| Reduce
Your Horse’s Gastric Ulcer Risk Ulcers
are a man-made disease, affecting up to 90 percent of racehorses
and 60 percent of show horses. Stall confinement alone can lead to
the development of ulcers. A horse’s feeding schedule also
can be a factor. When horses are fed just twice a day, the stomach
is subjected
to a prolonged period without feed to neutralize its naturally produced
acid. In addition, high-grain diets produce volatile fatty acids
that can also contribute to the development of ulcers.
Stress, both environmental and physical, can increase the likelihood
of ulcers, as can hauling, training and mixing groups of horses. Strenuous
exercise can decrease the emptying of the stomach and the blood flow
to the stomach, thus contributing to the problem.
The treatment and
prevention of gastric ulcers is directed at removing these predisposing
factors, thus decreasing acid production
within
the horse’s stomach. Follow these tips from the American
Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to properly treat your horse’s
ulcers:
- Allow free-choice access to grass or hay. Horses are designed
to be grazers with a regular intake of roughage.
- If the horse
must be stalled, arrange for the horse to see the horses he socializes
with. Consider offering a ball or other object
that the horse can enjoy in his stall.
- Feed the horse
more frequently to help buffer the acid in the stomach.
- Decrease grains
that form volatile fatty acids.
- Medications that
decrease acid production are available, but are only necessary in
horses showing signs of clinical disease or when
the predisposing factors, such as stress, cannot be removed.
The prevention
of ulcers is the key. Limiting stressful situations along with frequent
feeding or free-choice access to grass
or hay is
imperative. Neutralizing the production of stomach acid is nature’s
best antacid.
For more information
about gastric ulcers, ask your equine veterinarian for the “Equine Gastric Ulcers” brochure provided
by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in association
with Nutrena, an AAEP Educational Partner. Additional information also
can be found on the AAEP’s horse-health Web site, www.myHorseMatters.com.
Reprinted with
permission from the American Association of Equine Practitioners
Back
to Helpful Resources
|
