Fecal Water Syndrome

Question 1

What is free fecal-water syndrome?

Answer 1

Passage of water before, during, or after the passage of normal manure

Question 2

What is chronic loose manure?

Answer 2

Passage of abnormally soft manure, but at a normal volume and frequency

Question 3

What is diarrhea?

Answer 3

Frequent passage of an increased volume of soft or liquid manure (often with fever or signs of colic)

Question 4

What are the causes of FFWS and CLM?

Answer 4

Diets too high in non-digestible roughage and fiber, or in carbs (which are highly fermented and increase colon acidity); social anxiety; bacterial or parasitic infection; inflammatory bowel disease

Question 5

Who usually gets FFWS?

Answer 5

Can be common especially in older horses and during winter months; often occur without other significant clinical signs; many horses can be successfully managed with dietary changes

Question 6

What management options are there to treat FFWS?

Answer 6

Transitioning from long-stem hay to a complete feed or short-stem forage; administering psyllium products (non-digestible solution fiber that can help improve and regulate digestion); buffer or yeast-based products (may help improve overall digestibility by improving colon pH); transfaunation (transfer of fecal flora from a healthy horse to one with FFWS)