# Ulcers in the hind gut - anyone?



## maggiesmum (6 February 2012)

Does anyone have any experience of ulcers in the hind gut / acidosis?
My TB is currently on gastrogard to treat what is very strongly suspected to be hind gut ulcers (american websites call them colonic ulcers) his attitude has improved a lot but we still have days where he's particularly vile -a sure sign he's uncomfortable.

From everything i've read - mostly on american sites - colonic ulcers don't respond as well or as quickly to treatment as gastric ulcers do. 
Has anyone else treated them? How well did the horse respond to the treatment?


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## Oberon (6 February 2012)

maggiesmum said:



			Does anyone have any experience of ulcers in the hind gut / acidosis?
My TB is currently on gastrogard to treat what is very strongly suspected to be hind gut ulcers (american websites call them colonic ulcers) his attitude has improved a lot but we still have days where he's particularly vile -a sure sign he's uncomfortable.

From everything i've read - mostly on american sites - colonic ulcers don't respond as well or as quickly to treatment as gastric ulcers do. 
Has anyone else treated them? How well did the horse respond to the treatment?
		
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If you could pm me your email addy, I will send you some info.


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## kirstykate (6 February 2012)

My big boy might have had them Vets were not sure.  They also suspected IBS.  I put him on Quick fix for about a week whilst I waited for their gut balancer. had long conversations with Protexin, very helpful. I found this the most help
http://www.lunatunesfreestyles.com/horse_ulcers.htm.  I can only feed hay and Dengie Alfa-A Molasses Free, toasted soya.  No sugar beet.


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## maggiesmum (6 February 2012)

Why can't you feed sugar beet?


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## kirstykate (6 February 2012)

No idea, terrible squits


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## YasandCrystal (6 February 2012)

My  holistic vet gave me a 6 week treatment regime for hind gut discomfort which I will share with you and suggest you might try. My horse had low grade ulcers and an ulcer in the pyloric region and was treated with a month of GastroGard. My vet said that GG because of the way it works allowing undigested food through the hind gut causing the killing of the hind gut fauna and bacteria off.

You can buy Green Clay via ebay and Chlorellla via Indigo herbs:

Feed a heaped teaspoon of chlorella daily for 6 weeks, at the same time feed a tablespoon (20ml) of green clay daily for 2 weeks and then stop for 2 weeks (very important this 2 week break) and then recommence for a further 2 weeks. Keep feeding the chlorella throughout.

My vet said that the hind gut discomfort shows by the horse being stressy and on high alert, irratable. Good luck


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## paddy555 (6 February 2012)

YasandCrystal said:



			My vet said that the hind gut discomfort shows by the horse being stressy and on high alert, irratable.
		
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and in the case of mine simply nasty and dangerously spooky. I didn't scope or use GG (probably would have been my next course of action.) 
I treated it by getting rid of all molasses eg sugar beet. 
fed charcoal and finally added limestone flour. 

That lot made him sweet and cuddly and certaiinly far less spooky.


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## YasandCrystal (6 February 2012)

paddy555 said:



			and in the case of mine simply nasty and dangerously spooky. I didn't scope or use GG (probably would have been my next course of action.) 
I treated it by getting rid of all molasses eg sugar beet. 
fed charcoal and finally added limestone flour. 

That lot made him sweet and cuddly and certaiinly far less spooky.
		
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Gosh I can relate to that. Mine double barrelled a groom and broke her arm in 3 places. He was highly dangerous when I got him and he got worse too. He would bite whenever you were in reach or kick and strike - no joke with an athletic 17hh WB. It wasn't only ulcers in my horse's case he had a chronic SI dysfunction which was causing him pain also. 

I also feed a no cereal no sugar diet - and adlib hay. Mine gets micronised linseed and mag ox. The diet works - he got lots of acorns and apples in the autumn and he changed into a demon again. So I detoxed again woth the green clay/chlorella regime and resumed his diet


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## AnnaPureFeeds (6 February 2012)

Hi guys. As well as treating the ulcers once they have happened, there are things to be done which will help to reduce the risk of them occurring.
Providing constant access to forage will help to keep the digestive system functioning in the way that it has evolved to (think about how much grass a wild horse eats!) but will also help to mop up any excess gastric acid in the stomach. 
If horses spend hours without anything travelling through the digestive system, then they are more likely to develop these painful lesions.
Unfortunately, some horses are more prone to developing them than others - I hope yours makes a full recovery soon


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## maggiesmum (6 February 2012)

He's always been sharp and a bit of a character but has very recently become very grumpy in the stable, totally vile to handle and heart stopping to exercise which is why we started to investigate, he's prone to LGL so is already fed a fibre only diet, he isn't allowed cereals of any kind, he gets micronised linseed and always has ad-lib hay, he's never left without food and he's been kept this way for the last 6 years so as far as I can see the only thing I can change management wise is to try and minimise stress - he can be a worrier.

oberon & kirstykate - thanks for the links

yasandcrystal - thats an interesting approach, I shall investigate some more.


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## paddy555 (6 February 2012)

YasandCrystal said:



			Gosh I can relate to that. Mine double barrelled a groom and broke her arm in 3 places. He was highly dangerous when I got him and he got worse too. He would bite whenever you were in reach or kick and strike -
		
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oh dear, I forgot to include the biting. He was very good at that as well. LOL

mine didn't have LGL and infact gravel crunched barefoot which was why it took me a long time realise I had a diet problem. He had access to forage 24/7 and it would be difficult to image  a less stressful lifestyle. As someone said some just seem prone to them.


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## caberston (6 February 2012)

YasandCrystal said:



			The diet works - he got lots of acorns and apples in the autumn and he changed into a demon again.
		
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aren't acorns poisonous?


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## YasandCrystal (8 February 2012)

caberston said:



			aren't acorns poisonous?
		
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Yes I think they can be in quantity. There was such a massive crop of them this year I found it nigh on impossible to get rid of them all as they fell and unfortunately the WB acquired a taste for them.  They certainly I am sure contributed to him being uncomfortable in his gut again


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## YasandCrystal (8 February 2012)

OP it may well be worth you speaking with I think SpottedCat as I am sure they had a horse with bacterial ulcers -these are extremely hard to treat and I am sure she said they were in the hind gut. If you search some 'ulcer' related threads I am sure you will find she has responded to more than one and mentionned blood testing.


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## maggiesmum (8 February 2012)

Thanks - on it! 
Am slightly concerned now as 3 and a half weeks in he's no better than he was after 7 days. :-/  going to ring the vet today.


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