Amelia has been dealing with loose stool since before her arrival at Safe Harbor Stables. It has been a frustrating trial and error endeavor to try to find the best management option for her. Our vets recommended multiple treatment options, but just when we would start to think we’d found the answer, her loose stool would return. Bloodwork and fecal tests first to rule out anything we could that way, then slow feed changes, first cutting hay versus second cutting hay versus alfalfa hay, probiotics, intestinal protectant feed additives, different probiotics, restricting fresh grass intake, the list goes on. After her loose stool went to straight diarrhea, she was prescribed metronidazole, an antibiotic and antiprotazoal medication that has an anti-inflammatory effect on the GI tract.

For a week she was on a three times daily treatment plan, which had Bonnie out at the barn to give a late PM dose each night. After her diarrhea returned after the seventh day, Dr. Fleck suggested we drop to twice daily administration for a course of 30 days. She is now at the tail end of this course of medication and her stool has been completely normal for a couple of weeks. Hopefully when she comes off of the metronidazole she will remain stabilized and that will be the end of it. Fingers crossed!