Stomach Ulcers - whats your experience

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kellyanglin

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My mare, after a couple of months getting lethargic and finally getting random colics has been diagnosed with severe stomach ulcers. I have so far been told that she will need to be on Gastrogard for approx 3 months, hopefully being back to full work in 6 months. She is still at the vets where she has been for a few days under constant observation, probably allowed to come home at the weekend. I know that this condition could come back if it clears with the drugs but want to know if anyone else has more experience or advice on everything do to with this condition. I'm totally gutted, and wish i'd realised something was wrong sooner, she's so honest as has been out to shows and ridden everyday even though she has probably been in a considerable amount of pain, what a little soldier.
xx
 
Make sure you don't feed her any cereal based products - cereal stimulates the hormone Gastrin which produces stomach acid, and can exaccerbate ulcerations. Try a feed from the Winergy range, give them a call and see what they suggest.I have my mare on one of their feeds, as she was previously a wind sucker with suspected ulcers, now looking and feeling great and has not windsucked since I have had her. make sure she also has ad-lib forage, as this will buffer against excess acid, and ensure she is not ridden on an empty stomach. Well done for getting her sorted, and good luck with her
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One of my YO's horses has suffered in the past - so what I'm about to say isn't first hand but is how she manages it now.

Ditto above about cereals - we feed simple sytems feed which is all forage based and seems to have been a god send to the six we've put on it (one of mine especially). She also feeds alot of mint (dried). I'm not 100% sure what this does but know it is because of the ulcers. Again ad lib hay and hage is fed. He looks like a different horse from the beginning of the year when he had lost so much condition - he's now looking really fab. I'll go and google the mint thing and see what I come up with.

This is what the simple systems website say about mint (not overly helpful)

Justamint
This is a pure herbal spearmint, finely cut which horses love. Fussy eaters are encouraged by the addition of a little to the feed; believed to aid digestion and reduce flatulence.

Typical Analysis: Crude Protein <10%, Crude Fibre 17.9%.


Presentation: fine chop Net Weight: 1kg

PuraMint Pellets
The natural way to feed peppermint. Peppermint as a feed ingredient is known to help optimise the health of the upper respiratory tract and digestive tract. Can be used as a training aid which is free from added sugar. The pellets are produced to human pharmacopeia standards.




GOod luck with her x
 
My mare had this when she was a yearling, 10 years ago when little was known about ulcers. I found Spillers about the only people who could help me at that time. My mares ulcer perforated and caused peritonitis.

Ditto what the others say regarding cerials - no mixes whatsoever but nuts should be fine as they are cooked and much more easily digestable in the gut. Ad lib the best hay you can find, up to half a pint of veg oil can be given too if she is losing condition.

Do not allow your vets at any time in the future inject her with Fynadine. This is a very good anti inflam and pain killer, but will irritate the ulcers.

I would highly recommend Coligone above everything else. In my experience, Coligone will help almost immediately. Here is a link http://hbradshaws.co.uk/sponsors.php

You could also go to your local health food shop and get some Slippery Elm which will help to line the stomach.

Hope this helps
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As the others. Absolutely no cereals. Opt for a high fibre based diet, and ensure that the horse has either grass or hay in front of it at all times.
 
Echo what the others said about cereals.

It's also hugely affected by stress - infact stress alone can cause gastric ulcers - stress increases the amount and acidity of the gastic secretios. Not the 'going to a show' stress (although that is a part) but everyday stress. Living on their own or spending too much time in a stable are the main causes.

I'd look carefully at your mares management. She needs to be eating fibre adlib, be it grass, hay or even good straw (since fibre and chewing reduced the stomach acidity AND lowers stress). She needs to lead as stressfree life as possible, so plently of time out with friends she likes. Constant stabling or living on her own (often first the only signs of lonliness as physical like gastric ulcers) aren only going to make her worse. You may need to totally reconsider how she's kept to make sure she's as stressfree as possible.
 
Ditto everything above. I've also noticed my mare seems to be affected by grass growth - at the moment for example because of the amount of rain we're having, the grass is very rich and she is showing the usual signs of her ulcers affecting her - nipping when I do her girth up, being bolshy and generally being difficult to handle! Have doubled her dose of U-Guard to see if that helps and trying to get her in off the grass by day. If that doesn't work I'll probably try the coligone instead as it seems to be highly recommended on here.
 
Indcindently - I hope you know quite how expensive gastroguard is (£25 a day roughly) and that some insurance companies won't pay of it
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Just in case the vet didn't mention it.
 
Just a note on Coligone - two of mine have been on antibio's so I thought I would try Pink Powder. Fred's squits have returned (ex-laminitic) and Cass is getting above herself being on box rest. Put them both back on Coligone powder 2 days ago and their constitution is back to normal
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In my humble opinion, this is the product of the century and, no ... I'm not on commission
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My Tb has a rather sensitive stomach and cannot have cereals, anything molassed or haylage without turning into a nipping biting demon.

My vet told me to keep fibre in his belly at all times. In winter when he comes in from the field he gets a scoop of dried grass before being ridden to line his stomach and stop the acids swirling around and irritating him, I also used to feed him spearmint.

You need to feed as much fibre as poss and try to avoid sugar/molasses and cereals. I went for the Winergy feeds which I mix with Badminton Feeds Ultra Grass to bulk it out a bit and he has been like a changed horse ever since....

Good luck.
 
Hi,

My experiences may not be relevant to you. I had a horse in the past with navicular and arthritis that was on low level bute for a period of time. I thought I was doing the right thing by changing this to devils claw. He then had ulcers with all the symptoms you describe and was diagnosed with gastroscope.

Horses can get ulcers in two different areas. The top part of the stomach is unprotected from acid (because it should not go there). These ulcers are usually caused by stress. The second type are in the lower part of the stomach which has a protected lining against acid. However medication such as bute or devils claw weaken this protection and then they get ulcers.

As I said this may not be relevant to you, but do please be careful if your horse needs to have painkillers in the future.

In terms of management I just second what everyone has said on here. Make sure your horse has access to grass or hay at all times and feed high fibre/low cereal diet. I had good results with gastroguard, but it does seem that you have been told to use it for a lot longer than I had to.
 
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