Evacuation of sand from the equine intestine with mineral oil, with and without psyllium.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the evacuation of sand from the equine intestine after a double treatment with psyllium and mineral oil or mineral oil only. A crossover study was conducted. Twelve healthy horses were fed 1 kg sand once a day for 5 days. Subsequently, these horses were divided into two groups: A and B. From day 6-10, both groups were treated with 2 l of mineral oil once a day and group B received an additional 0.5 kg of psyllium twice a day. The trial was repeated after 2 weeks with treatment crossover of groups A and B. The horses were housed sand free and 1.8 kg hay/100 kg body weight was offered to meet the maintenance energy requirement. Prior to the sand administration, faeces were collected from each horse for 3 days and the crude ash was determined to establish a baseline output of ash. There was no difference between the baseline crude ash output of the first and second treatment. From day 6-10, faeces were collected daily and the fresh weight and the dry matter and the crude ash contents were determined. For administration, sand or psyllium was mixed with 1 l of Irish mash (concentrate mixed with water), respectively, and mineral oil was administered via a nasogastric tube. All horses showed higher crude ash excretion when treated with psyllium and mineral oil compared with the mineral oil administration only. On the second, third and fourth day of the treatment, the difference was significant. Faeces crude ash weight corrected for baseline crude ash output while treated with psyllium plus oil and oil solely, reached a mean of 51.0 (SD 20.5) and 26.1 (SD 17.7) % of the administered sand mass, respectively. The results of this trial show that the ash output differed highly between the horses. Nevertheless, all horses showed a higher total ash output within the 5 days treatment period when the psyllium semen and mineral oil were used for the treatment than when treated with mineral oil solely.
Publication Date: 2008-01-11 PubMed ID: 18184383DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2007.00713.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This study tested the effectiveness of psyllium and mineral oil, compared to just mineral oil, in removing sand from the intestines of horses. The findings suggest that using a combination of psyllium and mineral oil results in a higher output of sand (measured as ash) compared to using just mineral oil.
Research Methodology
- The researchers conducted a cross-over study on twelve healthy horses. The horses were fed with sand,
1kg daily for five days to ensure that their intestines contained sand. - The horses were divided into two groups (A and B) and from day six, they were treated with 2 liters of mineral oil
daily. However, group B was also given an additional 0.5kg of psyllium twice a day till the tenth day. - The horses were maintained in a sand-free environment and were given sufficient hay to meet their maintenance
energy requirements. - Both before and during the experiment, feces samples were collected from the horses to measure the amount of ash they contained.
These measurements were used to determine the amount of sand removed from the horses’ intestines. - The trial was repeated after two weeks with the treatments reversed between groups A and B.
Results and Insights
- Measurements of the feces samples revealed that there was no difference between the ash content before and after
the introduction of sand in the horses’ diet. - All the horses showed an increase in ash excretion when treated with a combination of psyllium and mineral oil,
in comparison with just using mineral oil. - Especially on days two, three and four of the treatment, the difference between the ash excreted due to the two different
treatments was significant. - When measured against the baseline, the average ash weight in the psyllium plus oil treated group reached
51.0 (SD 20.5) % of the administered sand mass, while it was only 26.1 (SD 17.7) % in the group treated with oil alone. - The results also revealed an individual variation in horses; nonetheless, the combination of psyllium and mineral oil
was observed to be more effective in increasing the total ash output.
Main Conclusion
The study concluded that the administration of psyllium and mineral oil together is more beneficial for the removal of sand from the horse intestines than just using mineral oil by itself. Even though there was a significant variation in the response of individual horses, overall the combination treatment was consistently more effective. The research results prompt the use of combination therapy (psyllium and oil) for treating sand colic in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Hotwagner K, Iben C.
(2008).
Evacuation of sand from the equine intestine with mineral oil, with and without psyllium.
J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 92(1), 86-91.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2007.00713.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cathartics / therapeutic use
- Cross-Over Studies
- Feces / chemistry
- Female
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horses
- Intestinal Obstruction / prevention & control
- Intestinal Obstruction / veterinary
- Intestine, Large
- Male
- Mineral Oil / therapeutic use
- Psyllium / therapeutic use
- Random Allocation
- Silicon Dioxide / adverse effects
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Entwisle IG, Byrne DP, Lester GD, McConnell EJ. Radiographic area of large intestinal sand accumulation in horses may determine clinical significance. Aust Vet J 2025 Dec;103(12):890-893.
- Cersosimo LM, Sullivan KE, Valdes EV. Species and individual rhinoceros affect the bacterial communities, metabolites, and nutrient composition in faeces from Southern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) and Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) under managed care. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2022 Jan;106(1):181-193.
- Mienaltowski MJ, Belt A, Henderson JD, Boyd TN, Marter N, Maga EA, DePeters EJ. Psyllium supplementation is associated with changes in the fecal microbiota of horses. BMC Res Notes 2020 Sep 29;13(1):459.
- Mallicote M, House AM, Sanchez LC. A review of foal diarrhoea from birth to weaning. Equine Vet Educ 2012 Apr;24(4):206-214.
- Bergstrom TC, Sakai RR, Nieto JE. Catastrophic gastric rupture in a horse secondary to psyllium pharmacobezoars. Can Vet J 2018 Mar;59(3):249-253.
- Kaikkonen R, Niinistö K, Lindholm T, Raekallio M. Comparison of psyllium feeding at home and nasogastric intubation of psyllium and magnesium sulfate in the hospital as a treatment for naturally occurring colonic sand (geosediment) accumulations in horses: a retrospective study. Acta Vet Scand 2016 Oct 12;58(1):73.
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