Gastric Ulcer -- PLEASE HELP US

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johnboy

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Got a 4yo Warmblood, diagnosed Ulcer Grade 2 in January,had a period of time on Gastroguard, re-scooped & abrasions were healing. Put onto Equitop Pronutrin when he came of this he was moody & napping kept nudging his stomach area when rugs went on & off so back onto Equitop since early June, reduced doseage last 2weeks (all agreed with vet) this weekend has shown uncharacteristic behaviour, aggressive,napping, rearing so he is obviously in pain again. Don't want to give up on him but at rock bottom got a £3000 limit on vet fees which has already dried up.Diet is Redmills Horsecare 10, herbal chaff seaweed & garlic. Out 24/7 with buddies. Advice on any product that will help -struggling to cope! Please ideas received with great appreciation. Thanks for reading.
 
My WB has ulcers and I manage him by a high fibre diet with some supplements.

When he is bad ie v grumpy, nippy when you touch his girth area etc and will not go forward under saddle I give him aloe vera juice - it also works well for maintenance - look on here for more info -

http://www.aloequine.com/

Otherwise he gets turnout year round - with ad lib hay in the winter if necessary - and for as much of the year as possible he is out 24/7. All year round he gets Global Herbs Acid X supplement and he has it in unmolassed alfalfa with speedibeet. In the winter he gets A&P Quiet cubes (added linseed) and Power and Performance. He has adlib hay when stabled. Basically he always has something to eat and before any excercise he always has a big scoop of alfalfa - it helps prevent the acid irritating the gut lining.

All in all it seems to work really well for him - the flare ups are few and far between - he aslo cribbed and windsucked when I got him as he had been on competition yards before me with little or no turnout - and in the two years he has been here he has almost stopped both of those and is definitely happier.
 
High fibre diet - as Slinkyunicorn says. Access to forage 24/7. I wouldn't feed garlic as I have read that this increases stomach acid production and will aggravate the problem. I use pink powder too which seems to have had a very positive effect on my gelding.
 
I can highly recommend Global Herbs Acid-x. My boy wasn't insured so gastro guard wasn't an option but 4 or 5 months of this and the vet commented on how healthy his stomach looked. It really worked wonders and I noticed a difference in his attitude within days.
 
maggiesmum said:
I can highly recommend Global Herbs Acid-x. My boy wasn't insured so gastro guard wasn't an option but 4 or 5 months of this and the vet commented on how healthy his stomach looked. It really worked wonders and I noticed a difference in his attitude within days.
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Thank you for replying - starting to feel a bit more positive.
 
Natalie_H said:
High fibre diet - as Slinkyunicorn says. Access to forage 24/7. I wouldn't feed garlic as I have read that this increases stomach acid production and will aggravate the problem. I use pink powder too which seems to have had a very positive effect on my gelding.
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Thanks will look into the garlic - what is pink powder? Where can you purchase it & what is its main function?
 
Hi There,

Try Coligone, I have had amazing results with my horse, I use the liquid - its amazing stuff and acts as a digestive soother - I cant rate it highly enough.

You could also combine with Neighlox which I find fabulous :)

Coligone is available here: http://www.hbradshaws.co.uk/

Good luck - dont give up hope I am sure you will get it sorted :)
 
My dressage horse had confirmed ulcers last year, we only found them because he was suffering repeated bouts of colic.

Mine's off Gastro Gard now but he was on a maintenance dose for 9 months as well as full dose for 2 months. Luckily insurance paid but my 5k limit went a few months ago.

He's now maintaned on Neighlox from Saracen which is fabulous stuff it is expensive but it lasts months so it actually works out cheaper than all the other cheaper products ive tried.

I then also feed Suceed every few months this is again brilliant stuff & i would highly recommend it for your horse. http://www.succeeddcp.com

My horse has always been on a high fibre only diet, if your feeding Haylage STOP feed only Hay to Gastic Ulcer horses, Haylage really aggrivates & you will never get rid of the ulcers, believe me i speak from experience.

If you want any further help PM me im not on here that often atm but will try to help.
 
As others have said, I'd ditch the garlic immediately. There is research that seems to indicate that garlic fed regularly and in high enough doses can itself cause gastric ulcers. I would personally recommend Coligone and would recommend PM-ing H's_Mum on this forum. She is very experienced in this area and would be able to answer all your questions.

However, I would say that you need to get on to your vets and step this up a gear. It sounds as if your horse is just a gnats whisker away from a nasty colic. Has he been scoped? What do they plan on doing next? I know you must be frantic and you've probably done all this but just in case: if he was mine I'd be giving a fibre only diet with as much turnout with company as he can have. Dr Green and company and turnout often has miraculous powers for healing horses. I'd get an emergency tube of the aniseed flavour Coligone - they will post it 1st class and you could have it by tomorrow. Then move on to either the minty powder or the liquid aniseed. Coligone is very very similar to Gaviscon for humans and Gaviscon used to be PO although you can buy it over the counter now. Finges crossed for your ned but he does sound very unhappy so you need to act fast. Please do let u s know how he does xxx
 
http://www.equine.omeprazoledirect.com/

Hilton Herbs Gastri-X

High fibre diet, no sugar, no cereals. I feed mine grass (try to keep him out 24/7 where possible, if not he’s out for at least 8 hours), he gets ad-lib hay overnight I make sure that he never runs out of forage, hardfeed wise he gets speedibeet and pony nuts. Since undertaking a months course of Omprazole he’s putting on weight like no tomorrow, he’s happy in his ridden work, he’s not grumpy and doesn’t mind me touching his belly etc.

Hasn’t stopped his cribbing though but I’ve also not caught him doing it in the field.

Low stress lifestyle with plenty of turnout.
 
johnboy said:
Thanks will look into the garlic - what is pink powder? Where can you purchase it & what is its main function?
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"NAF Pink Powder is a vitamin and mineral supplement. Digestion and behaviour are inextricably linked. Digestive disruption can lead to temperamental imbalance or undesirable behavioural habits. If a horse is upset, highly strung or nervous this will have detrimental repercussions on gut function. Pink Powder is a concentrated feed balancer containing naturally occurring yeasts and probiotics, essential for the maintenance of correct gut function".

You can buy it at most horse feed shops or online if you google it. However, it would be worth looking into the Coligone as others have said as this will target your problem more specifically. The pink powder would be great as an ongoing supplement to help however. Good luck!
 
I'll 2nd the Omeprazole, it is Gastroguard, same medicine, no prescription. One of mine is trialling it at the moment and in just a week his shape and attitude has changed. He underwent a massive personality transplant earlier this yr, didn't even cross my mind that the haylage was the culprit, i was feeding it mixed with his hay as he dropped so much weight and all i was doing was making the problem 10 times worse..............
 
Boysy said:
I'll 2nd the Omeprazole, it is Gastroguard, same medicine, no prescription. One of mine is trialling it at the moment and in just a week his shape and attitude has changed. He underwent a massive personality transplant earlier this yr, didn't even cross my mind that the haylage was the culprit, i was feeding it mixed with his hay as he dropped so much weight and all i was doing was making the problem 10 times worse..............
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Its the attitude/temperment which is our concern he is normally so loving etc.. but when the pain comes he is evil,like you we changed to hay only, its a minefield isn't it! Others have commented on garlic not being good, so we have deleted that from his menu. First time I have used the forum, my son & I were at such a low ebb its was out of desperation that I logged on,to hear peoples own stories helps -BIG BIG thank you to everyone. Good luck with your boy - if you get a spare moment let us know how you get on.
 
Pink Powder is made by NAF, just look at their products on the saddlery/feed store shelf. As an alternative to the probiotic in there you could give live yoghurt or yea-sacc, slippery elm will coat the lining of the stomach and gve any ulcers chance to heal. Gastri Soothe from here http://www.metabolichorse.co.uk/gastrisoothe supplement.htm includes it as well as Aloe Vera for healing.
Someone said the omeprazole in Gastroguard is formulated differently from the one used for humans, I don't know how, but certainly the dose needs to be multiplied by quite a large factor, what it basically does is neutralise the acid in the gut (my dog is permanently on it for a chronic digestion condition).
Garlic is a natural antibiotic and therefore eliminates the "friendly gut bacteria" - not a good idea since you will probably have to replace it with a probiotic as above
Good luck - I hope you can relieve some of that pain for him
 
slinkyunicorn said:
My WB has ulcers and I manage him by a high fibre diet with some supplements.

When he is bad ie v grumpy, nippy when you touch his girth area etc and will not go forward under saddle I give him aloe vera juice - it also works well for maintenance - look on here for more info -

http://www.aloequine.com/

Otherwise he gets turnout year round - with ad lib hay in the winter if necessary - and for as much of the year as possible he is out 24/7. All year round he gets Global Herbs Acid X supplement and he has it in unmolassed alfalfa with speedibeet. In the winter he gets A&P Quiet cubes (added linseed) and Power and Performance. He has adlib hay when stabled. Basically he always has something to eat and before any excercise he always has a big scoop of alfalfa - it helps prevent the acid irritating the gut lining.

All in all it seems to work really well for him - the flare ups are few and far between - he aslo cribbed and windsucked when I got him as he had been on competition yards before me with little or no turnout - and in the two years he has been here he has almost stopped both of those and is definitely happier.
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Hi there, we are going to try the scoop of food before riding, he has Horsehage Herbal Mollichaff would that be a similiar thing to alfalfa? When he has a flare up do you recognize this by his temperment change? If he has Global Herbs Acid X all year round with his other bits do you mind me asking what do you do when a flare up occurs? Our flare up occurred when he was asked to canter, he walked, trotted lovely then he wouldn't walk on, began napping, bunny hopping etc. Tied him up outside stable & within 5minutes, he was trying to nip, aggressive, eyes bulging a little but as we still had the Equiptop we doubled the amount (with vets permission) & within 48hrs he is manageable, not nasty not scary,rides well etc.? Thats my dilema - what do I do when the medicine runs out? Your views would be appreciated.x
 
dressagecrazy said:
My dressage horse had confirmed ulcers last year, we only found them because he was suffering repeated bouts of colic.

Mine's off Gastro Gard now but he was on a maintenance dose for 9 months as well as full dose for 2 months. Luckily insurance paid but my 5k limit went a few months ago.

He's now maintaned on Neighlox from Saracen which is fabulous stuff it is expensive but it lasts months so it actually works out cheaper than all the other cheaper products ive tried.

I then also feed Suceed every few months this is again brilliant stuff & i would highly recommend it for your horse. http://www.succeeddcp.com
Your picture of the chestnut with the flash has brought a tear - its just like our boy. Hay only for our guy too! He is on low sugar/starch mollichaff, his main food Redmills Horsecare 10 by Connellys was recommended to us on checking the analaysis breakdown seems appropiate, by any chance have you heard of it? Please can I ask you do you give a daily supply of Neighlox? Have you had a 'lapse' of any kind & if so what did you do.
I'm sorry you've had similiar problems, between the lines you seem strong & coping well, I hope we can be saying that soon. Thanks
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johnboy said:
Hi there, we are going to try the scoop of food before riding, he has Horsehage Herbal Mollichaff would that be a similiar thing to alfalfa? When he has a flare up do you recognize this by his temperment change? If he has Global Herbs Acid X all year round with his other bits do you mind me asking what do you do when a flare up occurs? Our flare up occurred when he was asked to canter, he walked, trotted lovely then he wouldn't walk on, began napping, bunny hopping etc. Tied him up outside stable & within 5minutes, he was trying to nip, aggressive, eyes bulging a little but as we still had the Equiptop we doubled the amount (with vets permission) & within 48hrs he is manageable, not nasty not scary,rides well etc.? Thats my dilema - what do I do when the medicine runs out? Your views would be appreciated.x
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Not sure what else is in Herbal Mollichaff - mine has the TopSpec alfalfa - nothing but pure alfalfa and is lightly coated in oil - abslutley no molassess - pure alfalfa is the best as it has the highest calcium content which helps to neutralise the acid, and it works before excercise as it helps line the stomach and gut and prevents any acid from splashing around and irritating it further. When he has a flare up he is grumpy and will try and bite when you go near his girth area and if you are riding he basically refuses to go forwards at all -walk is too much - is generally very grumpy and normally he is a big teddy. He has the maintenance dose of Acid X year round and when he is having a flare up I double it for at least 10 days and he also has the aloe vera juice at the max 'dose' for that time. There has only been one 'flare up' this year and it seemed milder then previosuly - not sure if I am better at recognising the symptoms or whether his gut and acid levels are hugely improved.

Either way I have a much happier horse.:)

I hope that helps - but feel free to ask as many questions as you want.:)
 
johnboy said:
dressagecrazy said:
Your picture of the chestnut with the flash has brought a tear - its just like our boy. Hay only for our guy too! He is on low sugar/starch mollichaff, his main food Redmills Horsecare 10 by Connellys was recommended to us on checking the analaysis breakdown seems appropiate, by any chance have you heard of it? Please can I ask you do you give a daily supply of Neighlox? Have you had a 'lapse' of any kind & if so what did you do.
I'm sorry you've had similiar problems, between the lines you seem strong & coping well, I hope we can be saying that soon. Thanks
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No ive never heard of Redmills Horsecare 10 sorry. I feed my Boy Topchop alfa, Equijewel & coolcondition cubes, he also gets Micronised linseed.

Yes i do 2 scoops a day of Neighlox, he also gets a scoop before riding or traveling i give a handful of Topchop as well. I did have a flair up in the winter when the snow came, this was when i tried Succeed & it calmed down within days. Touchwood not had any problems since & i just maintan with Neighlox & when doing important comps i make sure i put him on Succeed as well.
If staying away anywhere i always buy in some Gastrogard & put him on it from the day before going away to the day after we come back.

I would like to add that Neighlox is the only product on the market with proven research. It has also been proven to act for 6hrs, im not trying to push it & i have no links to Saracen at all. But ive tried nearly everything on the Market & this is the only one that has really worked well & been very cost effective.
I do also highly recommend Succeed it really does work & will help any horse suffering digestive problems.
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As already suggested

You might not like the answer! Drop all cereals. Replace it with unmolassed sugar beet and think about providing a good quality mineral supplement.

Also consider linseed meal - it provides a number of useful Omega 3/6, protein and so on - but the lovely thing is that it also provides a good amount of mucilage which soothes the mucosal linings and helps the horse's gut to settle.

Think too about adding a scoop of Magnesium Oxide - it can often just balance things up and help the acidity to reduce.

Lots of other things to try - but basics are no cereal, linseed, Magnesium Oxide and a really good mineral supplement

Linseed is £24 a bag from Charnwood - I use a full tea mug each feed, two in the winter. They look utterly marvelous on it too - I never groom them - never need to.

Plenty good quality hay

Oftewn wiht these horses less is more.
 
Been doing loads research - as you have a warmblood your opinion would be valued. Emailed Horsehage who do a mollichaff Calmer 7% sugar & 5.8 starch its a complete chaff so no balancer would be required they also do a H/F Alfalfa that would need a supplement (thinkin of your Global Herbs Acid X with sugar at 2.5 & starch 1.8%. My understanding is right I hope that it is the SUGAR that causes the problem more than the starch. Does yr WB have anything else in the summer along with his his alfalfa & speedibeet? I'm wondering wether to drop the Horsecare10 food & just choose one of the above with a splash of aloe vera, then return to Horsecare in the winter. Vet coming Tuesday so thinkin best to revamp completely & start again. Been ridden today just vry light work did well, but seems to have lost his confidence,can't blame him. Do you think a small scoop of magnesium oxide may help. Thanking you in anticipation.
 
Gemsie said:
Hi There,

Try Coligone, I have had amazing results with my horse, I use the liquid - its amazing stuff and acts as a digestive soother - I cant rate it highly enough.

You could also combine with Neighlox which I find fabulous :)

Coligone is available here: http://www.hbradshaws.co.uk/

Good luck - dont give up hope I am sure you will get it sorted :)
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Plz can I ask, how long was he on Coligone for, did you find it helped with temperament? Have you kept your horse on Coligone daily or do you use it when he needs it? Do you pick up signs when your horse is not well & increase the dose? Being doing loadsa research we are hanging in there - your advice is much appreciated like every1 elses. Thanks for taking the time.
 
Do an experiment - get some molasses from a health food shop and take a full tablespoon on an empty stomach - then see how long it takes for you to get heartburn to at best feel a bit unsettled ;)

The best molasses is none.
 
lots and lots of fibre... hi fi lite is good, as is UNMOLASSED sugarbeet such as speedibeet or eurobeet

coligone is supposed to awesome for ulcers too as is TRM Ireland's GNF

redmills horsecare cubes were what our vet used to recommend, but now he says to take all cereals out of the diet forever.
 
jenhunt said:
lots and lots of fibre... hi fi lite is good, as is UNMOLASSED sugarbeet such as speedibeet or eurobeet

coligone is supposed to awesome for ulcers too as is TRM Ireland's GNF

redmills horsecare cubes were what our vet used to recommend, but now he says to take all cereals out of the diet forever.
Click to expand...
Is the hi fi lite manufactured by Dengie or is your recommendation another brand, I have emailed Redmills to check out a few things but your comment is noted, our Horsecare 10 is shaped like a pellet for easier digestion etc.Please could you explain TRM Irelands GNF not vry streetwise on the forum. Thanks.
 
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