Hello Dr. Getty,

I talked to you a couple of months ago by phone about my two barrel horses. You recommended the Ultium feed. They have both been on it for about two months. They love it! But now i am having a problem with BOTH horses. They are soooo physically fit they are both now bleeding out the nose at hard exercise at home and at the races.
Do you think this is a transition phase?
Do you think I am going to have to turn to Lasix or bleeder formulas?
Helllllp
The blood in both horses is thin with clots.You may answer me here on the forum or just email me personally, either is fine.

Thank you so much,
Kim Koch

Where are you from? Augusta Georgia

How did you locate this forum? internet surfing

Hello Kim,

It is so nice to hear that Cowgirl and Zevi are doing so well!

Your horses have “Exercised-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging (EIPH).” Almost all horses that do intensive exercise experience this to varying degrees. From what I understand, Lasix (furosemide) is the drug used to treat EIPH. It is a diuretic and reduces blood pressure within the lungs. However, its effectiveness is questionable – it won’t stop bleeding, just lessen it.

High pressure within the lungs can cause blood vessels to rupture. So, from a nutritional perspective, it would be helpful to strengthen those blood vessels. Antioxidants play a strong role, and especially Vitamin C, since it is involved in collagen formation. Vita-Key’s Antioxidant Concentrate is worth looking at.

Thanks for writing! Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty