Thursday, March 28, 2024

Signs Of Ulcers In Horses

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Amazed By The Results Of Equine 74 Gastric

Symptoms of Gastric Ulcers in horses?

Alix read Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven’s testimonial on Equine 74 Gastric on Eurodressage.com last year, she decided to give it a try despite reservations.

“I was quite skeptical about Equine 74 Gastric at first, but thought if Tinne Vilhelmson thought it was good enough for her horses wed give it a go. Sebs symptoms when not being treated with Gastrogard and Misoprostol were a tight body, he was unfocused and spooky, behind the leg, kicking at my leg, lethargic, random fevers, hard to put weight on , inconsistent manure, and he had minor colics. All of this made it hard to have a consistent training schedule let alone plan any showing which was really frustrating. Ive never dealt with a horse with stomach problems before and was at my wits end,” Szepesi admitted.

What Are The Different Types Of Stomach Ulcers

Your horses stomach is divided into two distinct regions: the non-glandular region, or squamous mucosa region, which covers approximately one-third of the equine stomach and the glandular region, which covers the remaining two-thirds of the stomach and contains glands that secrete hydrochloric acid, pepsin, bicarbonate, and mucus to aid in digestion.

Horses’s stomach

Equine stomach ulcers can develop in both regions of the stomach, but the disease process, risk factors, and treatment response for glandular ulcers is different from those for squamous ulcers. The only way to determine the location of a stomach ulcer is by stomach scoping. To confirm diagnosis, it is therefore critical to perform gastroscopy to identify the location of the stomach ulcer and treat it accordingly.

Equine Stomach Ulcers 10 Symptoms You Need To Be Aware Of:

1. Poor appetite

3. Less performance in daily training and shows

4. Weight loss

9. Poor condition

10. Lack of focus

Alix Szepesi, an American horse trainer and dressage rider, also had to learn that some horses develop stomach ulcers even with perfectly horse-appropriate keeping. Before she could find out, what was wrong with her horse, she tried a whole bunch of things. Now she prevents ulcers with our natural feeding supplement Equine 74 Gastric. Read on to hear her tell the story of how she fought fiercely for her horses health.

For American dressage trainer and rider Alix Szepesi feeding Equine 74 Gastric has been an eye-opening experience from which all her horses have reaped the benefits. Szepesi has seen dramatic changes in her horses, not only in their performance level but also in their disposition.

“They are mentally more relaxed and focused. Under saddle they start out more relaxed in the body and more accepting of the leg. Horses that had a tucked up look filled out. Horses that had a bloated look slimmed down and more healthy manure. Horses I thought were just ‘crabby’ became more affectionate.

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Treatment For An Equine Eye Ulcer

Once your vet diagnoses a corneal ulcer , treatment can begin. Equine eye ulcer treatment consists of two primary components: pain control and wound healing.

For pain control, your vet may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as flunixin meglumine or phenylbutazone . A drug called atropine, usually given as an eye ointment, is also sometimes prescribed for eye pain. Atropine makes the eye muscles relax, along with dilating the pupil. For this reason, horses on atropine should be kept out of direct light.

Wound treatment typically includes a triple antibiotic ointment. When applying, hold the ointment tube parallel to the lower eyelid and squirt a ribbon along the inside of the lid. Blinking action will ensure the antibiotic covers the eyeball. Never direct the end of the tube at the eyeball itself you could accidentally poke the horse in the eye if he suddenly moves. Applied three or more times a day, this ointment helps prevent secondary bacterial infection and gives the eyeball a protective, moist covering. The cornea is remarkably resilient and can heal quickly. Superficial equine eye ulcers frequently heal within three to seven days.

A triple antibiotic ointment may be applied three or more times per day to create a protective covering so the cornea can heal.

Colonic Ulcers In Horses: Ulceration In The Hindgut

3 Ways to Spot Ulcer Symptoms in Horses

Gastric ulcers have been in the spotlight in recent years, thanks to well-known treatment and extensive research in this area. As a result, many people associate equine digestive health with stomach health. But truly understanding the horses digestive system means understanding the significance of the hindgut.

This attention to gastric ulceration is ironic, if not downright detrimental. The stomach represents less than 10% of the total volume of the digestive tract. On the other hand, the hindgut is huge and vital to the horses digestive process and overall health. Most importantly, it is the home of a huge bacterial environment that converts fiber to energy the horse is known as a hindgut fermenter, meaning it obtains most of its energy by fermenting forage in its colon.

Because the hindgut plays such a critical role in digestion and health, it may also be the source of so many of the problems we are seeing.

Thanks to extensive research by Franklin L. Pellegrini, DVM, we now know that hindgut ulcers do exist. In fact, they are rather common. Colonic ulcers, or lesions found in the colon, predominantly affect performance horses and are frequently identified in horses already suffering from gastric ulcers.

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Why You Need To Intervene

A horse cannot remove these undesirable grasses from their mouth. These grasses have spines on them pointing in one direction: in. When their feed has a lot of them, they build up in the lower lip, piercing the tender flesh, embedding themselves in their lip. Once one has penetrated the flesh, it’s really easy for more to pile into the hole. One after another, as the horse picks up his hay with his lips, the undesirable grasses drop off their spiny arrows, that in turn, they embed themselves into his lips.

The horse will continue to eat until he is in so much discomfort he cannot pick up another mouthful of the hay. At this point, it is too painful to hold his lips together and swallow his saliva. He will then stop eating, stand with his lips apart, drooling profusely. The drool will sometimes extend from his lip all the way to the ground.

How Can Equine Ulcers Affect A Horses Competitive Performance And Health

One animal health company examined 84 horses suffering from ulcers for a closer look. 77% of the horses had poor performance. This included a loss of jumping style and resistance to dressage training and work, stiffness, and a lack of response to a riders leg. Nelda said that ulcers could hurt horses performance. No one wants to be ridden with a stomach ache. Ulcers can also affect the horses ability to compete.

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Adjust Your Horses Eating & Exercise Schedule

Another important step is to adjust the time between meals. This aspect of treatment can pose a real challenge for a lot of equine enthusiasts. Many horse lovers work away from their horses, which makes feeding more frequently than twice a day difficult. Fortunately, today, there are a few feed accessories on the market that make it easier to provide frequent feedings to your horse. This is done by dramatically slowing down how quickly they can consume their feed.

Ulcer Treatment For Horses

Equine Ulcer Diagnosis by Mark DePaolo, DVM

The therapeutic strategy for gastric ulcerations reduction of gastric acid secretion thereby allowing healing of the damaged mucosa. This can be accomplished by H2 receptor antagonists, including cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, and nizatidine. Appetite, signs of colic, and diarrhea should begin to improve within 48 hr of therapy which should be continued for about 3 weeks.

Assessment of ulcer healing via endoscopic examination is useful for determining the duration of therapy. Other drugs may be useful in combination with H2 receptor antagonists. Sucralfate has been used in combination with H2 receptor antagonists for the treatment of gastric ulcers in horses. Antacids have limited efficacy in the treatment of gastric ulcers in horses: however, they may neutralize gastric acid and reduce the likelihood of recurrence of gastric ulceration after histaminergic-2 receptor antagonist therapy.

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How To Recognize The Symptoms Of Ulcers For Sport Horses

There are many clinical signs that may indicate the presence of gastric ulcers in your sport horse. In particular, if your horses appetite becomes capricious , if you notice a loss of general condition, a decrease in performance not explained by other physical factors, a change in behavior , colic of low intensity especially after meals, pain at the time of girth, yawning just before or during the ingestion of food However, the absence of symptoms does not mean that your horse does not suffer from ulcers, some horses do not show any external signs of pain.

The Importance Of The Horses Hindgut

Its important to understand what the horses hindgut is and how it functions. The hindgut includes the cecum and colon and is an essential part of the overall digestive system.

Horses are hindgut fermenters which means that the hindgut is necessary to process digestible energy from the food that a horse consumes. When this function is impaired, it can have wide-ranging impacts on the health and well-being of your horse.

When feed moves through the horses digestive system, the stomach and small intestine produce enzymes that start to break down the feed. Simple sugars and amino acids are mostly absorbed in the small intestine.

But fibre makes up a huge portion of the horses diet and it does not get digested in the small intestine. Horses cannot break down fibre without the help of microbes in the hindgut.

Bacteria, yeast and other microorganisms digest fibre through a process known as fibre fermentation. This process provides the horse with energy, volatile fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids necessary for good health.

These nutrients are then assimilated through the intestinal wall for utilization in the horses body. A healthy intestinal wall provides a protective barrier that allows nutrients to be absorbed, but doesnt allow toxins and microbes to enter the body.

If this barrier becomes damaged by ulcers or compromised by leaky gut syndrome, harmful substances can cross into the bloodstream, which can lead to infection and disease.

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How To Treat The Appearance Of Ulcers

With regard to the possible care of ulcers, recommendations regarding the two aggravating factors mentioned above have been put forward, following the publication of scientific trial results:

  • Firstly, horse feed: the horse should receive a minimum amount of feed of 1.5kg per 100kg live weight
  • Limit the amount of starch in the horses diet by substituting carbohydrate energy with fat energy
  • Do not work the horse immediately after a meal of concentrates , and do not give him concentrated feed immediately after work.
  • Salivation: a solution that has also proved its worth is to increase the horses salivation in order to counteract the acidity of the stomach. This can be done by feeding long-brown fiber concentrates such as alfalfa brown.
  • Encourage the intake of pre-biotics and essential fatty acids

In the most serious cases, the veterinarian can prescribe treatments. A gastroscopy can help the veterinarian to establish his diagnosis and a posteriori to verify the effectiveness of the treatments.

In terms of ulcer prevention, it is important to pay attention to your horses living conditions. The way your horse lives can have a great influence on the appearance of EGGD ulcers. In particular, confinement can cause a very stressful situation for a horse. It is therefore necessary to adapt the horses lifestyle so that it can feel more fulfilled.

Signs That Your Horse Might Have An Ulcer

How to Keep Your Horse

Ulcers in horses can be challenging to identify as they sometimes present with quite generic symptoms. Only veterinary diagnosis will confirm whether your horse has ulcers or not but what are the telltale signs that you should keep an eye out for? Read our handy guide and become better informed.

Ulcers can present with a range of symptoms that can easily be attributed to other conditions. If you suspect something is wrong then your vet should evaluate your horse as it could be ulcers or a different issue. Ulcers rarely heal on their own without veterinary intervention. If your horse does have ulcers, your vet will need to determine which type they are as there are two different classifications:

  • ESGUS Ulcers in the upper region of the horses stomach which is called the Squamous, really the lower end of the oesophagus lining and the most common of the two types of ulcer
  • EGGUS Ulcers in the lower glandular region of the horses stomach

These are some of the symptoms a horse with ulcers can exhibit:

  • Resistance when ridden this can manifest in lots of different ways and maybe subtle and inconsistent right through to an obvious change of behavior. It is important to make sure there are no other underlying causes which could be contributing to a behavioral change such as a saddle fitting issue, a sore back or even a change of rider to someone less competent.
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    What Dose Of Omeprazole Should My Horse Have

    is typically administered to horses in 37% GastroGard paste form at a dose of 4 mg per kilogram bodyweight per day.

    For a standard adult horse of 500 kg , this is 2000 mg of Omeprazole per day which is roughly equivalent to one syringe of GastroGard paste per day.

    Lower doses of 1.6 mg per kilogram bodyweight per day have been shown effective at reducing gastric acid production and ulceration severity. However, this dosage is not as consistent at promoting ulceration healing compared to the 4 mg dose.

    For squamous ulcers, omeprazole is typically administered for 28 days to enable full healing. Research shows that 86% of horses ulcers are healed within 28 days.

    For glandular ulcers, omeprazole is typically administered for longer periods. It may also be administered alongside antimicrobials and gastroprotective supplements, such as sucralfate.

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    Turn Your Horse Out To Pasture More Frequently

    In addition to this important step in treatment, there are several more actionable steps we can take to hasten your horses healing. If at all possible, turn your horse out more frequently. Remember, the horses stomach is small and produces acid continually. Consuming small meals more frequently helps to regulate this. 4. Stop or Drastically Reduce the Use of NSAIDs

    If you extensively use NSAIDS on your horse, your vet will direct you to reduce their use or eliminate them drastically. That is because NSAIDs are well known to irritate the stomach lining.

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    Concluding Remarks On Ulcer In Horses

    Equine gastric ulcer is a very common disease for the horse owner. Correct identification and timely treatment may save the life of your horse. The more delay in diagnosis and treatment will deteriorate the condition. A balanced ration, timely food habit, and clear food will reduce the risk of gastric ulceration of your horse. If you like the article, please share this information via social media.

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    Q: What Else Can I Do To Reduce The Risk Of Ulcers In My Horse

    Gastric ulcers in horses

    A: Here are a few handy tips to keep in mind when you are trying to treat or prevent ulcers in your horse:

    • Try not to exercise your horse on an empty stomach.
    • Feed regular small meals during the day if your horse does not have access to pasture.
    • Allow access to hay day and night for stabled horses.
    • Take regular meal breaks for your horse during transportation.
    • Provide hay nets when travelling long distances.
    • Always have plenty of fresh water available.
    • Keep a diary your notes will help you keep track of any changes in your horses habits, food intake or behavior.

    Dont let untreated stomach ulcers affect your horses performance. Enteric coating provides a proven treatment that effectively heals and prevents gastric ulceration in competitive horses. Speak to your vet today or contact your Virbac Area Sales Manager for more information.

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    Signs Your Horse May Have Stomach Ulcers

    There are several symptoms of ulcers in horses, including colic, behavioral changes, and signs of unhealthy skin and hair. In case you have never experienced a horse suffering colic, some of the symptoms are the horse not eating or drinking, standing with front legs and hind legs unusually far apart as if stretching the stomach, laying down and getting up repeatedly as if uncomfortable and looking back at its side while standing. Now, here are the signs your horse may have stomach ulcers.

    • Recurring mild colic: Usually diagnosed by a vet.

    • Poor condition.

    • Behavioral changes.

    • Not eating.

    If you see one or more of these signs appearing in your horse, it is time to call a professional and get a thorough diagnosis. Some of these signs would occur much faster than others. For example, your horse may stop eating long before they begin to look like they are in poor condition.

    Likewise, a horse refusing to train or being very dull in its movement would occur before a dramatic drop in weight or change in body condition. These are early warning signs, and they are more subtle, requiring daily interaction and observation to notice.

    Now that you know what to watch for, you can check daily for these more subtle signs of distress in your horse. Developing the ability to observe these subtle changes early on may prevent the more serious long-term effects and possibly save your horses life. When you are concerned about your horses health, be sure to seek a diagnosis by a veterinarian.

    Get Well As Your Horse Gets Better: Living With Ulcers

    My pony, Stella, is prone to ulcers. We have treated her for gastric ulcers three times in the five years shes been with us. Ulcers are extremely painful for horses, and until you see the results of an ulcer for yourself, it may be difficult for you to understand how important it is to avoid their development at all costs.

    A few years ago, I had barely even heard of the idea of gastric ulcers in horses. If youd have asked me back then how often ulcers occurred in horses I likely would have answered Ive never seen a horse with ulcers. I had no idea how prevalent they are the statistics are staggering.

    In a nutshell, gastric ulcers in horses are typically caused by chances to feed or routine, lack of turnout, travel, or NSAID medications. Though difficult to notice, at times, common symptoms include decreased appetite, teeth grinding, behavioral resistance, weight loss, and poor body condition. Luckily, there are ways to prevent and treat gastric ulcers.

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