I had the vet out and though he didn't do a scope he's quite sure that Rusty has ulcers. His symptoms are as follows:
Mild Reaccuring Colic
Slightly Low Temperature
Slightly Pale Gums
He has been acting colicy on and off for a couple weeks now. Nothing major, just kinda belly-achey. Most days he seems fine but then he'll have a mild colicy day that is better the next day. He eats fine and drinks fine but eats a little slower than usual. He passes normal urine and feces with no problems.
When I noticed slightly pale gums and a decreased temperature I decided it was time to have the vet out. After a bunch of research I decided against prescription drugs to treat him. Instead I will be using Chia Seeds and Slippery Elm Bark powder, hopefully they will do the trick. Until those arrive he is getting Tums two times a day. Whether or not these are making a difference, I don't know.
Why he got the ulcers is still a bit unclear. He's not currently worked (and hasn't been all winter) and nothing has changed in his environment. The probable cause is the fact that he is only fed twice a day (more is not currently possible) and he scarfs his hay down so he is left with nothing for most of the day/night. I have ordered him a slow feed hay net to help the hay last longer.
He is eating a mostly alfalfa (with some grass) hay. He doesn't currently get any grain. I was adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar in his water as I am fearful that he will develop stones from the high alfalfa content of his hay. I have since removed the apple cider vinegar in case it was involved in causing his ulcers.
I will be using this thread to document how well the Chia Seeds and Slippery Elm Bark treat his condition Posted via Mobile Device
Does his manure stink to High Heaven more than it usually does, even though the consistency might be normal?
How about any bloat to the stomach or maybe it appears "fuller" than normal?
How about a puffy sheath?
Puffy lower back leg (or both legs)?
I am going somewhere with those questions but I'm not saying anything until I hear your reply but I will say, the "where I am going with this horse" is also named Rusty - lol lol lol lol
Hopefully I can get back on line later tonight, since the weather map shows storms headed my way and sometimes Hughes.net does not like the view of the Southern Sky and goes down:shock:
No to all of the above His gut sounds do sound a little more active sometimes but nothing extreme. He does have a pot belly but he's also gained a bunch of weight over the winter. Posted via Mobile Device
No to all of the above His gut sounds do sound a little more active sometimes but nothing extreme. He does have a pot belly but he's also gained a bunch of weight over the winter. Posted via Mobile Device
The test your vet can purchase from "Succeed" is how he determined my 25 yo with EMS also has hind gut ulcers. I can only hope the test is accurate because I'd have to haul this horse 4 hours to the nearest equine hospital; something the vet advised against.
Also, for what it's worth, I believe there are two types of ulcers. Irritation ulcers can be healed by stopping whatever is causing the ulcer, ie. bute, etc. The can be healed/soothed with slippery elm, and chia seeds.
The other type of ulcer is caused by H. Pylori bacteria. This bacteria is transmitted by flies. It's tough to knock out, and antibiotics are rarely effective. I believe treating with antibiotics makes the situation worse. Mastic gum is very effective in killing the H. Pylori bacteria. The most common type of ulcer in humans is caused by H. Pylori. By process of elimination, it should be easy to figure which type a horse has. If they have ulcers, but haven't been on anything that would cause them, than you have a good idea it's H. Pylori.
The chia seeds and slippery elm are great and soothing for the stomach lining. Check out mastic gum and ulcers. It works fast. Chia seeds added to kombucha is one of my favorite drinks.
I'd be curious what his blood workup was in there is a test called succeed that will tell you um if he has blood in his feces and his albumin. that is a good test to tell if they have ulcers in the hind gut or stomach . did you do any test to confirm this and I'm curious as to why you are not using ulcer guard if it's definite treatment of ulcers in the stomach .I would also start feeding him large quantities of grass hay and less alfalfa so he can have more rested and spend more time with food in his stomach Posted via Mobile Device
Also, for what it's worth, I believe there are two types of ulcers. Irritation ulcers can be healed by stopping whatever is causing the ulcer, ie. bute, etc. The can be healed/soothed with slippery elm, and chia seeds.
The other type of ulcer is caused by H. Pylori bacteria. This bacteria is transmitted by flies. It's tough to knock out, and antibiotics are rarely effective. I believe treating with antibiotics makes the situation worse. Mastic gum is very effective in killing the H. Pylori bacteria. The most common type of ulcer in humans is caused by H. Pylori. By process of elimination, it should be easy to figure which type a horse has. If they have ulcers, but haven't been on anything that would cause them, than you have a good idea it's H. Pylori.
Well since I stopped the apple cider vinegar his temp has gone up (but is still low) and he has been acting better (chasing the ducks lol). His gums look more pink. I think the acv had a lot to do with it :-/
I have been giving him extra hay and spreading it in 5 or 6 piles around his pen to keep him busy and to make it last longer until the slow feed hay net arrives.
Unfortunately due to the drought last year the only hay available anywhere is high content alfalfa. This is what had me paranoid about stones and why I added the apple cider vinegar in the first place. Normally he gets grass hay.
I also gave him a vitamin/probiotic paste today, which I think helped.
The vet didn't believe that any tests were necessary. He was pretty confident it is ulcers. I'd like to think that I can trust his opinion
I don't like to use prescription drugs if it can be helped by other means. I like to treat any ailments as naturally as possible if I can. Posted via Mobile Device
what about hey pellets from a feed supply store. they're like many bales did you soak them in water they come in grass hey form . Posted via Mobile Device
Can add decreased water intake to his list of symptoms :-( Getting worried now. He's well hydrated but if he hasn't drank by the time I'm home from work I'm calling the vet. Posted via Mobile Device
add some salt to his grain and sprinkle over his hey no more than a tablespoon per feeding are they probably won't eat it mine has also water intake has fluctuated greatly Posted via Mobile Device
There are two times during the day that a horse will drink the most, within a few hours of sunrise and a few hours before dark. They will drink at other times but not like at these times. Offer the horse loose salt either pickling or table salt. The horse gets a sore tongue from a lick and consequently doesn't ingest adequate amounts of salt. If you can feed hay cubes or pellets it will enable you to reduce the amount of alfalfa. Too much alfalfa can create a calcium inbalance and the horse can develop a conditon called Big Head, for obvious reasons. You can even offer him oat straw. The gut needs roughage but it doesn't always need high quality roughage. One flake of oat straw is ok per day. It does need to be clean quality straw.
I personally know of a racehorse trainer who treated ulcers in his stable with mastic gum. He uses a small maintenance as preventative. There are some studies that suggest H. Pylori doesn't cause ulcers in horses, only humans. That theory has since been disproved, as they have found proof that it does indeed burrow in the stomach lining and cause ulcers. "Another known cause is a specific bacteria – Helicobacter Equorum (H.Equorum).[v] This bacteria causes ulcers by creating actual physical damage as it burrows into the lining of the gastro-intestinal tract. While the damage caused by H. Equorum is well known in humans, as Helicobacter Pylori – it is a known cause of stomach cancer – its existence in horses is only recently discovered, and how it is transmitted to horses is unclear."
lightning: I think she was worried about Hind Gut Acidosis.
Thank you for the input everyone. I will be giving him some salt.
I did start giving him some oat straw but he doesn't like it... Posted via Mobile Device
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