. I wouldn't wait for it to happen again before at least talking to the vet. 

At his young age there could be something going on with his insides that is ticking timebomb and what you're seeing intermittently are actually the warning signs a something much more serious down the line. 

We had a rescue mare and foal at our place recently that also had ticking timebombs. Less than 2 days after arriving the mare suffered extreme tortion and was put down. She was 4 years old. Her foal was 4 months old. We lost him to severe impaction two months later. It was determined that they both had a malformation of the intestinal tract which left them both with chronic low grade colic and was the ultimate cause of their deaths. 

Give your vet a call and get him/her on the case now. Please.


----------



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

I appreciate the concern. I didn't mean to come across as uncaring or unconcerned. You've all pointed out some valid reasons to see the vet sooner than later and I have changed my perspective. I choose 'sooner'. I'll keep you posted. Thanks everyone!


----------



## GreenBackJack (Feb 23, 2012)

khembre said:


> I appreciate the concern. I didn't mean to come across as uncaring or unconcerned. You've all pointed out some valid reasons to see the vet sooner than later and I have changed my perspective. I choose 'sooner'. I'll keep you posted. Thanks everyone!


 
I don't think anyone here thought you appeared uncaring in the least! You gave excellent and thorough information in your posts, asked sincere questions and were very considerate in your responses. It's hard to know sometimes when it's our horse or especially when it seems to not be causing any obvious issues as in your case. That's what is great about this forum, it gives us all the great advantage of so many other's experiences and perspectives. Clearly you are going to do the very best for your horse as you've already shown that you are taking good care of him.
Please do let us all know what is going on. It could be very helpful to someone you've never met sometime down the road. I know I've been helped many times in just the same way!


----------



## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

The next time it happens take a stool sample to your vet. They can tell a lot by testing it & it's a good place to start.
I hope it is nothing major.


----------



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

Thank you! I will certainly share what I find out.


----------



## Ninamebo (May 25, 2013)

Omeprazole will treat ulcers if there are any, and a lower dosage will help prevent future ones forming. Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor, so basically it works by reducing the acid formation in the stomach and intestine so that it may heal the present lesions.

You can use UlcerGuard, it is the OTC version of GastroGuard. They are the exact same thing, only you need a vet prescription for GG and do not for UG. One tube of GG is equivalent to four tubes of UG (basically the OTC stuff is less potent). These guys are quite expensive. There are other compounded options that people use too.

Ranitidine will help make the horse overall more comfortable, but won't truly heal any ulcers the horse may have the way that omeprazole will.

Aloe vera juice/ powder, slippery elm bark powder and peppermint are all great additives that are tummy soothers. 

As for the change in grain, if he has full access to forage 24/7 then i doubt the absence of grain would be upsetting his system. If you have access to some alfalfa hay then it may not hurt to give him a half flake per day. Alfalfa is high in calcium which will help coat the stomach lining and protect it. 

Keep posted on how he goes, good luck!


----------



## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Only HALF of the horse's stomach has a protective lining. So acid can burn the top half, BUT the horse's saliva acts as a buffer and prevents the acid from burning. The issue is horses ONLY salivate from chewing. So if a horse goes for long periods of time without chewing they can develop ulcers, along with behavior issues like cribbing and weaving. Slow feeders solve this issue, also remember, a horse's stomach is about the size of a rugby ball, so small amounts of food often help them digest (they don't digest in the stomach, but in the small intestine).


Its not hard to make a slow feeder. I made one today out of left over fence. It works quite well.

Its quick and dirty (or ghetto as my loving BF put it) but there is nothing sharp on it and it holds a large flake and a half.










(Got this info from my equine nutrition class)


----------



## khembre (Jan 31, 2014)

Thank you KigerQueen and Ninamebo! Thank you for the OTC suggestions. I have an Eventer friend with a OTTB and she suggested Omeprazole as well. She refered me here: Equine Ulcer Medications | Horse Performace | Horse Supplements | Camels | Alpacas | Greyhounds. I already plan to supplement with alfalfa and yes my colt has grass hay in front of him 24/7. I even double checked myself this weekend and monitored how long it took for him to eat all of his hay and confirmed that he has hay from one feeding to the next. He is a slow eater as it is and I am grateful for that. He also doesn't have any nervous habits like weaving or cribbing ... he's really laid back and happy-go-lucky. He isn't irritable being girthed and he did not even acknowledge being palpated in his girth area as suggested by another post. I would think he'd be losing weight if he had ulcers and weight loss is not an issue in fact if anything he's a little pudgy. I'll update this post once we see the vet. Thanks again All!


----------

