Hind gut ulcers + hive type lumps connected?

[Spiderman]

Potted history, horse was scoped and diagnosed with several mild ulcers about 18 months ago. Put on Antepsin and corn oil, symptoms subsided. Took him off the Antepsin and symptoms returned within a week. So back on along with Ulcercalm.
Although the main symptoms, mainly ridden, are absent, horse is still quite touchy around back of his belly, sometimes worse left, sometimes right. However he developed some raised lumps, rather like hives but rather than all over they are in a cluster on the right side of his quarters just above stifle level and then bizarrely in a straight line, same level over his right rib cage. They are a little itchy but not much, not scabby and hair is soft, shiny and smooth. He is normal in all other ways but a nagging doubt inside me wonders if there could be a connection between hind gut ulcers and these lumps?
I have a vet coming out this afternoon but she sounded very young and inexperienced when she called me to find out more. She said the only way we could find out if he had ulcers was to scope but you can't scope for hind gut ulcers, can you? I have asked her to take some blood to check as much as they can. I have read that blood in the droppings can indicate hind gut ulcers so will ask her to run the test there too. Is there anything else I should be asking her to do? Anyone else come across this before?
In all other ways horse seems to be a picture of health, appetite normal, droppings normal.....

 

[amandap]

If the lumps are hives they will be due to an allergic reaction to something he has ingested or had physical contact with.

ps. On myself I found hives can develop in areas that are rubbed eg. under shoe laces or knicker line but I had a systemic allergy to aspirin it was discovered. No aspirin = no hives.

 

[Silverfire]

My 3yr filly has a thickened area in her large intestine that can be felt rectally, its on her left side. It is causing a partial obstruction in her intestine and she has a permanent small impaction before it. The only times she has ever been touchy under her belly were earlier this year when she had been on karidox for 6 months and it was starting to iritate her, she was actually more touchy rightside. She also had spots/hives one or two at a time different places, which would go after a few days and she was very itchy. She was also touchy under her belly when on gastrogard and steroids both of which made her problem worse. If your horse is on medication or supplements then i would look at them as maybe causing the hives/touchy belly. My filly stopped being touchy under her belly after a month or so of finishing karidox. Her droppings have always been normal, never had diarrheoa. She has a lovely coat now but its a little strange as she has been moulting non stop since Feb 2012 mostly over her back, loins and flanks, i'm not sure whether that is because of her gut problem, the hairs are longer there than the rest of her body. The last few blood tests she has had have all been normal. I feed her quite a lot of micronised linseed as its supposed to be good for the gut.
Might be worth asking your vet about doing a rectal exam if ones not already been done.

 

[Spiderman]

Quick update, new, young vet has just been. As suspected, although lovely, she really didn't have any good ideas. She even tried to tell me Gastroguard was sucralfate and not Antepsin (which horse is on a low dose anyway)! Oh dear. She has taken bloods and I've decided to go for another scope anyway. I know they can't scope for hindgut ulcers but at least it's a way of getting to the experts and we'll find out if there is anything going on further forward! So we're no further forward as to whether the lumps are related to any ulcer problems. Maybe Rossdales will have some more information.
I did wonder if they could be protein lumps , as the base feed is 21% which is a lot higher than a lot of feed but then you feed less, then again, why would they be contained just to this one area? I don't think it could be an allergic reaction to anything external for the same reason. I call them hive like as that is what they look like but I'm not convinced they are real hives. Puzzling????

 

[Frozen Hoof Boots]

The fact your horse came off Anteseptin (sucralflate) which treats hind gut ulcers and that your horse got worse indicates hind gut ulcers. Pls look up Dr Ridgeway and Gastric ulcers. Amazing information. Being on Gastrogard can also cause hind gut ulcers. I would swap the corn oil for micronised linseed maybe that is causing the hives.

I cannot recommend enough that you get some RiteTrac and try that for a month and then onto EquiShure for a further month.