COMBINATION TREATMENT BEST FOR SAND COLIC

A combination of psyllium and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) works better than either alone to clear sand from a horse’s large colon, according to a study from Finland.

Conducted at the University of Helsinki, the study compared treatments in 34 horses with naturally acquired accumulations of sand in the large intestine. Horses were randomly assigned to one of three groups that received different treatments: psyllium mucilloid, the dried husks from the seed of the Plantago ovata plant that expand in the colon to carry sand out of the digestive tract; Epsom salt, which draws water into the colon to act as a laxative; or a combination of the two.

Prior to treatment, researchers took abdominal radiographs to measure how much sand had accumulated in each horse’s gut, determining that all were carrying more than 75 square centimeters. The horses then received treatment daily for four days. At the end of that period, a second set of radiographs was taken for comparison. If the sand measured less than 25