# why is my horse passing brown liquid from butt?



## giddyup222 (Mar 25, 2012)

I've got a 10 year old quarter horse gelding who had laminitis this time last year. He has not been on grass since. Lately, when standing in the cross-ties, will suddenly kick out a back foot and squirt out brown water from his butt. He has normal manure. He had this same thing just after the laminitis but it cleared up over the winter. It has just started up again recently, but there are no other signs. Has anyone seen this kind of thing?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

If it's liquid, there something going on inside of him. Do you bute him for the laminitis? How long has he been doing this?


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## giddyup222 (Mar 25, 2012)

He was treated with DMSO, bute and banamine a year ago with the initial attack of laminitis. Has not had any bute since. This dripping of liquid ceased all winter and has just started again, with him going back to work. He had a spell of all-over muscle soreness and has received hot/cold therapy for a month, and chiropractic treatment. I started lunging him from for a few weeks, and am now riding him for about 20 minutes. a day. The dripping has just started up again in the last week. No new hay or grain.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Hi,

I know 'the squirts' can be a symptom of hind gut acidosis(which can incidentally cause lami). What is his diet? Is it possible the hay he's getting is higher NSC(sugars) than normal?(if you soak some hay in a bit of water, the browner the water, the higher sugar content it tends to be). Other gut probs possible? Eg. waresbear mentioned bute, which if he's had a course of that or other NSAID, or antibiotics, worming drugs, etc, could have caused GI sensitivity/damage. At any rate, probiotics are one step I'd be taking, and if it continues on for long, I'd be inclined to call a vet in, &/or perhaps a nutritionist.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Feces is an indicator of what's going inside of the horse (or any of us really). Horses do have an "excited" diarrhea sometimes, but you say this is liquid. Could be ulcers brewing from the previous bute usage, but this is just a guess. If he were my horse, I would call a vet.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

giddyup222 said:


> He had a spell of all-over muscle soreness and has received hot/cold therapy for a month, and chiropractic treatment.


Do you know what caused that? Could it have been a toxic reaction? Perhaps a nutrient imbalance - lack of Mg for eg? What made you decide on 'hot/cold therapy'(not overly familiar with that, only though of as first aid treatment) & was anything else done for it? What did he have the chiropractic for - were there bone/joint issues too? At any rate, muscle soreness frequently goes hand in hand with lactic acid, which could possibly be the cause of the squirts.


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## TimberRidgeRanch (Mar 6, 2012)

I would seek a vet as soon as possible as your horse can quickly dehydrate. Better safe then sorry when it comes to that. Good Luck


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## giddyup222 (Mar 25, 2012)

The chiropractor works with my vet and recommended hot packs around his shoulders and on the back (of his back). Then, I had to icepack his back after his workout 2 x day. It was a lot of work, but has paid off. He is moving much better. The vet did bloodwork and it showed a lack of selenium (our grass/hay is deficient in this area), so he is on a supplement. The vet is coming tomorrow, so I will tell her about the dripping. I think more extensive bloodwork will be necessary. I will let you all know what her diagnosis is. Thank you for the suggestions.


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## giddyup222 (Mar 25, 2012)

Just to let all you helpful people know, the vet came out and we changed his hay to some first cutting and some third cutting and he was started on probios. He was only on it for two days, and the brown liquid has ceased. Thank you for all your helpful suggestions.:lol:


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