A diarrhea treatment might also be useful for preventing diarrhea in horses recovering from colic surgery, said researchers in a new study.

"Diarrhea following colic surgery is common with certain conditions such as colonic volvulus (twisted gut) and sand impactions due to the added injury to the intestinal mucosa that occurs in these cases," said Diana M. Hassel, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVECC, of Colorado State University, a co-author of the study.

When the normal balance of "good" and "bad" flora are disturbed, bacterial endotoxins can be absorbed, causing illness. The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of di-tri-octahedral smectite (known commercially as Bio-Sponge), a natural clay that binds organic ions, such as endotoxins.

The researchers looked at horses that had colic surgery in which the colon was flushed with water to remove impacted food. This removal of normal bacterial populations and intestinal content can cause temporary diarrhea