Question

My horse has free fecal water syndrome (FFWS). Right now, his FFWS is severe, but I found improvement with EquiShure at three doses daily. Is there any problem with feeding EquiShure in more than two meals per day? The total amount fed per day is still within the recommended amount.

Answer

Free fecal water syndrome (FFWS) can be difficult to manage because its causes are still largely unknown. Defined as the excretion of fluid from the rectum that is separate from normal feces, FFWS may be caused by stress, gastrointestinal inflammation, microbial imbalance, or feed contamination. Interestingly, some reports have discussed a link to forage digestibility or water-holding capacity.

During an unrelated digestibility study on forage, researchers at Kentucky Equine Research were surprised at the development of free fecal water with one treatment. They believe this may have been related to lower fiber digestibility and low fecal water-holding capacity. In some cases, changes in forage have resolved FFWS. One research report mentioned improvement with key diet changes, including type of forage.

The health of the hindgut may play a significant role in FFWS. EquiShure may be helping your horse by buffering the hindgut and stabilizing the microbial population.

Your approach to feeding EquiShure—that is, three doses per day rather than two larger doses per day—may be helping your horse more than you think, as the buffer is being introduced into the hindgut every eight hours rather than every 12 hours. This allows for more continuous support.