Ulcers - have come back

[PuddingandElla]

Does anyone have any experience of ulcers coming back whilst the horse is on gastrogard? This is what has happened to mine. She was doing really well - then we dropped her down to 1/2 tube a day and they have come back. Vet says from all the research it's less than 1% of horses this happenes too.

Anyone have any expreince of this? He has no idea how long it will take to get her right or if we ever will. And he is the best vet around to deal with this kind of thing.

I got worried when he said - some people swap the horses role to a brood mare!! I just can't afford to do that. I have no idea what to do next. Poor thing - i just want her better but i'm not sure it's ever going to happen.

It cost £22.50 for a tube of gastrogard and she has one a day! My insurance are paying at the moment, but they wont pay for ever and i don't have any spare money at the end of any month to pay for it!

He sais we could try other drugs but no of them are as effective so if the gastrogard doesn't work i have no idea what to do next.....

 

[AmyMay]

Can I ask what her diet is? Does she have adlib hay and forage??

 

[PuddingandElla]

No porblem - she has three haynets in her stable at night and one bucket of hay - adlib hay in the field during the day. Lots of turn out.
I'm feeding her saresens feeds which she does eat. Corn oil as well.
I just don't know where to turn next.
I am getting mirros put up in her stable to see if that helps her too.

 

[vicijp]

Could you perhaps turn her away for a few months? Out 24/7 with no hard feed at all.

 

[AmyMay]

The reason why I was asking because my friends little eventer was diagnosed with ulcers around 18 months ago now. It has been totally managed with diet rather than medication. And she seems to have had no recurrent problems.

She has a constant amount of forrage and is on as much turnout as possible. She is fed on Spillers Slow Response cubes, Mollichaff and oil, all of which she does very well on. Mix is not fed as this is moving away from the fibre based diet that is better for horses prone to ulcers. She is also not allowed sugar beat because of the high starch content. She only has hay removed one hour before competing.

Hope this is of some use to you.

 

[PuddingandElla]

Thanks - i would turn her away but she hate not being ridden, she just hoolies round the field!

I don't feed mix either - i chose the saracens feed as it has such a low starch content.

I just feel like we are going round in circles - i have done absolutly everything i can in relation to her diet turn out etc but they have just come back and the vet doesn't really know why!

I have had mixed advice with the sugar beat thing - some poeple say its good some people say don't feed it at all - very confused.

I am going to get her some natural yoghurt tonight, vet said it wouldn't hurt to give it to her.

 

[Llwyncwn]

Hi Helen. Really sorry to hear about your mare's situation. My mare had a perforated ulcer which caused peritonitis 9 years ago and we very nearly lost her. It sounds to me like you are doing all the right things, and everything possible. The yoghurt is a good idea too. There is a very knowledgeable lady who runs out local health food shop and she read up on the problem for me and prescribed Slippery Elm (which lines the stomach), Valarian as a calmative and good for bowel problems, and Cava-Cava. Soon after starting her on this I was able to take her off the Cemetedine tablets which the vets prescribed (80 per day!) along with the gaviscon, pro and antibios.
I hope this helps in some small way.

 

[derricks]

Helen

Poor Ella Bella, Im so sorry for you.
You have done everything you have been advised to do and now this happens
Big hug for both of you
Give me a call at the weekend....
Sam

 

[PuddingandElla]

Hi

Thanks for all your nice comments. I will certainly try the things from the health food shop. I'll try anything at the moment!!

Sam - yeah will call you tomorrow. Typical isn't one good thing happens then this!

I want her to be okay for camp but i'm not so sure...

 

[Stasha22]

I have had the exact same problem with my mare. As a last resort, I decided to turn her out 24/7.

I stopped the Gastrogard after 2 days of being out and within about 4 days days she began to show vast improvement and now (2 months later), has no signs of Ulcers and is thriving on being out.

It was a hard decision (being winter and a TB!) but I can honestly say it is the best decision I have ever made for her and has probably saved her life.

Good luck and don't give up.