What Causes Chronic Diarrhea in a Palomino Horse?

Chronic diarrhea is a condition in which stools are frequently watery and loose over an extended period of time. In Palomino horses, the causes may be a number of different illnesses.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a dangerous illness that affects adult horses brought on by the salmonella bacteria. It can be transmitted through contaminated feed, water or contact with other infected horses.

Potomac Horse Fever

Also known as ditch fever and Shasta River crud, Potomac horse fever is a bacterial infection of the cells lining the small and large intestines. It causes severe diarrhea in Palominos of all ages and can commonly occur during any season except winter. Potomac horse fever is also most prevalent on farms that border running bodies of water such as streams, creeks or rivers.

Clostridium

The bacterium clostridium is often the cause of diarrhea in Palomino foal. It is a very serious and complex disease that can result not only in diarrhea, but in the sudden death of a foal.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an illness caused by inflammation of the bowels, intestines or stomachs of Palomino horses. The problem is often ongoing with no specific cure, but bouts of chronic diarrhea can be combated with specialized nutrition.

Cancer

In some cases, chronic diarrhea may be an indication of cancer in any part of the Palomino's digestive system. For horses with these types of cancers, the prognosis is usually not good and treatment is typically not attempted.

Considerations

Because of the wide variety of causes that can lead to chronic diarrhea in a Palomino and their varying degrees of severity, it is recommended to have the horses seen by a veterinarian if they have repeated bouts of diarrhea.