Ulcer friendly feed?

[Bobthecob15]

Hi there,

Newly diagnosed grade 2/3 ulcers in my TB, the vet has recommended a high protein diet with linseed oil and as lib hay. He’s already on Allen and page Care and Gain and omega rice which has micronised linseed in it. We’ve upped the hay too.

I’ve read some conflicting stuff about alfalfa being a buffer for the acid…what are people’s experience?

Care and Gain has 12% protein not sure if this is enough?

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Any complete feed which is low sugar and starch. Alfalfa is a good buffer, so feed before exercise.
If feeding straights then add a vit/min supplement or balancer. A good gut supplement would also help.
Also depends on the type of ulcers and identifying the cause and managing/treating.

 

[TPO]

Saracen releve mix

 

[Bobthecob15]

Sorry they are being treated with gastroguard and in the lesser curvature apparently!

Not sure what the cause is other than history of racing until April this year…had a lameness work up and couldn’t find any pain or lameness anywhere (he had been stiff behind and reluctant to go forwards)

 

[LEC]

Loads out there now. Basically don’t feed above 8% starch is my rule with them.
Saracen
Castle Horse Feeds
Spillers do a digest range
Top Spec Ulcer Cubes

For a buffer you just need any chop/chaff as long as it’s stalky. Just feed it before doing anything is my rule - travel, riding, anything where they might get mildly stressed. Mine will also be on as lib forage and come in to be worked off grass in the summer but I will still feed it as a buffer.

I also feed an antacid - limestone flour is cheapest and add it to feed. I also have a feedmark one which gets added if staying away from home/travel.

Finally I feed a pre/probiotic as well. Currently on protexin as they had 20% off but I am not that fussy. As long as it has live yeasts. If I am being cheap I feed yea sacc and brewers yeast combined.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Sorry they are being treated with gastroguard and in the lesser curvature apparently!

Not sure what the cause is other than history of racing until April this year…had a lameness work up and couldn’t find any pain or lameness anywhere (he had been stiff behind and reluctant to go forwards)

Squamous?
Squamous ulcers can occur with daytime forage deprivation, lack of access to water, high-starch diets, pelleted feeds, straw feeding, intense exercise, travel, a change in housing and lack of daily horse-to-horse contact.

So ad lib hay is really important so that the gut is lined
Hope better soon!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Squamous?
Squamous ulcers can occur with daytime forage deprivation, lack of access to water, high-starch diets, pelleted feeds, straw feeding, intense exercise, travel, a change in housing and lack of daily horse-to-horse contact.

So ad lib hay is really important so that the gut is lined
Hope better soon!

The discharge letter didn’t say squamous, literally says- grade 2/3 ulceration of the lesser curvature with haemorrhagicic lesions. One small flat area of erethma of the pylorus.

Thanks so much hay is being increased, vet says he’s not to be without it.

 

[Welly Boot]

You might also want to talk to your vet about esomeprazole as a preventative going forward after the course of gastroguard. You can buy it cheaply online, just shop around for price.

 

[Horseysheepy]

My TB has Spillers Ulca balancer for the digestive goodies and vits/mins.

Oily herbs

Feedmark Gastric Comfort as an antacid and provides mucilage.

All fed in a scoop of Hi Fi lite, which I like because it's low sugar and starch and has a little alfalfa for buffering, but not too much to send the horse bonkers!

Fingers crossed your boy will improve with his medication and diet changes.

 

[Bobthecob15]

My TB has Spillers Ulca balancer for the digestive goodies and vits/mins.

Oily herbs

Feedmark Gastric Comfort as an antacid and provides mucilage.

All fed in a scoop of Hi Fi lite, which I like because it's low sugar and starch and has a little alfalfa for buffering, but not too much to send the horse bonkers!

Fingers crossed your boy will improve with his medication and diet changes.

Great thanks so much this sounds ideal.

 

[Squeak]

Sugarbeet (non molassed!) is a really underrated feed. An article from Baileys:

4. Protect the mucosal lining. Although there are proprietary supplements available, one of the most widely reported nutrients that can help is pectin. In acidic conditions pectin alters its structure to one that is similar to mucus and it has been shown to bind to, and thicken, the stomach mucosa. In the presence of surfactants (naturally occurring soaps that emulsify oils and water) the effect is enhanced.

So, ideally, a feed that contains legumes (alfalfa), pectins and surfactants, and which can be fed as a wet feed, would be an excellent complementary feed for forage. It would also have to have low levels of starch but provide sufficient energy to replace cereals or hard feed and reduce the overall starch load.

Speedi-Beet, high in pectins and with a good acid binding capacity, can replace starchy feeds and provide a high moisture ration, whilst Fibre-Beet, incorporating Speedi-Beet, with alfalfa and oat fibre, has a higher ABC and good levels of surfactants (oats are one of the richest sources of surfactants - one of the reasons it binds cholesterol in humans).

Nutrition Library: Gastric Ulcers and How Beet Pulp Can Help

baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

I give a feed of sugarbeet and chop before riding and use sugarbeet in all my feeds. For my horse keeping the feed really simple, grass nuts, grass chop, sugarbeet and micronised linseed with a balancer was worked best.

 

[Fieldlife]

You might also want to talk to your vet about esomeprazole as a preventative going forward after the course of gastroguard. You can buy it cheaply online, just shop around for price.

How is that a cheap preventative? Puzzled? Anything that is protected to survive stomach acid in stomach is expensive when bought in sufficient horse quantities?

AFAIK the commonly available form is Nexium 24, that can buy in bulk online, but in horse quantities (I did have amounts for 500kg horse written down once), for a week or more, it is not particularly cheap.

 

[Fieldlife]

The discharge letter didn’t say squamous, literally says- grade 2/3 ulceration of the lesser curvature with haemorrhagicic lesions. One small flat area of erethma of the pylorus.

Thanks so much hay is being increased, vet says he’s not to be without it.

Worth asking you vet if squamous (most common) - front stomach ulcers, easiest to treat.

Or latter part of stomach, glandular ulcers, that are harder to explain or treat.

The management and treatment are different. Lots of good websites explain difference between squamous or glandular.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Worth asking you vet if squamous (most common) - front stomach ulcers, easiest to treat.

Or latter part of stomach, glandular ulcers, that are harder to explain or treat.

The management and treatment are different. Lots of good websites explain difference between squamous or glandular.

Thanks, looking at the anatomy of the gut its the foregut, not hind. I shall ask though.

 

[Sealine]

I've not watched this yet but it may be useful.

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome Webinar - SEIB Insurance Brokers

This webinar discusses Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome and the key differences between ESGD and EGGD (squamous versus glandular disease).

www.seib.co.uk

 

[Hormonal Filly]

How is that a cheap preventative? Puzzled? Anything that is protected to survive stomach acid in stomach is expensive when bought in sufficient horse quantities?

AFAIK the commonly available form is Nexium 24, that can buy in bulk online, but in horse quantities (I did have amounts for 500kg horse written down once), for a week or more, it is not particularly cheap.

In terms of ulcer treatment, I though esomeprazole was not a bad price. The vet gave me a prescription in August for it, 15 tablets a day. This was for treatment, I believe preventive is 3-5 tablets a day. I ordered from a online pharmacy, 600 tablets for £102 inc delivery.

Worked out about £80 a month. Cheaper than buying Nexium.

 

[Fieldlife]

In terms of ulcer treatment, I though esomeprazole was not a bad price. The vet gave me a prescription in August for it, 15 tablets a day. This was for treatment, I believe preventive is 3-5 tablets a day. I ordered from a online pharmacy, 600 tablets for £102 inc delivery.

Worked out about £80 a month. Cheaper than buying Nexium.

that does sound a lot cheaper than buying nexium online.

Why dont more people treat with esomeprazole initially when not insured? I

didnt think vets could issue a prescription for esomeprazole when there is the dedicated omazeprole / gastroguard drug licenced to treat ulcers in horses. (and very expensive).

 

[teddy_]

My horse looooooves her Saracen Re-Leve mix made up as a warm mash.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thanks all, some great suggestions there

 

[SibeliusMB]

My guy did great on the Saracen Re-Leve (soaked, fed with chaff). In winter we fed it with a daily cup of rice bran pellets for a little extra fat without increasing the intake of the hard feed.

He is extremely ulcer prone and lived out 24/7 on grass wherever possible. Definitely keep that hay in front of your guy if that type of turnout option isn't available. Best of luck and I hope he's feeling better soon.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thanks I’ll have to try the releve, my tack shop didn’t have it so I went for the Spillers Ulca balancer and some alfalfa A oil chaff, he’s already on micronised linseed/rice bran. And I’ve ordered some Acid Ease supplement.

 

[suebou]

Thoroughly recommend Coligone. I use the basic feed and it has improved symptoms no end, plus condition!

 

[I'm Dun]

In terms of ulcer treatment, I though esomeprazole was not a bad price. The vet gave me a prescription in August for it, 15 tablets a day. This was for treatment, I believe preventive is 3-5 tablets a day. I ordered from a online pharmacy, 600 tablets for £102 inc delivery.

Worked out about £80 a month. Cheaper than buying Nexium.

The dose has been shown to work at far lower quantities. 4 or 5 nexium a day was what mine got.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

The dose has been shown to work at far lower quantities. 4 or 5 nexium a day was what mine got.

I read this on the Facebook page, but the vet was adamant 15 a day so wanted to follow his advice.