Ulcers.....Anyone with Experience?

Nayumi1

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So Thursday of easter my mare was scoped for ulcers and came back with Grade 3 Ulcers over entire stomach. She is now currently on Ulcer Gold syringe every morning and omeprazole type powder in feed in the evening. This is to continue for 4 weeks and then it will be halved.

Shes currently to have 2 weeks off riding (though was rested a week prior to scope as well) and then bring back into work. I continue to free lunge/lunge and hand walk regularly. She has 3 meals a day morning, prior to exercise and evening feed (baileys ease & excel), she has turnout during the day and stabled for night (her normal routine).

The difference in her in the past week has been fantastic, her excessive spookiness has gone, shes looking happier in herself and the tail swishing from touching underneath has significantly reduced. However last night she came in and was sensitive to touch again. People who have experienced ulcers in horses have you noticed the symptoms coming and going while giving the treatment? It's only been just nearly two weeks so I don't expect miracles but curious to what others have experienced?
 

Melody Grey

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It could be that your spring grass is a bit rich and isn’t agreeing with her sensitive stomach/ hind gut?

My last mare ended up in this situation and I decided to reduce her grass intake by muzzling and feed lots of forage instead while we were treating the ulcers. Adding lots of spring grass to the equation didn’t make sense to me whilst we were trying to balance everything else.
 

Melody Grey

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Did you find anything at the vets to suggest the underlying cause of the ulcers? They’re rarely an isolated affair in my experience.
 

Nayumi1

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She is a thoroughbred (trained for racing) and then previous owner she had no grass when turned out. I suspect its built up over time as they were long term. I have had her 6 months.

She is still in the winter field with minimal grass (though there is definitely new shoots!). She will be moving to the summer field next week but I was going to do turn out overnight and stable during the day to begin with.

Should I be concerned if she has ups and downs at the moment?
 

Goldenstar

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Yes I would be concerned .
I would discuss it with the vet and I would if she where mine get her onto protexin to help her gut flora .
What’s her condition like?
 

Melody Grey

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Grade 3 ulcers covering a large area of the stomach are significant, so yes I’d expect a few ups and downs. It sounds like overall there is improvement though?
 

Melody Grey

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Yes I would be concerned .
I would discuss it with the vet and I would if she where mine get her onto protexin to help her gut flora .
What’s her condition like?
Second vote for the protexin! I have seen so many cases of vets going all out to treat the ulcers but not acknowledge knock-on effects of treatment on the hind gut.
 

HeyMich

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Mine had a brilliant immediate reaction, same as yours, then over the course of the Ulcer Gold syringes, she went really reactive again. The vet then changed her to the weekly injection, and she again improved. We then gave her sucralfate to support her hind gut, and she seemed better again. However, a second treatment period last year saw no improvement with the weekly injections or the sucralfate! Let me know if you find the magic cure, as I'd sure as hell like to know what it is!

I really tried to change other things too - changing haylage for hay, 24 hr turnout, really low cal/sugar feeds, reducing stressful situations... It's so difficult, as I'm doing everything I can but still can't seem to get it right. Our poor ponies!
 

bubsqueaks

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Mine had a brilliant immediate reaction, same as yours, then over the course of the Ulcer Gold syringes, she went really reactive again. The vet then changed her to the weekly injection, and she again improved. We then gave her sucralfate to support her hind gut, and she seemed better again. However, a second treatment period last year saw no improvement with the weekly injections or the sucralfate! Let me know if you find the magic cure, as I'd sure as hell like to know what it is!

I really tried to change other things too - changing haylage for hay, 24 hr turnout, really low cal/sugar feeds, reducing stressful situations... It's so difficult, as I'm doing everything I can but still can't seem to get it right. Our poor ponies!
Can I ask HeyMich as your story is so similar to ours how you know she still has the ulcers - we have turned ours away for a year in the hope to restart him but are dreading it all!!
 

HeyMich

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Can I ask HeyMich as your story is so similar to ours how you know she still has the ulcers - we have turned ours away for a year in the hope to restart him but are dreading it all!!

She lets me know! Tail swishing if I brush her belly or put my leg on too strongly, ears back and barring teeth in the stable, having to do her girth up very slowly, and if I don't talk to her while I do it she lets me know! Sh'e s really placid character usually, but when her stomach is sore she tells me loud and clear! I just feel bad that it still gets sore and we haven't found the magic cure.

We had a full lameness work-up with the vet a few weeks ago, and they couldn't see any other signs of pain - hocks, stifles, SI etc all ok. She had a tender back, so whether the ulcers are causing her to tense up and hold her back into spasm, or whether the sore back is causing the ulcers, I don't know. Physio/chiro booked for next week, and then we'll be scoping again I think....

Trouble is, she's not a typical ulcer horse at all! She's big and chunky and doesn't lose weight much. When I tell people that she's my ulcer horse they think I'm joking. Poor poppet!
 

bubsqueaks

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ahh bless her but at least she tells you somethings wrong.
our issue is we are dealing with a strong willed Connemara & don't know his true character pre ulcers.
he doesn't show any signs until he broncs his rider off so Im really undecided how to go forward now as insurance is out, all current ulcer treatment is trial & error based - vet said to pts but we want to give him another chance - bloody nightmare really!
 

HeyMich

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ahh bless her but at least she tells you somethings wrong.
our issue is we are dealing with a strong willed Connemara & don't know his true character pre ulcers.
he doesn't show any signs until he broncs his rider off so Im really undecided how to go forward now as insurance is out, all current ulcer treatment is trial & error based - vet said to pts but we want to give him another chance - bloody nightmare really!

Yep, my insurance claim has run out too. Gah! The scoping and treatment is so expensive. My mare, thankfully, isn't dangerous, so we aren't at the decision making point just yet. So sorry to hear your horse is so reactive and you are considering pts - it may be the kindest thing to do, especially if the treatment hasn't really worked and the horse is dangerous with it. Poor thing!
 

bubsqueaks

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Yes its so terribly hard - we may just try one more time to see if we understand him a bit more now, then its either retirement or pts depending on the outcome - good luck with your girl.
 

Nayumi1

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I cant believe how common ulcers is as well. Poor things!

My mare is in good condition, shiny coat, no ribs showing etc. Its just the sensitivity at the moment.

I'm about to head to stables so will see how she is today.

I nearly burst into tears when they scoped her, her gut was yellow. Thing is she did buck into canter so I got saddle fitter out, physio out etc and afterwards she was fab. It wasnt until very recently she just seemed different, spookier/on edge, then bronced me over her head and that's when I decided to scope her.
 

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Mine was also the chunky type and my YO thought I was mad scoping her. We had hit and miss for 3 years and I think most of that was due to being on an ex dairy farm and her system couldn't cope even with restricted grazing (she has PSSM too)

I moved yards and her field had a row of poplar trees along the edge. She was eating so many branches and leaves that I started to wonder whether it was healthy. Within 3 weeks the cowpats had gone and after 8 weeks she was fine to groom, tack up etc. Turns out poplar is great for IBS type problems in animals. Guess she knew to self medicate. Not had a problem with her gut since (plenty of other problems, but not that)

So get chopping down trees 😊😊
 

Goldenstar

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Most ulcers in horses are in my opinion being driven by another issue.
So many horses labour on with chronic orthopaedic and or soft tissue pain and ulcers are just the canary that tells you there’s something nasty afoot .
 

ohmissbrittany

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I like feeding alfalfa, the calcium acts like Rennie for horses. I'd give her a couple handfuls before riding while she did a month of omeprazole to heal the stomach. It seemed to help! In the US I used aloe juice as well but stuff's expensive here. Make sure you taper the omeprazole down slowly, because they can get "acid rebound" if you just cut it off. Try to get soy and grain out of her diet...
 

Nayumi1

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So in terms of diet she gets baileys ease & excel, biotin (she had bad feet when I got her), magnesium balancer and a sprinkle of salt and hay.
 

Goldenstar

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I have to say it’s not something I would feed to a ulcery horse.
What’s her condition like ?
does she lose weight easily ?
Will she eat most things ?
 

Nayumi1

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Well baileys ease and excel is for ulcer prone horses which is why she was fed that.

Condition wise she looks good, when i bought her she was under muscled and ribs showing and shes consistently put condition on.

She eats anything she can lol
 

Goldenstar

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Well something is not working so I would try a change in food .
I understand the ease of feeding a bagged mixed. food if have one horse .
Perhaps try a swop my go to would saracens releve but the horse was mine she would be getting straights as I would be mixing up her food .
My base would likely be alfalfa and oil ,
 

HeyMich

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I'll try anything to help her out so will look at her feed.

I feed Pure Feeds, the Fibre Balance one, as it is low cal, low sugar, no alfa, no soy, and has added brewers yeast, vits/mins and pre and pro-biotics. It's good for ulcer prone horses, good doers, laminitcs etc. The only thing I add is linseed oil. Might be worth a try?

Saying that, mine still has ulcers, so maybe it's not that good after all!! 😕😢
 

Goldenstar

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Alfalfa is a great feed for ulcer horses has its high calcium which acts as a acid buffer and I struggling to recall the name I think it’s quik beet is also good, the low sugar quick soaking beet I can’t remember what the one I used is called
Access to good hay is the most important thing .
 

fusspot

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Have a look at Equine Science Supplements.My boy was diagnosed and treated by the vets until Insurance used up for Ulcers.I did everything feed wise,access to grass and hay,you name it we did it.No pain issues-vets just put it down to the fact that he was a Welsh Sec D and a bit of an Internal worrier-looked Fantastic but when they flared up, only way we knew was when it came to turning right when ridden, he would charge off.I tried a range of supplements which worked for a bit and then was at my wits end.Saw an advert for Equine Science Gastro supplement,rang them and chatted and put him on the starter pack and then transferred him to the maintenance.You think it’s expensive but tbh compared to the Gastro stuff from the vets that was the only thing that controlled it-it’s not expensive.I noticed a difference after a week and then got my horse back completely.He them went onto the maintenance with calmer and competed beautifully on that for 3 years until I sadly had to let him go due to other reasons.It is definetly worth looking at if all other options have been exhausted or not getting better.The Vet was also very impressed with the supplements and also started recommending them.
 

HeyMich

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Alfalfa is a great feed for ulcer horses has its high calcium which acts as a acid buffer and I struggling to recall the name I think it’s quik beet is also good, the low sugar quick soaking beet I can’t remember what the one I used is called
Access to good hay is the most important thing .

Yes, I agree, constant grazing and hay is essential.

Unfortunately, my mare goes a bit loopy on any type of Alfalfa so we can't reap the benefits there. I feed Allen & Page Fast Fibre through the winter alongside the Pure Feeds Fibre Balance (quick soaking beet type feed with added vits, mins, low cal, low sugar, added prebiotics too), and all the horses love it.
 

vam

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Mine showed ulcer signs last year, hated being girthed and having the saddle on, got a bit stuffy and grumpy. She has always been fed a ulcer/foot friendly diet (grass nuts and grass chaff, linseed, salt and now on speedibeet and non molassed hi fi instead as she is fat :rolleyes:) and had adlib hay, looked good (porky even). Made a few changes which helped but the biggest result I had was putting her on Feedmark Ultimate Ease, in a week her symptoms had reduced to nearly nothing. They crept up a bit but not as bad as before. She showed symptoms around the end of August, at the end of November she went lame and subsequent investigations showed a foot imbalance and she was actually bilaterally lame in front. It was very, very subtle but there. She also showed tightness behind the withers and her back but was still jumping really, really well.
She has had rest, shoes off and now rehabbing and is showing no signs of ulcers. (Well she pulls a face when I try and do her girth up after she has puffed out, the girth only just does up any way as she is fat :oops:, took her a couple of days to realise the saddle wasn’t going to hurt) She is still on the Feedmark stuff just in case. I had tried Protexin, both the Acid Ease and Comfort Gut but didn’t find them as good as Feedmark.
I think it will be trial an error to find what helps but don’t underestimate that something else is going on.
 

bubsqueaks

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Is anybody else not sceptical of all these feeds & supplements at all!?
How do you ever know what is actually working when its all unseen & your changing other things, as well as throwing into the mix the changing seasons, changing hormones, changing stress triggers etc etc.
Nobody even the Vets seem to know what drug works & what doesn't it all being trial & error, trial & error!
Also dealing with Glandular Ulcers is a totally different problem to dealing with Squamous Ulcers the 2 need to be marketed differently but aren't!
As like most horse issues it seems there is now a huge market of different products claiming cure all based on no scientific research but making themselves rich & us poor!
As you can tell Im very skeptical of what to try as upon speaking to numerous vets even they don't know really - sigh!!!
 
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