Alternative to scoping for Gastic Ulcers ..

opinionuk said:
As usual I am faffing about my Horse! I have booked her into be scoped for gastric ulcers on Tuesday, she has all the usual signs in moderate degrees, I am fairly sure that she has them as when shes given rennies she is much better and seems more comfortable.

I am really unsure about getting her scoped and wondered what are the, if any alternatives.
She is quite aggressive around food and leaving her for 18 hours without food is going to freak her out and then having to travel her to the equine hospital will be more stress.

Can anybody recommend any supplements or treatments that they have used on horses that haven't been scoped but showed obvious signs of some sort of discomfort ...

Shes a stressy mare at the best of times so adding this additional stress to her will freak her out.
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Ironically I have a livery going to the vets tomorrow for scoping for ulcers/ or finding out the root of her problem she too is a stressy mare mare but it has to be done.
 
I agree 12 is fine my mare was scoped 3 weeks ago (testing the practices new scope) as the vets know me too well. She had several courses of GG and I agree treatment is to expensive not to check first before giving the drug. I chose to have mine scoped where there are stocks as she has a tendency to rear when stressed.
 
The insurer should be fine if you explain that B&W can do the horse on site whereas Three Counties would need him to be taken in. They usually want a reason for a change of vets but provided you've got one - and various insurers use these guys as a vet for referrals when they want an opinion they definitely trust, so hopefully they shouldn't have a problem.

I know it seems invasive but honestly, I do think we (understandably) impose our own human perceptions on these things: 12 hours with no food versus possibly x number of weeks with discomfort continuing while you "treat" something that isn't there, or treat it without success because we didn't realise it needed antibiotics as well, etc. It's completely humanly understandable but sometimes we need to logic ourselves out of it :)

PLus really reassuring to actually see what's going on, one way or another! Good luck :)
 
I took my horse to a vet who is also an osteopath for a back check..she works on then all over, was very sure he had hind gut ulcers & treated him naturally with green clay & coconut oil, saw a difference in him straight away. Cheap & changed my horse, google it, they seem to use it a lot in America ,,
 
My Welsh D has had 3 scopes over the year and is SO food orientated and he has been absolutely fine on each one.I always book in for the 9am appointment so its done early. It is only 12 hours starvation and 5 hours no water.If this is not done for those times,then the scope is a waste of time as not clear enough to see.It is not a stressful procedure at all and as some others have said,there is no point just shoving them full of GG when you cannot be sure.My boys were awful and also had to have a months antibiotics-his would not have cleared without them.My boy did not show any "Typical Signs" but had grade 2-3 ulcers Pyloric and Squamous.At least if you have scoped and yours has them you know and can treat-if you don't and your insurance will just payout for GG-very few will without a scope to prove-you will end up with an exclusion on your policy and you may well need the option in the future.Good Luck.
 
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