What can I do to support what the horse is trying to do?’ I may not have to throw everything at this horse. We have also learned that whether we’re talking about equine or human competitors, when we ignore the critical role of the gut in overall health and performance, we’re often faced with negative results. “We had a few changes in the bacteria of the control group, a number of bacterial changes in the Phenylbutazone group, and there were no significant changes in the group receiving the nutritional therapeutic.” The gravity of these findings is significant given the daily use of NSAIDs in clinical practice and the amount of horses that remain on NSAID therapy for prolonged periods of time. “There is an increased likelihood of ESGD when straw is the only forage provided, though feeding alfalfa hay has been shown to have a protective effect of the gastric squamous mucosa in adult horses.” Dr. Belgrave is a strong advocate for pasture access, and for those times when horses are stalled, he recommends continual and gradual access to good-quality hay while keeping grains and concentrates to a minimum and only feeding them when a sufficient amount of hay is in the stomach to buffer the gastric acid released upon their consumption. At birth, the equine gastric epithelium is thin and lowly keratinized (Murray and Mahaffey). Grain meals should also be limited and fed only once to twice daily at the most. Ulcers touch an overwhelming percentage of the horse population, making them one of the more prolific struggles faced by both riders and equine veterinarians. The 15 Best Coat Supplement for Horses 2020 (Reviews & Guide) The 15 Best Horse Feed For Performance Horses 2020 (Reviews & Guide) The … “I don’t want to be months down the road looking at grade 4 ulcers thinking that I should have paid more attention to the details sooner. “If any of these factors points to the potential of low-grade ulcers, that’s where I want to catch them,” says Dr. Davis. We then pay close attention to how that horse responds to the program, ensuring that our client and trainer are fully supportive. “Everything’s related. We know that an athlete devoid of a proper diet, in an unmanaged state of inflammation, can be more prone to injury and disease and less able to perform to his or her potential. “The take-home message in terms of gastric ulcers is that they are most likely more prevalent than we think, especially in sport horses,” says Dr. Whitfield, confidently. If a horse is suspected of having gastric ulcers, gastroscopy will confirm the presence, severity and location of the ulceration. As a result, finding the best ulcer treatment for horses is essential if you’re going to take good care of your horse. As Dr. Whitfield mentioned in his findings, inflammation can be a significant contributing factor to equine gastrointestinal disease, including gastric ulcers and Leaky Gut Syndrome. There’s always a trail of bread crumbs. Platinum Performance® Equine: Wellness & Performance, Platinum Performance® CJ: Wellness & Performance + Complete Joint, Platinum Performance® GI: Wellness & Performance + Digestive Care, Barn Pricing Guide for Foundation Formulas, Platinum Colic Coverage™ Qualifying Formulas, Online Form - Request Platinum Magazine - Magento. Dr. Davis is quick to point out that gastroscopy is a necessity when ulcers are suspected to avoid medically treating suspected ulcers when something else entirely could be going on. 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. We give UlcerGard when our horses compete to prevent ulcers from forming. “The key is recognizing the stressors for each individual horse and what exactly is causing this issue. Dr. Smith uses a similar approach in his cases at Brazos Valley Equine. They first studied both classes of NSAIDs — COX-2 selective NSAIDs such as Equioxx® and nonselective NSAIDs such as Phenylbutazone (Bute) and Banamine® — and showed that both classes caused gastric ulcers and intestinal inflammation, albeit at different levels of severity. Veterinarians and physicians have gleaned vast knowledge from translational research that has shown positive effects in human athletes and is thus adopted for equine competitors and vice versa. “Two forms of ESGD exist,” explains Dr. Belgrave further. 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. These drugs reduce/stop gastric acid production and create an environment in the stomach where healing can take place. 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