# Ulcers



## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Today I went out to the barn to work on Abby's herdbound problem. When I arrived, some other people were going riding. I was going to tack up quickly to catch up to them. Well, when I went to cinch her up, I received a glare, pinned ears and a back hoof trying to kick me in the face. I took off the saddle and ran my hand along her side and part of her belly. She pinned her ears and put her foot up again. Except this time, she more scratched at her stomach a couple of times.

My first thought was colic by the way she was scratching at her stomach. We later ruled that out because she was eating normally and she didn't try to roll or lie down while I walked her around. I did some googling of her symptoms when I got home and the best I could come up with was ulcers.

I called the vet and told her that's what I thought it was. The vet is also the chiro I had come readjust Abby's hip a few weeks ago. While she was there, she did some acupuncture to get rid of the "wind" in her withers. She said her stomach points were hot and wouldn't be surprised at all if she had ulcers, but since she is the nearest vet and is over an hour away, she can't get up here until Monday afternoon. 

She said, if possible, start her on some GastroGard just in case, but it would suck to start her on that because it's super expensive. Well, I looked up the price. She was right: It's very expensive. And the closest thing to a horse supply store we have is Tractor Supply, which does not have GastroGard. If I ordered it online, I doubt I'd have it before the vet came out.. 

What I'm trying to get at: Is there a cheaper option that would help for the week? I'm not sure what TSC has for digestive supplements.

Also, she's not on any grain, just free choice hay as she is kept in a pasture rather than a stall. She's a bit high strung, which is what I think would have caused it.

Sorry for the novel!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Gastrogard is soooo expensive, but it will cure an ulcer is a few short days. If your horse will eat bananas, they soothe the stomach and can help prevent reoccurence. Some people use Malox, but I'm not sure how much.


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

I delt with this for the last year! Yes, Gastroguard is the only thing that will treat ulcers. Ulcergard is the same product as gastroguard, but does not require a prescription because the dosing instructions are different. If you get Ulcergard, give 1 entire tube per day, as the Gastroguard instructions would tell you to do. In the meantime, to give her some relief, you can give her a syringe of Pro-CMC (looks and acts just like Pepto for horses). Realize that left untreated, ulcers can cause colic and will continue to worsen. The longer you wait trying alternatives, the greater the risk for the ulcers getting worse. I know it sucks but get the gastrogard or ulcergard as soon as possible. You have to leave them on it for the whole month to heal the ulcers. Additionally, take some time to determine the cause of the ulcers. Reduce grain, increase turnout, take a good look at your hay, and look at some digestive supplements for maintenance. Ulcers were one of the most frustrating things I've ever dealt with!! Oh, and don't feel bad. I almost got kicked in the head more than once when trying to get near him when he wasn't feeling well... Sending lots of hugs, I know how stressful dealing with this can be!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I know it can cause colic and it'll just get worse until the vet can come out. I may have to drive out to the vet that's about a half hour away (the only reason I don't use this vet to come out is because they charge SO much more just to come out to a farm. I don't have a trailer myself, so I'd have to have them come to where I'm boarding her) to see if I can get GastroGard or UlcerGard. I'm pretty sure that's the only place I could get it. If they don't have it, I'll probably have to try the bananas thing. 

I'll look at Tractor Supply for Pro-CMC or ask the other vet. 

Thanks!


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## charro (Nov 8, 2010)

Poseidon said:


> I know it can cause colic and it'll just get worse until the vet can come out. I may have to drive out to the vet that's about a half hour away (the only reason I don't use this vet to come out is because they charge SO much more just to come out to a farm. I don't have a trailer myself, so I'd have to have them come to where I'm boarding her) to see if I can get GastroGard or UlcerGard. I'm pretty sure that's the only place I could get it. If they don't have it, I'll probably have to try the bananas thing.
> 
> I'll look at Tractor Supply for Pro-CMC or ask the other vet.
> 
> Thanks!


How about having it delivered to your place?

GastroGard Merial (Equine - Horse Prescriptions)


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I looked on valleyvet.com. I'm going to try to go to the closer vet tomorrow because even if I ordered it right now and got 1 day shipping, I wouldn't get it until Thursday because it's late.


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Check the tack shops. The vets may not actually have it in their office. Tractor Supply might even have ulcergard. Pro-CMC can also be found most places that carry supplements. What is her current diet and turnout arrangement? Does she have hay in front of her 24/7? If you can give her hay all day, even during turnout, and split her grain into several meals per day, it will help to ease this discomfort and should be considered for ongoing management.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

She's pasture boarded, so she's never in a stall and she only gets hay. If it were different, I would make it what she has now, but there's not much I can do there. And we have no tack shops. I plan to go to TSC tomorrow though. And either calling the other vet or just going out there.


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Sorry Poseidon, I was doing three things at once last night and missed the turnout and no grain as stated in your first post. If you can't find Pro-CMC or Ulcergard over the next couple of days, you can get people Pepto. I use a big syringe, can't remember the size, maybe 2ml? I've also seen people feed chewable tums, but you need to feed about 5-6 tablets. Pepto or tums should help keep her comfy til the vet comes out. One thing to mention, the only way for the vet to truly diagnose ulcers is through scoping, which needs to be done at the clinic. The vet will certainly be able to look at her symptoms and take a guess, but there is no other way to definitively know if ulcers are present other than scoping. Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions and keep us posted!


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Here's the cheapest 28 day pack I've found of ulcergard, Amazon.com: UlcerGard (Omeprazole 2.28 gm) Oral Paste Syringe, 28 Syringe Treatment Pack: Kitchen & Dining

I actually needed to give Danny an extra two weeks after I did his 28 day treatment. I spent about $2000 for ulcergard orders and vet bills with the ulcers. He suffered from frequent minor colic as well all summer long and had several more emergency vet visits. I'm still paying off that credit card... The good news is that he's doing great now! We had changed his diet, changed his turnout, kept him on digestive supplements, but he was still having trouble. Everyone was totally out of ideas and I thought we were actually going to have to put him down. As a last resort, we sent him to a semi-retirement home in Delaware at a friend's place, where he has a stall open to a big pasture with only a few other horses. He can be out as much or as little as he wants. A girl comes and trail rides him once or twice a week. I don't know if the stress of the big show barn was just too much for him, but he's feeling much better now!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I know she has to be scoped, and if she does, I'll have to ask my BO if she can transport her for me. I'm also not sure why she'd be so stressed out. It's not a big show barn, it's just a private little place. The BO and her family do endurance racing with their horses, but Abby hasn't really done much because I'm in college and it gets dark by like 5pm now, so I can't get out there every day. And I'm going to be extremely disappointed if I have to put her in even semi-retirement because she's 7.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

You could try adding some alfalfa to her diet. It helps buffer the stomach acids. 

Is she trailered a lot? Or is she in with horses that don't like her? I'm just trying to figure out where her stress is coming from. Ulcers are often associated with horses that are stalled, fed in "meals", get too much grain, etc. Not as common in a pasture horse on free choice hay.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

She's not trailered often, so the only thing I can think of is horses not liking her, but the only time I've ever seen any anger between them is when they put a new mare in and they were just figuring out herd order. Abby got kicked, but the next day, the horse that kicked her was grazing right next to her and following her around. 

I know not all of the horses don't like her because when I put her away yesterday, several of her friends were going into the barn to get their "meal". There was quite a bit of "Come back!" whinnying between them. 

Also, update on GastroGard from the other vet: Apparently the only have 2 tubes on hand and they don't know where those are anyway, so they have to go look. I have to go to TSC to see if they have some stuff for it, but if they don't, looks like Pepto and bananas. Ughhhhh.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

I second MN Tigerstripe's suggestion about alfalfa - equine research shows that diets with alfalfa help soothe the ulcers. It's easy to do and less expensive than a month of ulcergard. You might do the first few days of Gastrogard to start the healing process and then do the less expensive remedies (alfalfa, dosing with Pepto, etc.) to see if she gets along on that.

If she's herd bound, and the BO does a lot of endurance riding, her stress might simply be from the other horses being gone a lot. When my colt got ulcers it was because of a change in schedule at the trainers, and he couldn't see other horses when they were out working while he was in the stall. Even if she's not alone on the farm, she might just be anxious about being away from the others that she's bound to. If you think that's it, maybe you could figure out a new buddy that not taken out as often, or get a goat for her pasture that could be her 24/7 pet?


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

I think MIEventer has had some success with the SmartPak's Ulcer Guard or something like that. 

You may want to use the Gastrogaurd to clear it up and then get her on something like alfalfa/Ulcer guard to help keep them away like LadyTrails suggested.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

That'll be what I have to do because there's no where to get GastroGard here. Thanks!


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Ulcers can also be caused by a build up of acid in the stomach, and since horses were evolved to have a constant flow of food going through their system, even something as simple as reducing the amount of hay fed because the horse is overweight can cause ulcers to form. The stomach never stops secreting acid, and a lack of food, or feeding bute or asprin for too many days in a row, or feeding a high grain low forage diet can all contribute to the formation of ulcers. Does she have access to food all day long? If possible, I'd try to make sure she has access to forage a majority of the day, and that should help. Stress is definitely not the only thing that can cause ulcers, though is obviously the most common one, as is sticking them in a stall, and feeding a high grain diet. Hopefully you can figure out the cause, and fix it, and get her feeling healthy soon.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

She hasn't had any reduction in hay, as far as I know. Every time I'm out there, the hay bin things are completely full and they all have their faces in it. If they don't, they are close by grazing in the grass. So I'm pretty stumped on what would have caused it. 

The only thing I can think of really is that I just got a couple months ago and she was moved from a place where she had lived for 4 years. 

Also, I got what the vet had for GastroGard (2 tubes, unfortunately) and Pepto Bismol. I also talked to someone that has the same vet as I do and he said some of his show horses get ulcers and that the vet made this weird concoction that he couldn't remember the exact contents of, but it helped quite a bit.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

The move could have done it. If she has food all day, that is a good thing. Hopefully you can figure it out soon.


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## Polo Pony Design (Aug 23, 2010)

Ulcers are funny things. We have two horses that seem to have big problems with them and a couple of very similar ones that don't. Some horses just seem to be more prone to them than others. We had more of a problem with them when we fed more grain during competition season. We did try padding the grain with alfalfa when we fed it and that seems to have made both of them more comfortable. 

I'd try a little alfalfa and making sure that she has access to a mineral block and some water. That will help prevent colic. Again, FWIW we've never had an issue with either of our ulcer prone horses getting colicy although we suspect the ulcers are pretty mild.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

When I told my vet about it right after I noticed it yesterday, she said she wouldn't be surprised because she's kind of just a nervous horse. This guy owned her for 2 weeks as a three year old and apparently scared her into being trained so he could sell her at another auction where the lady I got her from bought her. After 4 years, her eyes still get huge at the sight of a lunge whip and she'll just start going. 

But I gave her one of the tubes of GastroGard today. I ended up with a small bit on my coat and some in my nose. Thankfully, it smells very cinnamony, so it was fine. Hopefully it helps. I'm going to give her more tomorrow.


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## Trisha Payne (Oct 27, 2010)

Hi, I hope your horse is doing fine now. My grandmother's horse, Vesta, had recurring ulcers. she colics about 2-3x a week. it had all of us worried. we tried ranitidine, and it didn't work. Ulcergard seems to work for some horses, but apparently, it's not doing well with Vesta. Our neighbor recommended this equine medication, Abprazole Plus. And Vesta's been doin great for 4 months now - no recurring ulcers at that.  I guess it all depends on the horse if it's okay with the medication or not. Another recommendation are papayas and aloe juice, though it's not a permanent solution, it's still cheaper. But if you really want to treat and prevent ulcers, you will need to invest some money. After all, it's worth it.


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## SaratogaTB (Jun 14, 2010)

Ever since I began giving my OTTB U-Guard pellets in his feed twice a day he has improved dramatically. He has gained weight, cribs less, and hasnt had any discomfort. I also notice a marked improvement in his attitude...he just seems happier!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

The vet's coming a few hours, so hopefully we'll get everything figured out. :-D


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

So the vet visit didn't take long. She did some acupuncture on Abby to make her feel better...which almost got her kicked in the face because she decided to be a brat about it. After a while of getting "You are so embarassing. I hate you." glares from Abby, it was pretty obvious she was trying really hard to look like she wasn't enjoying it. 

Anyway, the vet gave me two bottles of stuff called Draw. The bottle says it's for wraps/soaks and to clean wounds, but I'm supposed to mix 60ccs of it with 60ccs of water and put it in grain twice a day for the next month. It was also much cheaper than GastroGard or something. So now I have to see if she can be moved closer to town at a different boarding place I'm looking at so that I can go treat her twice a day (she's currently about a half hour away). 

Also, she apparently has herpes in her mouth. The vet said they just carry the virus and it can flare up when they are stressed out about something, causing little sores in their mouth. Really random. She said they should get better once her stomach is treated.


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## Trisha Payne (Oct 27, 2010)

I'm glad that you were able to find some other alternative. Hope your horse gets well soon!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks!


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## Kymbadina (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm not sure the exact name now but I thought I'd throw it out because I spent a lengthy amout of time talking with a nutrition specialist from Buckeye feeds. They have a feed thats only a year on the market but has been fed for a total of 3. Its specifically made for horses with gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers or being prone to colic. I was told it worked WONDERS. Just sharing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Ooh. I'll look it up. Thanks.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Is it EQ8? I found it on Buckeye's website. The nearest dealer is over 100 miles away. Bah.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

My TB has Ulcers - I didn't discover this until we had a nasty episode last January where he coliced.......it was bad.......it was the D word colic....until he miraculously saved himself.

Anyways, after that episode we had him scoped, and low and behold...there they were. Not only in his stomache, but beyond. So since then, he's been on a very strict regime.

1) Must always have roughage infront of him 24/7. A horse with ulcers must never beable to go with an empty stomache at any given point of the day. As stressed to me by my Veterinarians - this is very important. 

So after my Vets stressed this, I had him put in a large paddock with a buddy and I buy Round Bales for him to stuff his face whenever he pleases. It is always accessable to him, so he will never go without. 

I do not allow him to be in a stall anymore. Being in a stall over night is just too "iffy" for his health. I do not like that he has to stand in his stall from turn in to turn out, with him not having access to hay, to keep his belly full.

2) I have him on 2 products from SmartPak. 

- SmartGut Pellets
- SmartDigest Ultra
- SmartCalm Ultra

The SmartGut is specifically for the ulcers. The SmartDigest is to help his feed be digested properly and have everything move through his digestive system properly. And the SmartCalm is to help keep that "Edge" off, that help cause ulcers in the first place. The less "Stressed" he is, the less chance he has to flare those ulcers up.

*of course, my Vet had Nelson on the full regime of the Gastro Guard first before I started him on the montly suppliments*

I believe he is doing quite well thus far. His weight is FABULOUS, his coat is BEAUTIFUL and we have not had any issues thus far!

*KNOCKS ON WOOD A THOUSAND TIMES TO NOT JINX OURSELVES*


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Ouch. That much GastroGard had to cost a mint to use. That's why my vet used this more holistic approach. She also used acupuncture to try to reduce her stress and just make her feel better. And she has free choice hay 24/7 and has never been in a stall while I've had her. 

But the SmartCalm might help loads. She's stressed out and anxious and I don't know why. The vet wasn't sure either. It's kind of just her personality. And it's weird because her coat is shiny and COVERED in dapples and whatnot (my BO thought she was part Appy because they have a handful of them and she's so spotted) She could definitely stand to lose most of her hay belly.


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## Kymbadina (Oct 29, 2010)

Poseidon said:


> Is it EQ8? I found it on Buckeye's website. The nearest dealer is over 100 miles away. Bah.


Sorry, yes thats what it is.  No bueno. Maybe try calling around? I found a hidden dealer not on the website that is like 5 miles from my house..the website told me the nearest dealer was 50 miles


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Hm. I might have to do that. The vet that's about a half hour away might be selling it.


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## Padrona (Apr 13, 2009)

Oooooh you have my sympathy  One of my horses was scoped 2 years ago and found to have severe, bleeding ulcers. (This was despite having tons of turnout on a large acreage with buddies, free choice hay and pasture, and a light to moderate riding schedule.) She was on Gastrogard, full tubes for 35 days, then I followed up with maintenance doses. I now keep a few tubes on hand all the time and use 1/4 to 1/2 tube doses when I take her off the farm to ride. She did an endurance ride in October and I gave her 1/2 tube doses a few days before, then I had to hold for 24 hours for drug rules, then I gave her another 1/2 dose when we got back home. That has worked well for her.

Another product I have used and like is Oxy-Gen Ulcer Stop. A lot of barrel racers swear by that product. It is an omeprazole paste as well, but has herbs and antacids in it as well.

I make sure she gets at least 5 pounds of good alfalfa hay per day, usually ends up being more than that. She is also on B1 and Magnesium from SmartPak. She gets a bucket of soaked beet pulp every night with a little Ultium or Strategy Healthy Edge (when Ultium isn't available locally.) My vet said that soaked beet pulp is one of the best things you can do for a horse with ulcers. It is mostly fiber, it is very low in sugar, and it absorbs stomach acid very well. She gets flax and rice bran as needed for weight and condition. So in order words, I try to go as low sugar as possible.

Pro-CMC is a great liquid antacid and I use it as a carrier for electrolytes when we are competing or riding hard. 

If your horse will eat them, you can feed a few Extra Strength Tums before every ride. They have 1,000 mg. of calcium and most equine antacids provide 2,000 mg. so this can be a cheaper route. My horse hates them, regardless of flavor though so it didn't work for her.

I know that people say Gastrogard will give you quick results - in 24 hours to a few days, but that did not happen for my horse. It was at least 2 full weeks of treatment before I began to notice improvement, and it took the whole 35 day regime before I felt like I "had a new horse."

If I can think of anything else to add, I'll pop back in. Good luck to you, it sounds like you are on the right track. Hang in there!!!!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Mannnnn. That had to be one pricy month. I gave her two tubes of GastroGard for two days, which I noticed a difference right away, but my vet said to not use it because it's so expensive (I'm in college). I used Pepto for a while, which she didn't mind, she's just fussy about having something shoved in her mouth. Little brat. 

I haven't ridden her in probably 2 weeks because of it (other than her super herdboundness..bah. And that's failing because I can't go work on it every day. Hopefully I can soon) because she won't let me cinch her up without getting a lifted back leg.


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## kpptt2001 (Sep 28, 2010)

There is a combination product that I use made by Omega Alpha (I think you can probably get it at most local tack shops). They have two products; the first one that I use is called Biotic8. My guy is fed this with his meals everyday to aid in a healthy digestive system in general. There is another product that I use in conjunction with it called GastraFX. If you give them the Gastra FX for about a month (along with the Biotic8), it should heal up any ulcers. It seems to be doing a wonderful job with my horse, we only have one week left before I can take him off the Gastra FX, and I have already noticed a difference. Most of the ingredients are natural too, which is a bonus, and the overall costs are much less than that of UlcerGuard, Gastraguard etc…Although, nothing will ever quite compare to Gastraguard.

Here is the link to the GastraFX: http://omegaalphaequine.com/products-gastra-fx.php
And the Biotic 8: http://omegaalphaequine.com/products-biotic-8.php

Anyway, I know this post is a bit older, but I just thought I would throw that out there in case anyone is ever looking for some other alternatives.


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