Since only 10% of horses never develop an ulcer, I figure I should get a supplement for them. My trainer thinks my horse might have them anyways. I see no use in going to the vet about it as I’m not interested in the gastric acid blockers that they’ll prescribe him, since those only treat stomach ulcers and blocking gastric acid can possibly do more harm then good.
I saw an ad for Ulcer Stop. It sounds pretty legit. But are there any natural remedies that *actually* work? Or any good supplements?
Right now he’s pastured 24/7, by the way. He does weave in the stall, which is the main reason we’re worried about ulcers.
There are no natural remedies proven to prevent or heal gastric or intestinal ulcers in horses. The only proven product for healing stomache ulcers is GastroGard, which is a gastric acid blocker and you say you don’t want to use one. UlcerGard is a lower dose version of GastroGard which can be used prior to stressful events as a preventive. All unregulated products are dangerous to use since they are not proven safe or effective, despite the claims the product manufacturers make.
Proven lifestyle changes for prevention of ulcers include a few things.
Feeding hay 24/7 free choice is one of them. A mix of alfalfa with plain grass hay of about 25% alfalfa to 75% grass hay is acceptable for most horses if there are no metabolic issues that won’t allow the alfalfa to be fed. The calcium in alfalfa can assist in buffering stomach acids, and the constant chomping of the hay causes copious secretion of saliva. The saliva is alkaline and buffers stomach acids, and it eases passage of food through the digestive tract while protecting the mucosa. Also, the constant presence of hay in the gut gives the acids and digestive enzymes something to act on continuously. In the horse, enzymes and acids continue to be secreted with or without food in the gut. If there is no food, these can begin to erode or digest the stomach or intestinal mucosa. So between the presence of saliva and presence of food in the tract, a great deal of protection is afforded.
Ample turnout, socialization and exercise is also preventive. The mental and emotional effects are natural stress reducers, which reduces secretion of stress hormones that can contribute to development of stomach and intestinal ulcers while also weakening the immune system. Exercise also improves blood flow to all organs of the body, including the digestive organs, and contributes to keeping food moving through the tract.
So, I’d forget the natural remedies which may do more harm than good, and provide plenty of hay and turnout. If your horse needs hard feed, choose one that is complex fiber based like pelleted senior feed, as opposed to cereal grains and sweet feeds. Complex carbohydrates are digested in the hind gut by fermentation, and the fiber maintains healthy intestinal mucosa as it passes through the tract. Senior feeds provide the complex carbs needed for hind gut digestion, and are nutrient balanced complete feeds appropriate to feed to any adult horse of any age.
Cereal grains are loaded with soluble carbs that are digested in the foregut and they leave little digestible fiber in the gut to be digested by the acids and enzymes secreted along the tract, and since they are rapidly ingested, little saliva is secreted when they are fed, so they don’t provide the protective effect that hay does.
When stressful events are anticipated, such as trips to shows, be sure the horse has plenty of good hay available at all times, and plenty of fresh clean water to drink.
Add….I did a search on Ulcer Stop. Their site has misspelled the ingredient, omeprazole as omenprazole, which is claimed to be present in their product, with no amount listed. Omeprazole is a gastric acid blocker and is the active ingredient in GastroGard. We know that in lesser dosage, it cannot heal ulcers. The lesser dose in UlcerGard is thought to be preventive, but does not have FDA backing for that use as GastroGard has earned for treatment.
It is doubtful that Ulcer Stop has enough omeprazole in it to have any benefit. It is combined with electrolytes, which have been repeatedly shown to contribute to development of gastric ulcers when fed orally, so why they are in the product is a mystery.
Finally, the product contains probiotics, which have not been researched in equines so we don’t know what cultures are needed, much less what amounts. This is well known. All information in formulating equine probiotics has been extrapolated from human studies, and equines are herbivores with likely very different digestive bacteria than those of human carnivores. Toxic soil bacteria, heavy metals, and other contaminants have been found in equine probiotics, with variations in the amounts and types of bacteria. Again, we don’t know what cultures are needed, or what amounts it would take to colonize the equine gut.
Ulcer Stop is an unregulated product with anecdotal claims of it’s effectiveness, and no science to back it up. If you are worried about potential harm from a scientifically researched and FDA approved product like GastroGard, I would stay far away from this unregulated and unproven one.
Turnout… lots and lots of turnout. Avoid stress, and don’t stall unless absolutely necessary. Do lots of small meals throughout the day (and make sure hay or grass is available pretty much constantly unless you have an overweight horse) instead of a couple big meals.
And yes, you should see a vet anyway if you suspect your horse has ulcers. Explain your position regarding that treatment and the vet may be able to find something better for you… or perhaps explain why they think that treatment is the best.
ADD– Gallop always has the best medical-related answers.
She knows what she’s talking about!