# Questionable Poop -*Photos* Stomach Lining? Worm?



## ArabianMama (Jul 8, 2013)

I found this today in the pasture. It is one of two horses - but I'm 75% sure it's our retired gelding's poop. The other option is a new horse we just brought home last night. We did some musical pasture swapping to make everyone situated and happy while the new guy settled in. Everyone is running separate.

Anyway, what is this? We are calling our vet to come out to do the new guy's teeth and give him a once over, so it's good timing that we found this questionable material. So yes, the vet is coming.

I just want to know if anyone has ever seen this before or may know what it is.

Thanks!


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Looks to me a lot like hay rope - did he eat any by accident? Lucky it passed if that's what it is!


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## wtwg (Oct 20, 2013)

It does look like some kind of rope to me, though it's hard to tell from a picture. I'm pretty paranoid about getting all the baling twine out of the hay though, so I don't know what it looks like if it passes through a horse.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Could be your new guy passing some rope he ate at his old home? I don't know either - I've never seen it either - equally paranoid! But you never know what happens before you get them. It could have even been an accident. Either way it's worth showing your vet when they come by and if he hasn't been wormed by his previous owner it's worth doing an FEC.


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## ArabianMama (Jul 8, 2013)

Our bale rope is bright orange so I don't think it's that. Plus the consistency is stretchy. It's kind of squishy. Like freshly chewed bubble gum - the bubblelicious type. That's why I thought stomach lining. No one looks sick. Eating, pooping, hanging out as usual. 

Well. I've saved it for the vet along with the poop it came with. So hopefully she'll figure it out. Ahhh!


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

Let us know what the devil it is!


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## wtwg (Oct 20, 2013)

ArabianMama said:


> Our bale rope is bright orange so I don't think it's that. Plus the consistency is stretchy. It's kind of squishy. Like freshly chewed bubble gum - the bubblelicious type. That's why I thought stomach lining. No one looks sick. Eating, pooping, hanging out as usual.
> 
> Well. I've saved it for the vet along with the poop it came with. So hopefully she'll figure it out. Ahhh!


I was going to suggest that the color leached out somewhere in the horse, but that consistency would be strange for twine. My next guess would be something from a mare's reproductive system, but you don't have pregnant mare do you? Maybe it's dried mucus from somewhere in the digestive tract, or just something that blew onto the poop? 

Tell us what the vet says!


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## ArabianMama (Jul 8, 2013)

No pregnant mares. My (only) mare is spayed (bought her that way, not my decision) and we don't ever run anyone together. I have a spirited mare and 3 geldings - oiy. Just too much to worry about with running them together. I can't afford someone getting hurt. 

Anyway, my first thought was a byproduct of a de-worming agent. The new gelding just had de-worming done (per owner) in early December. We don't typically worm our ponies so I don't know what happens afterward. 

When I get info, I'll post!


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## wtwg (Oct 20, 2013)

I've never seen anything like that after worming.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

If thats a worm and the horse wasnt wormed frequently, but was just wormed for the first time - yes they die and get pooped out. Our colt we dewormed with D-earth and we saw small dead worms coming out for days. We get FECs done, but have a closed herd and havent needed chemical wormer. But I could see that being a pooped out wormif he were recently dewormed.


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## wtwg (Oct 20, 2013)

That would be a pretty large worm, though I guess it's possible. Our horses are wormed regularly, so I imagine their parasites don't get to grow that large.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

One ofour rescued cats had a tapeworm at least a foot long. Gross, but that doesnt look like a tapeworm to me, could be wrong though!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

That looks non-organic to me. Probably a hay string or something else inedible that he passed through his system.


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## littrella (Aug 28, 2010)

Could it possibaly be a soy bean stalk? Taking a wild guess.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I have no idea...I first thought hay string too but if the consistency is gummy...hmmm. Subbing to find out, I'm curious!


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## SullysRider (Feb 11, 2012)

Subbing since I'm curios, I can't say I've ever seen something like that. I have seen eaten twine and it still looked the same after it passed through, so I don't think it's that.


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## rideverystride (Jul 19, 2013)

Very interesting.. I've got no suggestions, but I too am very curious...


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

How odd. Like others, I will be interested to hear what it is.


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

Wow have no idea, very interested to know what it is.


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## amp23 (Jan 6, 2011)

Strange. Also interested to see what the vet says it is.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I would be getting a sample of that and pictures to your local vet asap. To me it looks like dehydrated tapeworm. If thats the case, you should be very concerned. Was this a single poop like that? or are they coming out like that still? I would contact your vet.


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## ARTEMISBLOSSOM (Apr 3, 2011)

has the vet come out yet? I too am curious as to what this is


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

It looks like it is on top of the leaves over the manure.


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## scubadreams (May 5, 2012)

I second the tapeworm thing...that is what it looks like to me.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Maybe some long grass stalk that couldn't be digested?
Tapeworms can be really long and roundworms can be a foot or more - it might be more than one worm tangled up in each other which is how they are in the horses system if there's a lot of them
Tapeworm on left, roundworm on right


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## Icrazyaboutu (Jul 17, 2009)

I'm guessing a large roundworm! But totally wanting to know what the vet says!

When we were in our animal science lab a pig started pooping out roundworms cause she had recently been wormed. Looked somewhat similar but we only got to see them for a minute before they had been completely eaten up by the other pigs in the pen with her... They were killed by the dewormer so the instructor wasn't at all concerned but it definitely showed how easily they get around!


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## ArabianMama (Jul 8, 2013)

The vet took the sample on Friday to be checked out. I'll let you know. It's not very worm like at all. Since then all poops have been totally normal. It's bizarre. The vet thinks he ate something weird but isn't quite sure.


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## Tarpan (May 6, 2012)

PunksTank said:


> One ofour rescued cats had a tapeworm at least a foot long. Gross, but that doesnt look like a tapeworm to me, could be wrong though!


Horse tapeworms are short, like 2-3 inches long.


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## jcraig10 (Sep 14, 2012)

did you get results back yet?


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

Subbing to find out!


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Hmmm I'd like to know as well.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I am looking at the picture on my phone but it kinda looks like that natural colored biodegradable baling twine that we use on our round bales. 

Very curious to see what the vet says it is.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Icrazyaboutu (Jul 17, 2009)

Any update OP?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I'm sure we'd all like to know.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Still waiting on a response from the OP... anything?


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

^^^ Sort of like waiting for someone to send you $10,000 in the mail just because you're a good person, huh?
Long wait.

Seems like so often we get the EeeeeeeeK OMG!!!!! What is this????
We ask questions, give suggestions, and that's the last we hear of it. People don't realize their issue is educating not only for them but for the rest of us also.


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

Looks like the lining of the colon to me. Anything, human, cat, dog, equine, bovine, etc. If there is a lot of build up on the lining of the colon it will pass it and sometimes it comes off in small pieces and you never know or they can pass it all at once. Its usually stretchy with a somewhat slimy slippery like texture. Its hard to explain.


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## ArabianMama (Jul 8, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry I didn't get back to you all earlier. Thank you to NorthernMama for reaching out and reminding me about the post.
Our vet said it's intestinal lining and she sent it off to our university vet school for analyzing and such. Could have been a fluke and we've been watching our ponies and everyone is healthy and happy. No funky poop or behavior. So she said she'll call if it's anything serious, but unlikely. We had poop checked, tummies checked, etc and no worms or inside issues. 

So...who knows. I guess the lining can shed? Yuck.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Wow, never heard of that before. Glad to hear everyone seems to be OK.


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## thetempest89 (Aug 18, 2013)

That's really interesting.

Glad you went with your gut instinct and contacted the vet.


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