Taking a horse off of ulcer supplement?

Hey guys,

Mudpie doesn't have ulcers, but because we were doing so much traveling and starting to compete, I put him on an ulcer supplement as a preventative measure. (U-Gard) I'm not planning to take him off of it any time soon, but I was just wondering about the implications of doing so.

If I were to take him off of it, could the acid levels rise and actually cause ulcers or other complications? U-Gard is a calcium supplement that works, if I'm not mistaken, as an antacid.

I'm not planning to take him off of it, just wondering! :)

Thanks!

When in doubt, call the vendor! They know their product best.

There shouldn't be any problem taking him off of it- it's actually more of a clay (kaolin) supplement than a calcium supplement. There's only ~1g of calcium per serving, about the same that you'd get from 5 Tums tablets!

U-guard is pretty mild, I think you should be fine taking him off of it, but if in doubt, like mentioned above, call the vendor.

- just a note-
If your horse is on stall rest, it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep him on the supplement or something similar (brewers yeast is cheaper) to keep his insides happy, you don't want him to develop ulcers or colic from the stress of being stuck inside and not moving around.

Aloe Vera juice is another natural and inexpensive insurance policy to keep digestion healthy and ulcer free.

Thanks, guys! I'm definitely planning to keep him on it, but I was just curious. I am curious about the aloe vera juice though... I haven't heard an awful lot about it before. Is it as effective as U-Gard?

Mudpie's also on SmartOmega 3 since he has absolutely no access to fresh pasture (stinking California!!), so I think that's helping his tummy a bit, too. :)

Have any of you actually had personal experience with aloe vera juice?

Thanks for all of your help!

I have several clients who swear by it. Here are some links with more information:

Natural Ulcer Relief for Horses

HorseAdvice.com Equine & Horse Advice: Aloe vera juice and ulcers

Herbal Treatment for Gastric Ulcers in a Horse | eHow.com

I had ulcer issues last fall with my gelding...Once we got the ulcers healed up, I put him on SeaBuck. It is a liquid supplement that is supposed to help regulate the pH, preventing ulcers, and gives them a nice shiny coat! I have noticed a huge difference with him, and he has a lot more energy. It is a little spendy (not sure how it compares to ulcer guard), but a $65 gallon lasts about 2 months. The vet who treated the ulcers is the one who highly recommended it. Just another suggestion!