Ron Fields - ulcers

[lynz88]

I tried it and thought it started working and then stopped. I was perplexed. A little while later I found out that the yard wasn't feeding the correct amount. I suspect that they started feeding it correctly and then stopped as it got complex to back off the amount as the weeks progressed

 

[AandK]

Mine is a naturally stressy type if anything changes routine wise (think his ulcers were a combo of pain and stress). I have him on a maintenance dose of Aloe juice and up the dosage at times of stress for him (e.g. travel or a recent change of field). I feel it definitely helps him.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

I tried the supplements from RF and was underwhelmed tbh. Been using equine America uls-gard stuff which is very expensive. Might help a bit but I’m not convinced. More a case of me doing something that might help rather than an obvious ’yes that works’ response.

If he was mine I would have him on 50ml a day of aloe vera juice from now on. Aloe has been tested and definitely does resolve and prevent ulcers in many horses. Sold on ebay at £35 for 5 litres, so a damned sight cheaper than the proprietary ulcer supplements, too.
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I’ve just ordered some aloe Vera juice thank you ycbm . mine gets a bit touchy about his tummy when grass flushing- which hasn’t really stopped with the rain this year! I’m hoping this will be more use than the EA uls-gard.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Glandular ulcers are a type of gastric ulcer.
Are you thinking of hind gut ulcers?

Sorry, wrong term, should have said

there are two types of gastric ulcers, 1) Squamous can be caused by pain / stress /poor diet. Fairly easy to treat if can remove cause.

2) Glandular ulcers causes not well understood. Not been strongly linked to pain elsewhere in body, not easy to treat.

 

[bouncing_ball]

>>Anyone following my post will know that my horse is being treated for glandular ulcers through tradition vet scoping and injections - early signs are good, the horse is definitely moving more easily which I can see just from watching in the field.

Out of interest, as well as injections, are you treating glandular ulcers with mistoprol and sulcralfate? It took 14 weeks to fully clear up my horse's glandular ulcers, but I think it was the combination of all three that made the biggest difference. I was think concerned about supplementing the hind gut to recover from the negative effects of the omeprazol.

 

[bouncing_ball]

I treated ulcers 3 times in a period of around 9 months, each time she scoped clear after 8 wks omeprazole and Sucralfate.
Then within weeks the symptoms would return, back for another scope, ulcers again.
Had a standard lameness work up and back x rays all ok.
Eventually had to send her to horspital for full lameness work up with nerve blocks etc with specialist.
They found she was ever so slightly shorter striding RH - x rayed hock found mild changes. Treated with steroid injections. Next scope clear and never returned. I scoped her again 2-3 years later for a seperate problem and her stomach was clean as a whistle.
Never had any symptoms of ulcers since keeping up with yearly hock injections.
A very expensive year that was! Luckily she had insurance at the time. I think i used the whole 5k

Ulcers generally come hand in hand with lameness or pain.

I have seen vets say there is no point treating ulcers, unless you have found and rectified cause. So would treat at the back end of lameness investigation, if removing the pain hasnt allowed them to subside.

 

[canteron]

Thanks everyone for the information and thoughts. My vet comes out for the second injection on Thursday so lots to ask about.

I think I am lucky in that I have a very experienced vet who works with a young (lovely) vet who is totally up to date with modern thinking.

However, although keeping horses for 25 years, this is my first ulcer situation and I guess you can only take in so much information when your horse is found to have them, so it’s great to have a broader knowledge to discuss to make sure I am doing the best job I can, I do love HHO for all the wide and varied experience.