Sand is a relatively common cause of colic in horses in certain parts of the country. Animals ingest it as they graze and it can accumulate in the colon over time. Here it irritates the gut lining and, in sufficient quantity, also has the ability to cause impaction of the gut which, if not treated in time, can be fatal.
Many horses with sand colic have intermittent mild colics over periods of weeks or months before building up to a more severe episode. Always call your vet if you suspect colic.
Sand Testing
Horses presenting with sand colic usually have a history of grazing on sandy soils, overgrazing paddocks or being fed in a ménage. For equines in these risk categories a faecal sample can be taken at intervals through the year and checked for sand to assess the levels in the gut. This is done by dissolving dung in water and observing the amount of sediment that settles in the sample overnight.
RESULTS
Test results will be expressed as a percentage to give a quantitative measure of the level found. While it’s not desirable to find any sand in faeces, some healthy horses are not affected by a small amount. It is difficult to benchmark levels and correlate between results and diseases, but for example, our own horses have had levels of around 5-8% from living on track systems and/or grazing bare sandy soil and it’s not uncommon. While they didn’t show any symptoms, we treated and then tested again to check effectiveness as ideally we’d prefer it to be lower.
With the variables of gut movement it is possible for the test to generate a false negative and show no sand in the faeces of horses that are carrying a burden. For this reason we include two kits; if no sand is detected in the first sample then take a second a few days later.
If sand is detected in the first test then the second can be used to retest the horse following management adjustments.
Abdominal ultrasound and X-rays can also be used to detect sand in the gut, although X-rays may not be easy in larger horses and require a powerful machine.
