Bacteria such as Salmonella or Clostridium can wreak havoc on a horse's gastrointestinal tract, causing massive losses of water, electrolytes, and proteins. The result? Diarrhea. A smelly, watery, life-threatening mess.

"In more than 60% of diarrhea cases, we never actually discover the inciting cause and testing for all the possibilities can be costly," said Kate Savage, BVSc, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, specialist in equine medicine and head of Equine Clinical Services at the University of Melbourne's Equine Centre in Australia. She presented on the topic at the 11th Congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association in Guarujá, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Nonetheless, treating horses with diarrhea, even those in which the underlying cause remains elusive, can be a successful endeavor.

"It is important to identify cases of diarrhea as early as possible," advised Savage