# Anyone have any recommendations for gastric ulcer supplement please?



## applecart14 (9 November 2011)

My horse has suspected gastric ulcers. 

This was the vets opinion when she came to look at him re: a colic call out in July time.  Since last week when put onto a new mix he has been very loose with his droppings almost to the point where he is scouring but then it clears up after a couple of days.  I've contacted the feed manufacturer who assures me that as I am feeding such a small amount (a couple of handfuls in each feed) it wouldn't have had any effect.  I am only feeding him a mix as he's not eating up his readigrass very readily and he has supplements which he needs to take in his feeds so the mix encourages him to eat -he's a bit of a fussy eater.  He has also, the last five or six months been really nasty to groom which is apparently a sign of gastric ulcers too.  He's always been a colic prone horse, particularly when the weather changes and has had many, many episodes over the years of gassy spasmodic colic which always responds well to bute and horse walker.

He is given pink powder every day and almost ad lib hay/haylage.

I need an ulcer guard supplement that isn't going to cost a kings ransom bearing in mind my horse is 725KG so I don't want to be getting  through a tub a week or something silly due to the feed rate!


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## Slinkyunicorn (9 November 2011)

Mine has ulcers and I have successfully used the following to manage him - he is on a cereal/molasses free fibre diet by the way and always has a scoop of alfalfa before any work.

Global Herbs Acid X and aloe juice from http://www.aloequine.com/

As your boy is prone to colic I woud also be looking at Coligone - would be temtped to use that first.


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## WandaMare (9 November 2011)

I rang the NAF helpline this morning with a similar question, apparently they have a new product out this week called something like Gastro-aid. My horse is also on pink powder at the moment as a feed balancer, I was told you can feed both supplements together. I would recommend giving NAF a call to see if it might be the type of thing you need for your horse, I have already ordered some to give it a try.


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## applecart14 (9 November 2011)

WandaMare said:



			I rang the NAF helpline this morning with a similar question, apparently they have a new product out this week called something like Gastro-aid. My horse is also on pink powder at the moment as a feed balancer, I was told you can feed both supplements together. I would recommend giving NAF a call to see if it might be the type of thing you need for your horse, I have already ordered some to give it a try.
		
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Thanks for that info re: NAF. I'm going to Your Horse Live on Saturday at Stoneleigh so will look them up.

I've heard the totally best thing is Gastroguard but its about £150. 

Thanks to the previous poster re: fibre rather than cereal.  I'm going to up his fibre content of his feed I think. I've heard before that feeding something before riding actually 'mops' up the acid in the stomach so i will try that too, although he normally eats a net before riding anyway.


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## KatB (9 November 2011)

I use Gastric settler which is a Hickstead Horse Feeds product. It was formulated for the racehorse industry, and a friend whose a vet said all the ingredients make sense to sooth and help prevent ulcers! It's also VERY palatable, and my mare loves it. A 5kg tub is £40, and you feed a set amount, regardless of weight, as it's to do with the feed quantity, not horse size! Mine is fed as a preventative, and at "maintenance" lasts 2 months, and at "proper" dose is 1 month's.


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## Goldenstar (10 November 2011)

applecart14 said:



			Thanks for that info re: NAF. I'm going to Your Horse Live on Saturday at Stoneleigh so will look them up.

I've heard the totally best thing is Gastroguard but its about £150. 

Thanks to the previous poster re: fibre rather than cereal.  I'm going to up his fibre content of his feed I think. I've heard before that feeding something before riding actually 'mops' up the acid in the stomach so i will try that too, although he normally eats a net before riding anyway.
		
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Gastroguard is a drug not a supplement it is an acid inhibitor that allows the ulcers to heal as far I remember last time I had one on it it cost £ 180 a week and the horse had it for 8 weeks.
Horses with ulcer need high fibre diets if at all possible grain free it is a good idea to feed alfalfa as it's high in calcium which helps to reduce the acidity in the stomach( most gastric supplements are calcium based)
Oil can also help especially if the horse has the type of ulcer that around the exit from the stomach so you can add oil to the diet or feed something like Alfa oil
GIving Alfa oil just before work not a lot big double handful is a good idea too we always do this if they have travelled to work they always have haylage in the lorry
Sugar beet is high in fibre You just need to get off grain
but most of all you need a diagnosis which will mean a gastro scope to look into his stomach and see what's there you need to consult your vet about this.
However the high fibre way is the most natural way to feed horses and changing to it will be good but you need to have him looked at.


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## Nari (10 November 2011)

Equine America's Ulser Gard is good & I also feed Biotal Gold to try to make sure any bouts of loose droppings don't upset the gut flora. I also swear by Coligone Liquid, I feed it daily & give an extra dose if mine looks at all gassy - fingers crossed it seems to have really reduced the number of gassy colics.


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## Box_Of_Frogs (10 November 2011)

Another vote for Coligone. I've seen the almost miraculous results. I think it's about £50 a big tub but once on a maintenance dose it only works out at pence per day. H Bradshaws make it or contact H's_mum here on the Forum for info.


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## applecart14 (10 November 2011)

Goldenstar said:



			Gastroguard is a drug not a supplement

but you need to have him looked at.
		
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No I am aware Gastroguard is a drug.  I just said that the totally best thing is Gastroguard. 

 I will have him looked at Goldenstar but I am not in a financial position to do this at the moment so I am giving him as much help as I can by cutting down on the haylage and giving him limestone flour in the form of antacid tablets.


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## YasandCrystal (10 November 2011)

applecart14 said:



			No I am aware Gastroguard is a drug.  I just said that the totally best thing is Gastroguard. 

 I will have him looked at Goldenstar but I am not in a financial position to do this at the moment so I am giving him as much help as I can by cutting down on the haylage and giving him limestone flour in the form of antacid tablets.
		
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I have a horse who had ulcers and is therefore ulcer prone. I cannot feed him haylage - only adlib hay. I feed him a cup of micronized linseed everyday.. The holistic vet I consulted said to give him a cereal and sugar free diet (hence no haylage - too much sugar). He can only have a maximum of 3 small carrots a day NO apples or polos. I feed Allen & Page sugar and cereal intolerance feed and plain chaff and a scoop of locust bean (or it can be called carob kibble) with a cup of linseed. People say about the benefits of feeding calcium, well carob is a sugar substitute used in diabetic chocolate - it is very high in calcium and it is used as a remedy for diarrhoea in horses and dogs interestingly.

Locust bean/carob is inexpensive, really palatable - my horses all have and love it and may be a good starting point for you to 'firm up ' your horses droppings and improve his gut health and the linseed again is inexpensive if you buy a 20kg bag it will last for months. These should make a real comfort difference without breaking the bank! Good luck!


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## galleon (10 November 2011)

Hi BUTE is known to cause Ulcers, i would suggest giving your horse ALOE VERA I saved a horses life here when he presented with Colic Symptoms, Vet was called but horse was not doing well, so when he was called out again i suggested we give him 1 doz whites of eggs, plus a good amount of Aloe Vera Jelly from the plant itself, not the made up type. And within 24 hours a new lining had formed over the ulcerations, and the Horse lived. Aloe Vera stops the acid eroding around an Ulcer, and allows it to heal over. Just get some plant peel the leaf back scrape out the Jelly, it is b itter, but add some treacle to the feed and add some Bran also. Give this daily for a few days. Don't have to keep giving Egg Whites, but it does help a horse recover. Not a doz though that was only the 1st day. Best give some good meadow hay as not so gas forming.  By the way Stinging Nettles are an excellant source of IRON, they also clear the kidneys out and get rid of oedema'Good Luck.


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## NELSON11 (10 November 2011)

How about come and talk to me matey, as you know J is on a gastric ulcer supplement after being scoped 3 times last year, so have lots of info on it

And he is only across the yard from you. But anyway I will tell you what he has/had as a result of peritonitis.

Following on from Gastroguard
Vets recommended to feed
Corn Oil
Glutamine
Feed Mark Ulcer Calm (has glutamine in it)

Hay is better for them than Haylage, cereal's can aggrevate them, so that is why J is on a non cereal based diet. 

At YHL Feedmark normally do 1/2 price on their supplemets so you could try him on some Ulcer Calm.


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## applecart14 (10 November 2011)

NELSON11 said:



			How about come and talk to me matey, as you know J is on a gastric ulcer supplement after being scoped 3 times last year, so have lots of info on it
At YHL Feedmark normally do 1/2 price on their supplements so you could try him on some Ulcer Calm.
		
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Yes will come and have a chat hun. I've started cutting down the haylage, and he's out for quite a few hours or will be now I'm not coming down to ride in the morning.  He's hardly on any cereal so hopefully we are on the right track.  Still reeling from the massive quote for sticking a tube with a camera on the end of it down his throat.  Wonder if I'd get the family's minature camcorder to fit down his wind pipe (only joking).

 I've just spoke to the nutritionist at Feedmark. They have a special offer on at YHL £26 on the 2KG tub, so that would work out for me at £26.99 for 31 days or 87p per day or £6 per week extra.  And that would have to be fed every day for months and months.

Or I could try Limestone Flour from Feedmark which approx £18.99 and would last me 6 months and _could _work just as well.  Its just not so scientific.  It would cost me 10p per day or 73p per week.  

Thanked the lady for her honesty.

I have actually got some omeprazole in my possession.  This is the only active ingredient in Gastro Guard.  Unfortunately I have only 28 x 20mg capsules for the gastric problems I was having a few weeks ago which I was told at the time were linked to stress.  Sadly I would need about ten packets a day every day for seven days to have any effect on my horse! 

Wish I was a pharmacist but I think taking 70 pkts would arose some suspicion!    LOL


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## YasandCrystal (10 November 2011)

Hi the limestone flour is much cheaper than that at a feed merchants!


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## applecart14 (10 November 2011)

YasandCrystal said:



			Hi the limestone flour is much cheaper than that at a feed merchants! 

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Is it?  Cool thank you.  I think she did say it was a 6KG container but I will have a butchers next time I'm at my local feed store. x


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## Ali2 (10 November 2011)

You can buy omeprazole as a human drug OTC but it'll work out horrendously expensive for a horse dose.


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## olop (10 November 2011)

My boy was diagnosed with gastric ulcers a month ago.  He was on gastroguard for 2 weeks, which cost us £200 a week, he is now un-symptomatic.

If your horse has ulcers I strongly recommend you get your horse scoped & put on the gastroguard as leaving the problem will end up causing more damage.

The supplements that are being recommended to you are just that, they are not a means of treating the ulcers.

My boy is now on a grain free, un-molassed diet & fed as much fibre as possible, he is having brewers yeast & acid-x to keep the gut healthy.


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## Nari (10 November 2011)

Unfortunately omeprazole for humans won't work on horses, it needs to be buffered if it's to get through a horse's digestive system to the place where it works.


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## vichop (11 November 2011)

Hi

I used Acid Ease by Protexin on my old horse who had a suspected ulcer and i found it worked really well. Not cheap but not hugely expensive either. Its more of a feed than a supplement in that you feed quite a lot of it a day, rather than a small scoop. But i would definately recommend it.


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## Daytona (11 November 2011)

I was told by a specialist from a known Vet Uni that the only thing that has any evidence it works is ompeprazole which is sold under the name Gastro Guard and not to waste a single penny on these so called supplements. Once you have treated then it's a case of controlling via diet and turnout. That's what he told me for my mare anyway.


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## horseelady (12 November 2011)

My horse used to suffer from gastric ulcers for many years until I discovered carob about one year ago, I now feed my horse carob, alfalfa and nice hay when he is not grazing, to date he has not had any further bouts and his tummy is not bloated anymore. The only real difference I made to his diet was introducing carob, and I cannot recommend it enough, it is very reasonable to buy, and it not only sorts out gastric problems, but it is also is very nutritious and the shine on my horses coat is incredible, even with his winter coat! I buy my carob from ebay and this site www.valleyviewanimalfeeds.com they have a very good cutomer service and excellent in equine knowledge.
Good luck with your horse!


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## Ali2 (12 November 2011)

May be of interest?
http://petlvr.com/blog/2008/08/20/treating-equine-ulcers/


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## patp (14 November 2011)

Hi Applecart, we tried Hilton Herbs Gastric X and it worked wonders for our horse Frenchie, who's tummy had got upset due to all the medication he was having for nerve irritation.  Within three days of commencing on it, he was no longer kicking at his tummy, and started eating up his food and being less of a fussy eater!
Good luck,
Regards,
Pat


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## applecart14 (14 November 2011)

Thanks for all your help guys.  Unfortunately I have had to be governed by cost as I'm out of work at the moment (hopefully not for long) so I have to be sensible.  In the end I went to Your Horse Live and spoke to the Senior Nutrionalist at NAF and bought their haylage balancer which will neutralise and absorb any excess acid - I also got a voucher for money off.  From another stall I bought slippery elm to increase the mucous content in the stomach, and a bag of meadowsweet herbal mix to reduce excess acidity, and protect and soothe the digestive tract.  After speaking to Dengie I decided to take him off the readigrass he was on and put him onto their Alfa A (which he loves) and to take him of a non heating cereal mix and instead give him Fast Fibre from Allen & Page which they recommended to feed soaked with warm water to encourage his eating (quite a fussy feeder at times).

So far, so good, just doing the gradual change around from the mix to the fast fibre, the readigrass to the Alfa A I was told could be done almost straight away.  He loves his new feed, even took the Slippery Elm off my hand which is what I was told by the lady on the stand he would do if he needed it as horses are good at self medicating.

Hopefully I've done all I can (bar winning the lottery) and he will be all set up for his week of box rest starting tomorrow.


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## YasandCrystal (14 November 2011)

horseelady said:



			My horse used to suffer from gastric ulcers for many years until I discovered carob about one year ago, I now feed my horse carob, alfalfa and nice hay when he is not grazing, to date he has not had any further bouts and his tummy is not bloated anymore. The only real difference I made to his diet was introducing carob, and I cannot recommend it enough, it is very reasonable to buy, and it not only sorts out gastric problems, but it is also is very nutritious and the shine on my horses coat is incredible, even with his winter coat! I buy my carob from ebay and this site www.valleyviewanimalfeeds.com they have a very good cutomer service and excellent in equine knowledge.
Good luck with your horse!
		
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It's good to see a fellow carob (or locust bean) feeder - my horses love it and it's good for hooves teeth and coat!


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## horseelady (14 November 2011)

Same here, mine love it too, and I've even found myself nibbling the kibble at times. If I'm to be honest I would be lost without it now, life has become much easier.


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## Hoodlum (14 November 2011)

Have a look at TRM's GNF - it's got clinical research behind it, which most feed supplements haven't, but it isn't a prescription drug, so you can buy it without calling out the vet.


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## Ranyhyn (15 November 2011)

Not helpful at all, but I eat carob and its gorgeous!


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## heidiharvsnroo (15 November 2011)

Friend of mine uses linseed and this stuff from feedmark for her mare:

http://www.feedmark.com/Product.asp?Product=Ulcer+Calm

Swears by it.


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## galleon (15 November 2011)

From Valerie in S.Australia. 

Use ALOE VERA JELLY from the plant,peel back leaf scrape out good amount jelly add to horse feed bit bitter but add treacle also, will regenerate coverage of the ulcerations within 24 hours and stop the acid eating into the ulceration. It forms a skin over the ulceration so allowing it to heal. BUTE given to a horse causes gastric ulcers, as bute is invasive to tissues of digestive merit.


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## Mince Pie (22 December 2011)

applecart14 said:



			Thanks for all your help guys.  Unfortunately I have had to be governed by cost as I'm out of work at the moment (hopefully not for long) so I have to be sensible.  In the end I went to Your Horse Live and spoke to the Senior Nutrionalist at NAF and bought their haylage balancer which will neutralise and absorb any excess acid - I also got a voucher for money off.  From another stall I bought slippery elm to increase the mucous content in the stomach, and a bag of meadowsweet herbal mix to reduce excess acidity, and protect and soothe the digestive tract.  After speaking to Dengie I decided to take him off the readigrass he was on and put him onto their Alfa A (which he loves) and to take him of a non heating cereal mix and instead give him Fast Fibre from Allen & Page which they recommended to feed soaked with warm water to encourage his eating (quite a fussy feeder at times).

So far, so good, just doing the gradual change around from the mix to the fast fibre, the readigrass to the Alfa A I was told could be done almost straight away.  He loves his new feed, even took the Slippery Elm off my hand which is what I was told by the lady on the stand he would do if he needed it as horses are good at self medicating.

Hopefully I've done all I can (bar winning the lottery) and he will be all set up for his week of box rest starting tomorrow.
		
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Bumping this back up!

Very interested in this post, did you find that the meadowsweet and slippery elm made a difference? How much were you feeding?


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