Warmblood's question about Activated Charcoal

Question

i have a 4 y old horse with very loose and wet stools. so far, all efforts (probiotics, worming, herbs, etc.)  have failed to remedy the issue. he is not in distress, but obviously something is not right. i would like to try the charcoal but would need advice on how much for how long. he is 16 h right now.

Accepted Answer

Loose wet stool isn’t diarrhoea and may be due to a few different causes, I wouldn’t advise giving activated charcoal unless a specific cause is identified which warrants the administration of activated charcoal. I would be looking first into having a faecal test done to look for any parasites, I know you have administered a wormer but it may detect something; also a check for any infection or endotoxin may be useful too; it is important to get to the bottom of a problem and not try to treat the symptoms. Also think about any dietary changes, bedding changes, stress, change of disinfectants etc… which may have occurred before the change in stool. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

Activated Charcoal in Horses