Ulcers - feeding for energy, not condition

[Tacobell]

hi all, i am booking in with my vet to get my horse scoped, he isnt showing all classic the signs bar he is grumpy to girth up and just general demeaner has changed. i was told once you even have a thought it could be ulcers, it is better to check to either put your mind at rest or treat appropriately.
He is currently being fed blue chip pro, spillers racing mix, and speedi beet.

my understanding is that blue chip pro is ulcer friendly, but the racing mix is not. What can i feed for energy that does not put on condition as he just has to look at a blade of hay and he puts on weight!

 

[Tacobell]

i was thinking, blue chip pro, alfa a oil and the dengie performance fiber..

 

[Melody Grey]

Feeding oil instead of anything sugar based is the way forward- so alfa a oil is good because it also has an acid buffering quality. You can also add additional oil (I use corn oil as directed by my vet but you can use some other types too). I’ve heard of people feeding copra too.

stay well away from the racehorse mix or any other kind of mix in my experience.

Also consider how much you actually need to feed above forage? What kind of work is the horse in? If you’re saying the horse puts on condition too easily, they might not need as much energy feed as you think? Particularly on a short term basis while you get things diagnosed.

 

[Tacobell]

Feeding oil instead of anything sugar based is the way forward- so alfa a oil is good because it also has an acid buffering quality. You can also add additional oil (I use corn oil as directed by my vet but you can use some other types too). I’ve heard of people feeding copra too.

stay well away from the racehorse mix or any other kind of mix in my experience.

Also consider how much you actually need to feed above forage? What kind of work is the horse in? If you’re saying the horse puts on condition too easily, they might not need as much energy feed as you think? Particularly on a short term basis while you get things diagnosed.

thank you for the feedback. he is in medium/hard work - competing SJ to a decent level most weekends

 

[Muddywellies]

Feeding oil instead of anything sugar based is the way forward- so alfa a oil is good because it also has an acid buffering quality. You can also add additional oil (I use corn oil as directed by my vet but you can use some other types too). I’ve heard of people feeding copra too.

stay well away from the racehorse mix or any other kind of mix in my experience.

Also consider how much you actually need to feed above forage? What kind of work is the horse in? If you’re saying the horse puts on condition too easily, they might not need as much energy feed as you think? Particularly on a short term basis while you get things diagnosed.

My vet advised corn oil too.

 

[milliepops]

also consider the effect that discomfort from ulcers can have on the horse's physical performance. are you worried about his energy levels now? if so, you might find that if he does have ulcers, once they are treated and healed up he will have more oompf anyway.

 

[sunleychops]

energy = calories
calories = condition

theyre the same thing

 

[Fruitcake]

Oil is good for energy (and condition) for ulcer-prone horses. If feeding oil though, it’s important to go for one with the correct ratio of Omega 3: Omega 6. You need at least twice as much Omega 3 as 6. Omega 6 has inflammatory properties. Corn oil is very high in Omega 6 and so can actually cause inflammation and exacerbate ulcers. Some vets still recommend it based on a rather old study which demonstrated that replacing cereals with corn oil had a beneficial effect on ulcers, but it’s now understood that this was mainly down to removing the cereals.

Linseed oil is balanced in terms of the Omega 3:6 ratio and so is a good choice - although not cheap. It’s also worth considering that you need to feed vitamin e alongside large quantities of oil.

 

[ester]

energy = calories
calories = condition

theyre the same thing

Except sometimes the energy you put in means more energy put into life/work = no weight gain. Something I wish I'd done with my native 10 years previously . (albeit not ulcer friendly)

 

[Lois Lame]

energy = calories
calories = condition

theyre the same thing

I disagree with that.

 

[Tacobell]

just an update.. he did come back with grade 2-3 glandular ulcer near where the stomach empties . i was speaking to his previous owner (we are friends) and she also said that she suspects that he has an alfalfa intolerance . when she used to include alfa-a oil in his diet he was uncontrollably itching.
so ideas on the table for feed regime that does not contain alfalfa!

 

[milliepops]

I use grass chaff instead of alfalfa. my gang all like the Dengie Meadow Grass which is easy to get hold of.
if you want to replace the racing mix with something vaguely similar you could look at spillers ulca power which are similar in energy, no alfalfa, much lower starch

if you didn't have the alfalfa problem i'd have suggested baileys ease and excel.

 

[Fruitcake]

Grass chaff and grass pellets would be OK, maybe mixed with some unmollased sugar beet. There was a study done a couple of years ago though that suggested that chaff could irritate ulcers mechanically (basically by being scratchy). I now steer clear and use soaked pellets. I use alfabeet but Simple System do two different types of just grass pellets (one is spring grass, the other summer). If you do want to go down the chaff route, Agrobs do some nice alfalfa free chaffs that are really soft.

 

[Squeak]

This is what I'd go for:

GWF Tiger Oats | VioVet.co.uk | FREE delivery available

If in doubt then the company are very helpful and so would be worth a ring.

 

[jenni999]

Try Saracens feeds, a few horses on our yard with ulcer history are doing well on their feeds after treatment