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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
 
Location: Alabama | I am sick and tired and fed up with equine stomach issues. My horses are on 24/7 turn out with 24/7 access to decent grass hay in slow feed nets. Fed #3 of safechoice special care 2x a day. Why do I continue to have issues? What daily supplement can I feed to correct this? I have tried Froco and Smartgut with no luck. Three months of each showed no results. I have treated one horse for ulcers a couple times and he gets better for a short time. However, any change in weather, hay, or stress and hauling brings on the stomach issues. Gas, bloat, cramps, loose and very frequent stools, and bad attitude are what I am dealing with. Neither of these two have ever colicked though. Sorry for the grammer, in a hurry. Any info would be great!  |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Maybe once you have completed the treatment for ulcers, you need to continue with the preventative doses. Have you had them scoped to make sure you are dealing with ulcers, if so, did you have them scoped after to make sure they were actually gone before you stopped treatment? |
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 Veteran
Posts: 121
Location: US | I messaged you!!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
Location: Alabama | Ace I haven't had either of them scoped. My mare seems to be thriving now and has gained weight and slicked up. She looked and acted like and ulcer horse. After treatment she has been great. The gelding however has never looked or acted like your typical ulcer horse. What sort of continued treatment should I be doing? I had hoped that lifestyle changes and feeding would be enough. Sigh. |
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Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Sockittoemred - 2014-09-24 12:43 PM Ace I haven't had either of them scoped. My mare seems to be thriving now and has gained weight and slicked up. She looked and acted like and ulcer horse. After treatment she has been great. The gelding however has never looked or acted like your typical ulcer horse. What sort of continued treatment should I be doing? I had hoped that lifestyle changes and feeding would be enough. Sigh.
If you are using Ulcergard/Gastrogard, any time you put them in a stressful enviornment (such as hauling to a race or being away from home for a few days, etc.) you start a couple of days before giving a 1/4 of a tube a day and continue this until you get home. A full tube is to treat ulcers, and a 1/4 tube is to prevent ulcers.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-09-24 2:27 PM
Sockittoemred - 2014-09-24 12:43 PM Ace I haven't had either of them scoped. My mare seems to be thriving now and has gained weight and slicked up. She looked and acted like and ulcer horse. After treatment she has been great. The gelding however has never looked or acted like your typical ulcer horse. What sort of continued treatment should I be doing? I had hoped that lifestyle changes and feeding would be enough. Sigh.
If you are using Ulcergard/Gastrogard, any time you put them in a stressful enviornment (such as hauling to a race or being away from home for a few days, etc.) you start a couple of days before giving a 1/4 of a tube a day and continue this until you get home. A full tube is to treat ulcers, and a 1/4 tube is to prevent ulcers.
Oh boy, do I feel your pain! I won't go into the details, but I have a mare who by management, should NEVER even be close to worrying about ulcers! OMG...the frustration...
And we did do a scope, treated, and rescoped to make sure they are healed.
I agree with Ace - you need to have them on something more than your average SmartPak supplement for gut health - they have shown you that those are not going to work, so you need to listen.
1) If you are hauling anywhere, they need to be on UlcerGard, started a few days prior to your event. It takes up to 24 hours to start working.
2) Chronic pain can cause ulcers; my mare's ulcers stay away in the summer, when it's warm...in the winter, its cold, her arthritis bothers her, and her ulcers flare right back up again [even though she has unlimited hay in front of her 24/7, no grain, she's retired, we don't haul anywhere...she's quite literally a pasture ornament with hay and still gets a flare up] So something to consider there. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I would take them off grain. My feed program is 707 essential vitamins and minerals, Renew Gold for fat, alfalfa for protein, mine are out too 24/7 except for weather. I put the vitamins and renew gold in about a cup of soaked molasses free beet pulp. Mine are still getting their nutrional needs met but without grain which is hard on their stomachs. I have zero ulcer or stomach issues, been feeding this program for 5 years. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| rodeomom3 - 2014-09-24 3:18 PM
I would take them off grain. My feed program is 707 essential vitamins and minerals, Renew Gold for fat, alfalfa for protein, mine are out too 24/7 except for weather. I put the vitamins and renew gold in about a cup of soaked molasses free beet pulp. Mine are still getting their nutrional needs met but without grain which is hard on their stomachs. I have zero ulcer or stomach issues, been feeding this program for 5 years.
Do you use a preventative such as UlcerGard when hauling to competitions?
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| Highly suggest using EquiSure. It is amazing stuff. I use it once a month and when I worm or give omeprezole paste, or during times of stress (weather change, long hauling, etc.) On horses like yours I would do a loading dose of 1 dose a day for a week, and then weekly doses for a month... and feel from there how often you need to give it. It has made a 10000% difference in my horses.... from my horses hauled hard, to my baby colts that are just weaned.
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| SuckerForHorses - 2014-09-24 2:25 PM rodeomom3 - 2014-09-24 3:18 PM I would take them off grain. My feed program is 707 essential vitamins and minerals, Renew Gold for fat, alfalfa for protein, mine are out too 24/7 except for weather. I put the vitamins and renew gold in about a cup of soaked molasses free beet pulp. Mine are still getting their nutrional needs met but without grain which is hard on their stomachs. I have zero ulcer or stomach issues, been feeding this program for 5 years. Do you use a preventative such as UlcerGard when hauling to competitions?
Not for local races. I did give them Draw when I went to Waco and they were stalled for 3 days. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| CheckItOut - 2014-09-24 3:38 PM
Highly suggest using EquiSure. It is amazing stuff. I use it once a month and when I worm or give omeprezole paste, or during times of stress (weather change, long hauling, etc.) On horses like yours I would do a loading dose of 1 dose a day for a week, and then weekly doses for a month... and feel from there how often you need to give it. It has made a 10000% difference in my horses.... from my horses hauled hard, to my baby colts that are just weaned.
Are you talking about EquiSure from KER?
If so, I'm not sure why you aren't feeding it daily?
It's not intended to be fed "weekly."
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 Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | I sent you a pm |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| SuckerForHorses - 2014-09-24 2:56 PM
CheckItOut - 2014-09-24 3:38 PM
Highly suggest using EquiSure. It is amazing stuff. I use it once a month and when I worm or give omeprezole paste, or during times of stress (weather change, long hauling, etc.) On horses like yours I would do a loading dose of 1 dose a day for a week, and then weekly doses for a month... and feel from there how often you need to give it. It has made a 10000% difference in my horses.... from my horses hauled hard, to my baby colts that are just weaned.
Are you talking about EquiSure from KER?
If so, I'm not sure why you aren't feeding it daily?
It's not intended to be fed "weekly."
I am talking about "EquiSure Now" by Pro Earth Animal Health, and I GIVE it that way because that is how the vet that created the product instructed me to... ( and it also says so on the bottle). It is not a feed. It is a liquid, and a "dose" is two teaspoons orally.
How Does Equi-Sure Work?
The ingredients in Equi-Sure combine to form an antibacterial cleanse that naturally breaks down bacteria in a horse’s stomach. Equi-Sure naturally creates a high PH level in the horse, reducing signs of ulcers. In addition, Equi-Sure naturally creates an appetite in horses and will keep them eating and drinking when stressed.
Equi-Sure works best when administered to horses on an empty stomach and is completely all natural and safe to use in all types of horses, including foals and lactating mares. Equi-Sure is used as an adjunct to traditional methods or as a stand alone defense against disease.
Edited by CheckItOut 2014-09-24 5:56 PM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Sockittoemred - 2014-09-24 12:09 PM
I am sick and tired and fed up with equine stomach issues. My horses are on 24/7 turn out with 24/7 access to decent grass hay in slow feed nets. Fed #3 of safechoice special care 2x a day. Why do I continue to have issues? What daily supplement can I feed to correct this? I have tried Froco and Smartgut with no luck. Three months of each showed no results. I have treated one horse for ulcers a couple times and he gets better for a short time. However, any change in weather, hay, or stress and hauling brings on the stomach issues. Gas, bloat, cramps, loose and very frequent stools, and bad attitude are what I am dealing with. Neither of these two have ever colicked though. Sorry for the grammer, in a hurry. Any info would be great!
My sister had a mare exactly like you are talking about. Turns out she had ulcers because she had arthritis in her knee but being a broodmare on small acreage and being a very stoic mare no one thought the slight offness was anything to worry about. She put on injectable glucosamine and no more ulcers. Also she had another horse with ulcers and she treated per the vet then put him on THE's ulcer preventative and not one single relapse since. I would contact THE. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | have you tried removing the grain..could be the safechoice making them gassy and bloaty |
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 Veteran
Posts: 144
Location: Where humidity does wonders for hair! | I am glad someone posted this, because I just found out my mare has hindgut ulcers. Not real bad, but I did change her feed to low carb pellet and have her on Excel. Rodeomom what you said that you feed your horse the beet pulp, is still ok to feed with the molasses in it? I quess I have been very fortunate and never had to deal with ulcers in my horse till now. It is frustrating with being so many products out there you dont know which one to use and not to use. I am not a consistant competor (couple times a month) but do use her at work to keep her in shape. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Soaked Beet pulp .. you can soak it and drain.. it helps with that issue..although there isnt that much in it to begin with that would matter..imho |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
Location: Alabama | I haven't removed grain completely. I'm scared to honestly because the mare was a hard keeper and I don't know how on earth to ensure they get the proper vitamins and minerals without premixed grains. Safe choice has given the best results of the pelleted feeds I've found that are available in my area. I am very open to going grain free if I can find a good vitamin min supplement for my area. I'm pretty sure the mare is good. She is in good weight now and holding. She is bred and a pasture puff for the time being. The gelding is a fatty McGee. But, at the drop of a hat it seems he gets these flare ups. I "think" the latest one is from the new hay I got in. So, I'm thinking I really need a management program for him. Like a daily feed thru to keep him regular and help him cope with changes that I cannot help but also something for race days. Hauling long distances seems to really get his tummy rolling. This horse is normally a laid back easy going guy but when he is having these issues he is grouchy and nervous. Thank you for all the replies and pm's!! I am researching and looking into everything that has been suggested. |
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| I have a very ulcer-prone horse this year--didn't like giving omeprazole every day. Switched him to alfalfa pellets, no other grain, and Equisure a couple times a week, or before we run--he is doing great and is finally developing a topline. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Sockittoemred - 2014-09-24 7:18 PM I haven't removed grain completely. I'm scared to honestly because the mare was a hard keeper and I don't know how on earth to ensure they get the proper vitamins and minerals without premixed grains. Safe choice has given the best results of the pelleted feeds I've found that are available in my area. I am very open to going grain free if I can find a good vitamin min supplement for my area. I'm pretty sure the mare is good. She is in good weight now and holding. She is bred and a pasture puff for the time being. The gelding is a fatty McGee. But, at the drop of a hat it seems he gets these flare ups. I "think" the latest one is from the new hay I got in. So, I'm thinking I really need a management program for him. Like a daily feed thru to keep him regular and help him cope with changes that I cannot help but also something for race days. Hauling long distances seems to really get his tummy rolling. This horse is normally a laid back easy going guy but when he is having these issues he is grouchy and nervous. Thank you for all the replies and pm's!! I am researching and looking into everything that has been suggested.
You don't need a grain to ensure they get their vitamins and minerals. I love the 707 essentials that I give mine- 2 ozs a day. Progressive pro add is also a good product, it is a highly concentrated min/ vit/ protein feed that you only feed a cup per day. I used to feed it and was looking to add more fat to my program and found the renew gold. It dawned on me that I could buy the 707, feed alfalfa for protein, and drop the progressive pro add. My horses get everything they need, they look and feel great. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Sockittoemred - 2014-09-24 7:18 PM I haven't removed grain completely. I'm scared to honestly because the mare was a hard keeper and I don't know how on earth to ensure they get the proper vitamins and minerals without premixed grains. Safe choice has given the best results of the pelleted feeds I've found that are available in my area. I am very open to going grain free if I can find a good vitamin min supplement for my area. I'm pretty sure the mare is good. She is in good weight now and holding. She is bred and a pasture puff for the time being. The gelding is a fatty McGee. But, at the drop of a hat it seems he gets these flare ups. I "think" the latest one is from the new hay I got in. So, I'm thinking I really need a management program for him. Like a daily feed thru to keep him regular and help him cope with changes that I cannot help but also something for race days. Hauling long distances seems to really get his tummy rolling. This horse is normally a laid back easy going guy but when he is having these issues he is grouchy and nervous. Thank you for all the replies and pm's!! I am researching and looking into everything that has been suggested.
Wanted to add that I have a gelding that when we bought him the seller said he had a hard time keeping weight on in the summer. We had him for 2 years before I switched to no grain and he was a hard keeper in our summer heat. After taking him off grain though he did a complete 360 and one I now consider an easy keeper. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
Location: Alabama | That's what's so odd about the gelding! He is the definition of easy keeper. I will do a price check on the 707 and alfalfa. If it is feasible price wise I may try that route. I add soaked beet pulp in winter anyways just as a pick me up because they are out in the weather. Hopefully my barn will be up next month so I can get them up on the bitter days this year. Sounds like the equisure is something to look at twice well. I'm really leaning toward hind gut being the main issue here because it seems the roughage change is what sets him off most often. Be it spring grass coming up or a new cutting of hay coming in. Thanks again for all the info! Keep it coming folks! I'm sure this is helping others as well. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Pull the grain. If you do feed grain, go to no more than 3 lbs Ultium 2X daily. Keep the fat and protein content in any feed balanced for pH level. Invest in the SmartGut Ultra and SmartDigest as well.
Do 15 days Gastrogard along with 10 days ProBios paste.
Any time you haul, Gastrogard. You can run on 80 ccs of Maalox, it works.
Feed as much alfalfa as you can. Always have free choice grass hay available. You need to slow the gut down and the alfalfa will do that. I think you'd be pretty impressed with how much the alfalfa would help all on it's own, as long as you give it consistently over time. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | I love GastroPLUS! It is not just a supplement for ulcers but also for digestive functioning. Not only did it help my horse with ulcers but with a leaky gut too. After 3 months of GastroPLUS I was able to switch to the prevent/maintenance dose and all is good! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
Location: Alabama | Kat are you talking about THE gastroPlus? I used it before with decent results but it is way to expensive. I need a program where I can keep them both on a daily maint. plus have something to safely dose with during times of stress that is affordable. $5 a day for maint supps per horse on top of regular feed and hay is going to get expensive fast! |
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Stomach issues!!!