May is Gastric Ulcer Awareness Month.
At Equine Management and Training the physical and psychological welfare of horses is paramount and we will support any innitiative which helps raise owner awareness to promote the better health and well-being of their horse(s).
With the number of horses out of training which pass through the yard each year, we see gastric ulcers on a regular basis so are well-aware of all the symptoms - the usual as well as the less common ones not routinely associated with ulcers. Indeed, as a matter of course we take the view that every horse straight out of training will be affected and act accordinly.
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Gastric ulcers were always thought to be the preserve of racehorses, with research suggesting that at least 90% of horses in training are affected.
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Whilst grumpiness when girthing and grooming, lack of condition despite a suitable diet, cribbing and colic are typically associated with horses that are suffering from ulcers, do not be fooled. Indeed shortened stride length, backing off the leg and reluctance to pick up the front legs particularly for the farrier are just a few of the further possible symptoms that your horse may exhibit if he has ulcers; although these of course could be related to other issues, ulcers should be ruled out. Remember a horse doesn't have to be lean or run up, or have a stable vice to be a candidate for ulcers.
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This horse was scoped as part of the Gastric Ulcer Awareness Month Campaign last year.
This proved to us that despite correct management, if a horse has ulcers they do usually have to be treated - unless it can have 6 months' rest out in the grass field which is not feasible in the majority of cases. |
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Gastroscopy is the only way of establishing whether a horse does indeed have ulcers but this only checks for ulcers in the stomach; blood tests are required for diagnosing colonic/hind gut ulcers. Yes. it is not just the stomach that is affected although this is the area typically highlighted.
Horses are non-ruminant herbivores or "hind gut digesters" so if the hind gut is not healthy the micro-organisms which live in the gut are compromised and cannot do their job properly. With a healthy hind gut the digestive system is working as nature intended and a horse will get proper benefit from his food and so will be happier and able to perform better. And being healthier the risk of colic and other digestive upsets is signicantly reduced.
There is increasing awareness that horses should not have prolonged periods without food otherwise harmful the stomach acid which is continually secreted builds up and ulcerates the delicate stomach lining. However there is not so much awareness about hind gut acidosis, the result of which is the formation of colonic ulcers. Such acidosis can be caused by stress, and/or not enough fibre in the diet, and/or too high levels of starch in the diet (the hind gut is not designed to digest large quantites of starch).
It is not widely known that NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as bute actually inhibit the gastro-intestinal prostaglandins (prostaglandins being responsible for many physiological functions in the body) which promote the secretion of mucus for lining the gut walls to protect it from the harmful effects of the stomach acids and preventing ulceration.
Omeprazole - given in the form of Gastroguard - is the most common treatment for gastric ulcers, it works by reducing the production of stomach acid and so reduces the risk of ulcers forming. However this is interferring with nature - something that Man is very good at - and the digestive process which is impaired along the entirety of the digestive tract and inhibits the working of the friendly bacteria increasing the risk of such things as colic as well as increasing the risk of colonic ulcers from forming!
However use of Gastroguard can be prohibitive by its very cost, unless an insurance claim is made; then there is the cost of the gastroscopy to be added on. But once you have made an insurance claim, you cannot claim again which does not help if your horse proves to be a regular sufferer.
So what to use instead?
The answer lies in Gasto PlusTM - an effective but considerably cheaper treatment for ulcers now available to horse owners.
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Gastro PlusTM is a non-prescription, veterinary-strength, all-natural preparation which utilizes the body's own healing abilities without introducing chemicals or medicines into the body. - It is effective and safe - It is proven and used by the leading racehorse trainers (and others) in America as well as by trainers here in the UK. - It does not lower the acid levels in the stomach so does not intefere with the horse's natural digestion process - It delivers a thick mucus for lining the gut - It works on colonic ulcers, not just stomach ulcers - Does not inhibit the action of Nitric Oxice within the body |
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| Grade 4 ulcers prior to treatment with GastroPlusTM | 4 weeks after treatment with GastroPlusTM |
2 further very important considerations are:
- that some insurance companies are recognising the benefit of this product and will pay for the cost
- that is actually so inexpensive compared to other products on the market (such as Gastroguard) that owners don't need to make an insurance claim.
Supported by the British Equine Veterinary Association and in conjunction with Merial Health there is a website you can visit
which will help you assess the possible risk that your horse has gastric ulcers.
You can also complete a "risk assessment " form and obtain additional advice.
Please visit: www.gastriculcers.co.uk
If you would like more information about the benefits of using GastroPlusTM
please contact Debbi Gibbins at Equine Science (www.equinescience.co.uk) - Telephone: 07860 158 052
Please feel free to contact Equine Management and Training too as we have used GastroPlusTM with great success and recommend it to ours clients.