For those of you on pins and needles wondering how my Thoroughbred’s ulcers are after a month of Gastrogard treatment. The results are in! Before we continue, I am including images that might make some people a little squeamish, so be forewarned.

scoping a horse

Scoping in progress. The monitor shows his insides.

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Yesterday Knight and I returned to the hospital for a follow-up scope appointment. I was not there when he was originally scoped so I had no idea what to expect. He did not need to be sedated which blew my mind. I would want someone to sedate me if a long tube was inserted into my nose and down into my innards! He was a very good boy.

My Thoroughbred’s Ulcers: Before

This is hard to look at and makes me feel terrible–that I didn’t know he was stressed and not feeling well, probably for a while.  This picture was taken I believe November 30th (give or take a day).

Horse Ulcers

The red spots are the ulcers–bad ones.

My Thoroughbred’s Ulcers: After

Here’s the good news in picture form. No more ulcers as of December 29! If you detect some slightly yellowish areas, those are the parts still healing. As of yesterday I had three more tubes of Gastrogard which we are finishing out.

Ulcers after

Ulcers be gone. The reddish spot is not an ulcer. It’s the part of the stomach that secretes the acids which digest the food.

And here is another view. In this picture I think his stomach looks like a brain. You can see the bits of hay which were a mystery since he had to have food withheld fifteen hours prior to the scoping and no water four hours prior. Maybe he found little fragments in the trailer or perhaps a Good Samaritan walking down the aisle way grabbed a handful of stray hay and threw it to him.

Horse stomach with bits of hay.

Horse stomach with bits of hay.

What did I learn from my Thoroughbred’s ulcer (and colic) experience? (If you’re not a total horse geek, you’re exempt from reading this section).

  1. Horses are stoic.
  2. My idea of a great, stress-free lifestyle is different from my horse’s. He is in love with his closet of a box stall. I would prefer the big, open pipe corral.
  3. Knight’s moderate cribbing has gone down to infrequent. There must be some connection.
  4. Gastrogard is not cheap (about $31 per tube), but it works.
  5. Ulcergard and Gastrogard are NOT the same thing. Gastrogard is for treatment and Ulcergard is for prevention.
  6. If you want to give your horse Ulcergard prior to a show, you need to give it three days in advance. If you give it while at the show (on a Friday), it won’t kick in until Monday.
  7. Having your horse able to eat hay 24/7 is pretty important.
  8. Use a slowfeed haynet. (I have a Kensington.)
  9. Stones in horses is a thing. Thankfully Knight doesn’t have them, but I did see a surgery video from my clinic. It was almost sci-fi. Click here to see the extraction of an enterolith (not for the squeamish).
  10. Less is more in terms of types of food. No more beet pulp and rice bran. No more supplements (this is all per doctor’s orders). Knight’s now getting hay and more hay.

A popular magazine headline this time of year is “New Year, New You.” I am thrilled that I can say we’re entering 2016 as “New Year, No Ulcers!”

Your Turn: What have you learned this year from firsthand experience about horse or human health? Let’s share stories (in the comments section below).

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26 Comments

  1. Alanna December 30, 2015 at 10:18 am - Reply

    Yah, that’s great news. What relation do beet pulp and rice bran have to ulcers?

    • Susan Friedland-Smith December 30, 2015 at 10:27 am - Reply

      Great question. My brain is fluttering around with so much “data,” I didn’t make that really clear. So the ulcers is a separate issue, but is there a connection between the ulcers and the several bouts of colic, and the cribbing? We’re still not 100% clear on that. We are clear on the fact that something was aggravating his GI system. His intestines were quite inflamed. The recommendation was to feed only hay and keep his diet simple. That’s what they fed him at the clinic. I actually had him on a special GI supplement program. It obviously didn’t help and my vet said in a nice way that it wasn’t really beneficial. So did the supplements cause the aggravation and gas? The vet kept saying, “Only your horse has all the answers to our questions. And he can’t tell us.” So the lifestyle change moving stalls will hopefully keep him happy (and ulcer-free). And since he’s doing well on just hay, we’re going to stick with that.

  2. The Exquisite Equine December 30, 2015 at 10:50 am - Reply

    So, so awesome! Thank you for sharing!

    I have always heard that there was a relation because colic/cribbing and ulcers and it is interesting to see that that might be true after all!

    Also, if ulcer guard and gastro guard aren’t the same…what’s the difference?

    • Susan Friedland-Smith December 30, 2015 at 11:05 am - Reply

      You know, it was interesting because when I spoke to a person who I think was an intern, she said they were the same thing. So I went ahead and ordered Ulcergard (a 30-day supply) via EntirelyPets because they have a great coupon code on retailmenot.com. Long story short, I went to the clinic the next day and spoke to his main vet (who’s older and a surgeon who travels around the world to speak on colic) and told him I ordered Ulcergard and he was like, “Nooo!” and kind of grimaced, telling me they’re not the same thing. When I asked what the difference was he said Ulcergard is for prevention and Gastrogard for treatment. So that’s about as detailed as I can be. It’s interesting too that you don’t need a prescription for Ulcergard, but you do for Gastrogard. There’s also something you can buy at Costco that is much cheaper, but you have to smash up the pills and make it into a paste and give it 3 times a day spaced out 8 hours apart. He said you could possibly do it 2 times a day 12 hours apart. This was not a good option for me in a boarding situation especially while I was traveling over the holidays. I can’t think of the name right now but I can find out if that would help you. He said that stuff was the best not only because it’s the cheapest option, but because you can give it the day of a show and it takes effect right away. There’s not a 3-day time required like with Ulcergard.

      • Susan Friedland-Smith December 30, 2015 at 11:07 am

        One other thing. . . I called EntirelyPets and they canceled my order (it was hundreds of dollars). It was easy and painless. I was very impressed with the service and if I do need to buy Ulcergard in the future I will order it from them.

      • stampyandthebrain December 30, 2015 at 11:20 am

        Just saw another response and wanted to add. The one you have to give every 8 hours is likely ranitidine which works well and is a lot cheaper but a pain to give in that timing. I did that with Stampede many years ago.

        The Ulcergard/Gastrogard difference is purely how it’s been labeled for use and approved by the government. Similar to use of Previcox versus Equioxx – technically Previcox is not approved for horses but it is the same drug and many people do use it successfully. Same with Adequan and Ichon – drug is the same but Ichon is approved for joint flushing not IM injection. Interesting how this happens and the one drug can be so much cheaper.

      • Susan Friedland-Smith December 30, 2015 at 11:31 am

        Yes! That’s the name of the stuff. Did you do the 3x a day or 2x a day?

      • stampyandthebrain December 30, 2015 at 11:54 am

        I only did twice a day. Actually just remembered that we ended up giving Phoenix some ranitidine more recently after he had to be on some heavy duty meds for a reaction to joint injections and wasn’t eating like his normal ravenous self. I got the flavored from Farmvet (seriously my favorite pharmacy the people are SO nice) and he ate it right up.

      • Rodney's Saga December 31, 2015 at 6:47 am

        “you have to smash up the pills and make it into a paste and give it 3 times a day spaced out 8 hours apart.”

        Yup. 14 pills. PIA. One advantage of having horses at home.

      • Rodney's Saga December 31, 2015 at 6:49 am

        “But his demeanor is so mellow that’s what fooled us. I thought he’s so calm, quiet, non-spooky …”

        Be interesting to see if he gets a new attitude. 🙂

  3. stampyandthebrain December 30, 2015 at 11:12 am - Reply

    Glad your boy is feeling better!

    My understanding is that Gastrogard and Ulcergard are literally the same drug in the same amount per tube but that the dosage is set differently for treatment (full tube) versus prevention (1/4-1/2 tube). Since Ulcergard is exactly the same and usually cheaper to buy (I usually get it for $26/tube) it’s frequently chosen for use in either situation even if using it for treatment is off label. I’ve gotten my best deals from ebay and entirelypets.

  4. Hillary December 30, 2015 at 11:17 am - Reply

    Do you mind if I ask how much the scoping ran you? Annie is an awful cribber but otherwise a pretty happy creature. I have wondered if she might have ulcers. Glad he’s feeling better!

    • Susan Friedland-Smith December 30, 2015 at 11:30 am - Reply

      I don’t mind at all. I thought it would be about $600 because I heard someone say that price at one point. My bill yesterday (hope you’re not reading this, Marky) was $325. They scoped and did an ultrasound to check out his intestines again. I have nothing to compare to. I don’t know if this is high because everything in SoCal is expensive (except for manicure/pedicures and foot massages) or if this is low, being somehow embedded into my week’s hospital stay earlier this month. If I had to do it over again, Hillary, I would have done the scope months ago. We suspected he might have ulcers just because TBs are so prone to them and we thought maybe that had something to do with why it was hard to put weight on him. But his demeanor is so mellow that’s what fooled us. I thought he’s so calm, quiet, non-spooky, there’s no way he’s stressed out and upset. Oh, I don’t have a trailer so technically I will be paying more as I have to factor in the trailer fee too.

  5. Amanda C December 30, 2015 at 11:43 am - Reply

    Stampy is correct, GG and UG are exactly the same thing. The only difference is the recommended dosage on the label.

  6. lifewithapalomino December 30, 2015 at 1:27 pm - Reply

    This is so cool to see! (I’m very dorky but..) I’m always curious about what ulcer do in horses so I loved your connection to cribbing and horse vs. human preferences too 😀

    • Susan Friedland-Smith December 30, 2015 at 1:34 pm - Reply

      Thanks! I’m glad you liked seeing it. Hopefully your horse/s won’t have to go through this, but it is interesting.

  7. Erin December 31, 2015 at 5:02 am - Reply

    What a relief! So glad to hear and see that Knight is doing better.

  8. Holybull79 December 31, 2015 at 10:06 am - Reply

    Wow, thank you for sharing the pictures and what you have learned from this unfortunate ordeal! Poor guy, looks like he should be feeling so much better now.

  9. draftmare December 31, 2015 at 11:03 am - Reply

    That’s great news that he is healing up! With my mare having a condition that means she is healthier when on a dry lot, ulcers are a huge concern for me. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a barn that offers a dry lot and 24/7 access to hay. It is either one or the other. And oh my gosh yes to the stoic part. My mare put up with being ridden despite being pretty uncomfortable before her PSSM diagnosis.

  10. KateRose January 1, 2016 at 12:04 pm - Reply

    Wow, what an improvement! Glad he’s healing up 🙂

  11. emma January 5, 2016 at 7:52 am - Reply

    glad to know he’s doing so much better! also good to know about when to dose ulcergard before a show – i didn’t know it had to be given that far in advance!

  12. Tracy - Fly On Over January 6, 2016 at 8:22 am - Reply

    YAY!! So, so, SO glad Knight is feeling much better. 😀

    • Susan Friedland-Smith January 6, 2016 at 10:01 am - Reply

      Thanks, Tracy. And the move to the box stall in the barn was just in time. El Nino has finally hit and it’s been raining and raining here. I’m grateful my pony is dry and warm.

  13. Raquel January 9, 2016 at 2:42 pm - Reply

    I’m glad Knight is doing better! Ulcers were my lesson to learn about this year too, although the slower feeder tip is a great one I picked up from you.

  14. christyfleener January 27, 2016 at 8:53 am - Reply

    Glad to hear your horse is doing well! Ulcers are never a fun thing to deal with!

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I'm Susan and this is my horse Knight. We have been a blogging team since 2015 and we're glad you're here. Tally ho!

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