Pyloric Ulcers - help!!

[Louisewere]

My 4yo mare has just been scoped and vet found pyloric ulcers. He’s is going to prescribe cyctotec, but has warned that these ulcers are difficult to treat. He also said I need to keep an open mind that something else might be causing the ulcers so I’m going to keep an eye on that.
What I really want to know was what did other people do to help their horses heal? Did you stop riding? If not what did you feed before riding? What did you feed, should I turn out 24/7?
Really looking for some success stories! ??

 

[HG95]

My 5 year old had both glandular, sqarmous and pyloric ulcers this year. We turned him out 24/7 he was having weekly omeprazole injections and doing groundwork in walk only. He scoped clear after 8 weeks. He's now on adlib hay and turnout with friends on a gut supplement and is never ridden on an empty stomach.

We don't know 100% what caused my lads I'd only owned him 8 months or so apparently it's common for young horses to develop them. He had a full lameness workup and ridden assesment to rule out pain. But touch wood now he's doing ok

 

[billylula]

Sorry - not really a success story - I think...our horse had pyloric ulcers and was treated with cytotec in May. He had no squamous ulcers (dietary) at all. He made a really rapid improvement and was scoped again in August and was clear.

In the last few weeks he has started with some of the ulcery behaviour, nipping when rugging, girthy, starting not wanting to go forward. It is really depressing. I am putting him back on Agrobs mash out of desperation as that seemed to really help last time. He has a gastric supplement from the vet which I have used religiously, Plusbac probiotic, Dengie Healthy Tummy Chaff and gwf equilibra balancer.

 

[skint1]

Not yet a success story but it's not over yet My ID mare had pylorical and squamous ulcers (grades 2-3) which we discovered last year soon after I bought her. She wasn't dire but certainly lacking ideal condition and had a dull coat, she was increasingly unhappy about being saddled, tossed her head and swished her tail a lot and was fidgetty at the mounting block. I chose not to ride during treatment and took some heavy criticism for this from some at the yard but honestly she wasn't happy about being ridden and it made me feel sad for her also it was this time of year and the weather was similar and I work full time so I did it anyway.

She was treated with Gastroguard and Sucralfate. In January about 8 weeks later, she scoped clear (though of course couldn't see hind gut so we were given a supplement called Rite Trac which she would eat no bit of it!) so I got on her and she threw me off. It turned out that she had other issues going on with her SI/hocks and back, spend the rest of the Spring and Summer doing in hand rehab and walks with her and she was willing, genuine and happy about all of it but never really got the improvement that would have made me happy enough to saddle her up again and she is still quite resistant to the idea so now she's having the winter off and we will see.

With her, it could be that she'd had a stressful time coming over from Ireland and maybe had recently weaned or lost a foal before coming, or maybe some of the management arrangements at the place I bought her from (not at all bad but no ad-lib forage provided) or it could be related to these other physical issues. Because she is so fussy about feed and supplements the only thing I can actually get her to eat is a Lincoln's one that contains Brewer's Yeast and Yea-Sacc and I also give her Slippery Elm, so she has that with Pink Mash, grass chaff and Bailey's Fibre Plus Nuggets along with a herbal based moody mare supplement.

 

[Louisewere]

Thanks all for the responses. She’s been receiving treatment for 2 weeks now and I haven’t seen any improvement. In fact I might says she’s more girthy. Really hope at end of treatment we see some difference!

 

[HG95]

Thanks all for the responses. She’s been receiving treatment for 2 weeks now and I haven’t seen any improvement. In fact I might says she’s more girthy. Really hope at end of treatment we see some difference!

Give it time! I didn't see any improvement until about weeks 4 or 5
I was also advised not to do any ridden work and do groundwork only in walk whilst he was recieving treatment to avoid any unnecessary acid splash in order to give the ulcers the best chance to heal

 

[Goldenstar]

Tbh I have never had a horse with ulcers where it did not turn out that pain from something else was not the issue that caused them .
pyloric ulcers are ones most associated with pain from other problems that’s why they can be harder to fix .