4. Some of the symptoms that foals exhibit may also become apparent in adult horses. Horses that compete frequently may be getting UlcerGard for several weeks in a row. When shopping for supplements, you should buy the best ulcer supplement for horses you can find. “I don’t ride the horses. An increased risk has also been demonstrated in non-exercising horses that are stabled and fed grain approximately 1 hour prior to their hay feeding. It is mediated by a variety of acids (hydrochloric, valeric, volatile fatty acids) that come into contact with the mucosa of the stomach. “What can happen with this approach is that you take a horse that naturally tends to be normally more acidic and repeatedly push it into a more neutral or basic realm for extended periods of time. There’s always a trail of bread crumbs. I can’t determine the horse’s heart. The “Your Horse Ulcer Free” series will equip you with the knowledge to recognize, treat, and ultimately prevent equine ulcers in a better, more lasting way. When you break it down, you have that nonglandular stratified squamous mucosa. Developments in technology have meant that vets can now endoscope horses and see the ulcers in the stomach, adding to our understanding of the condition. We’ll sometimes take a biopsy of the stomach or the small intestine, and we’ll do that either in the case of a very ill horse or when the stomach looks really inappropriate. There is also a population of horses that appear normal, but whom benefit from diagnosis and treatment of ulceration. In horses, the acid burns holes into the lining of the stomach, small or large bowel. “For every horse that gets prescribed medication for gastric ulcers without ever taking a look inside their stomach, I always ask myself ‘How do we know if that is a correct treatment? Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome is a daily challenge for veterinarians, with a horse’s performance and overall health being challenged by ulcers and their secondary effects. Is it the horse’s diet, environment, training schedule or something else?” By simply treating the horse without uncovering the root cause of its ulcerations, the horse could be destined for recurrence and a cyclical use of medications that may not impact the real issue. Because ulcers can be so uncomfortable for horses, the temptation for their owners is to reach for the product that will offer the quickest relief, usually in the form of conventional drugs. “In our practice, we consider Platinum Balance — or Platinum GI, which combines the foundational wellness of Platinum Performance Equine with the prebiotics, probiotics and glutamine of Platinum Balance — as a great place to start in order to support the microbiome. “I could only give a rough figure and it would generally depend on how long the horse was on medication for. Wheat, barley and rye have gluten in them which most humans and animals cannot break down to digest in the small intestine. In fact, 50 to 90 percent of equines experience the symptoms of horse ulcers and later receive a positive diagnosis for them. Look for symptoms of stomach ulcers in adult horses. Two drugs of choice, omeprazole and ranitidine. There are two sections of the horse’s stomach; the glandular portion, which secretes acid and enzymes to break down food, and the stratified squamous portion. “With time, the accuracy of tests to diagnose ulceration will improve; however, their ability to determine the degree of ulceration will always be limited. While there is a long list of behavioral and performance indicators that can point toward the presence of ulcers, equine veterinary medicine relies on a strong set of diagnostic tools, led by gastroscopy, to definitively confirm, then grade ulcers. Then, there is the glandular mucosa, where acidic pumps are predominantly located and where acid is being produced. While not accommodating the level of detail that the gastroscopy can offer, ultrasound can provide valuable imagery, particularly if the veterinarian is looking to confirm or rule out a specific concern. “These ulcers are often recalcitrant to treatments available in today’s market and have the greatest negative impact on performance in equine athletes.”, As equine veterinary medicine shifts its focus, resources, research and attention on a more predictive, preventive and personalized approach, horses at risk and suffering from diagnosed gastric ulcers will benefit. If a horse has gastric ulcers, they must be medically treated. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) frequently referred to as gastric ulcers in horses is a common problem among domesticated horses. Performance horses are often at higher risk, with 70 percent of endurance horses and more than 90 percent of thoroughbred racehorses developing ulcers. In the pyloric region the acidity level only goes up, ranging from a pH of 1.5 to 4. Many misconceptions exist about ulcers and horses. It’s my goal to take a preventive approach to try to counteract the impact those stressors can have on the gut.” When Dr. Smith encounters a case with diagnosed gastric ulcers, he, like Dr. Davis, shifts his treatment protocol. “Continued research to better understand EGUS, EGGD in particular, and how to prevent and treat it more effectively is needed,” says Dr. Belgrave, hopefully. All roads lead to stress. “Feeding grain or concentrates has consistently shown to increase the incidence of ESGD,” explains Dr. Belgrave. What is the one thing that each of these contributing factors have in common? If your horse is showing signs of an ulcer, make an appointment with your veterinarian. By Dr. Richard Shakalis ( co-founder and researcher for SBS Equine Products ) Most people do not know for sure if their horses have gastric ulcers. These inevitable losses can take a toll on the equine practitioner. This seems to work for us. “For us, those preventive steps encompass several things, with diet being of paramount importance.”, Beyond the typical stressors that are commonly attributed to EGUS, diet and the manner in which horses are fed have been identified as critical factors in both the prevention and treatment of ulcers. I don’t win the ribbons. That’s not my part. “In that study, we looked at a number of things. A unique aspect of the glandular mucosa is its protective waxy coating that, when broken down, allows for glandular mucosal ulcers and also ulcers in the pyloric region,” explains Dr. Davis. Although the most common location for ulcers is the upper region of the stomach, ulcers have been known to develop in other areas, including the lower portion and the duodenum. Veterinary medicine has propelled forward in its approach to not only treating disease, such as EGUS, but in preventing disease. That inflammation works against veterinarians in several ways, including hindering a horse’s ability to properly absorb both nutrients and medications. “It’s 100 percent about the horses. We know now that the gut is vital to the horse’s overall health, and we’re learning how serious the implications can be when NSAIDs are over-prescribed or used for elongated periods of time coupled with stress, competition, travel and so many other contributing factors.”, One of the foremost experts on the effects of NSAIDs on the equine gut environment is Canaan Whitfield, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, of Texas A&M University. Furthermore, hindgut ulcers are hard (and expensive to diagnose) so treating them, while you treat gastric ulcers makes sense. At birth, the equine gastric epithelium is thin and lowly keratinized (Murray and Mahaffey). “One of the interesting things about our early research is that we showed that both classes of NSAIDs cause gastric ulcers, and they both cause not only glandular ulcers but can actually cause squamous ulcers as well, which was a surprising finding given the biology of the stomach.”. Intestinal ulcers are an unfortunate fact of life for many performance horses. Also, monitor how much food your horse is eating since horses with gastric ulcers can be reluctant to eat. That’s for them and their riders to sort out, but for me, it’s the love of the athlete that drives me to do what I do.”, Whether it be sports medicine in general, or specifically the challenge of gastric ulcers in equine athletes, the world of veterinary medicine is shifting toward stewarding a new era of root-cause medicine. 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