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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition

   Welcome to my forum. 

Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought

I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

All the best,

 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Gastric Ulcers/Excess Acid

Hi Dr. Getty,

I wrote to you back in May regarding my 14 y.o. TB gelding w/stomach ulcers. You gave me some helpful advice which I am about to put into use. I plan to switch my gelding over to Purina Ultium, one of the feeds you suggested. Of all the feeds I researched, this one seems to be the best choice as it contains very little grain and has a high fat content. I checked out the Poulin grain low-carb option, and in speaking with the rep, he expressed concern that it would not provide enough calories for my horse. He felt I would have to add a fat supplement to beef it up.

I'm also taking my horse off Neigh Lox and putting him on Tract Gard at my vet's urging. He recently had an "episode" where he went off his feed for a bit. She feels it is better to stop giving him the Neigh Lox sooner rather than later. I'm hoping if he responds well to this new feed that I won't have to keep him on Tract Gard continuously.

How would you suggest I go about switching his feed and digestive supplement. I know I should change the feed over a 7 -10 day period, but I'm not sure how to switch from the Neigh Lox to the Tract Gard; any suggestions? Also, are you familiar with ABCs Plus? I currently feed it to my horse but wonder if it would be overkill since he will be getting Tract Gard.

Thank you for all of your help. I'm really looking forward to seeing how my horse responds on this new feed.

Thanks again!

Suzanne Quigley

Where are you from? Massachusetts

How did you locate this forum? internet search for equine nutritionist

Re: Gastric Ulcers/Excess Acid

Hi Suzanne,

Nice to hear from you!

I'm pleased that you'll be switching to a low carb feed. And you can switch to Tract Gard right away without taking several days to do so.

The ABC Plus will not interfere with Tract Gard since ABC Plus is a vitamin/mineral supplement. Tract Gard is designed to bring more water into the digestive tract and encourage more water consumption. So, you can offer both.

However, keeping a horse on any antacid over the long term is not a good idea since stomach acid plays a strong role in destroying bacteria and parasites that are consumed. It is far better to offer a feeding plan that allows the horse's natural system to heal itself. What I mean by this, is to first, offer pasture and/or hay, free choice so that your horse is always able to graze or chew. The saliva production is essential to curing an ulcer.

Next, reduce the starch intake, which you are doing. And, finally, boost the health of the bacterial flora in the hind gut to help heal the digestive tract and produce more B vitamins. This is why I often recommend Ration Plus to horse owners whose horses have ulcers.

So, go with the Tract Gard short term but please consider adding Ration Plus to his overall feeding regimen.

Keep me posted!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Colorado

Re: Gastric Ulcers/Excess Acid

Thank you so much Dr. Getty. Your advice has been so helpful to me. I wanted to ask you about Ration Plus. You had suggested it to me previously and I have since read other postings in this forum from owners using Ration Plus who commented on the positive results they gained from it. If I were to use Ration Plus, would I need to continue with the ABCs Plus or could one replace the other? My goal is to get to the point where I might only need to use TractGard during stressful situations, i.e., travel, competiition, etc., and not on a daily basis. The only part of this equation I don't think I'll be able to fully solve is the 24/7 grazing/hay component. I board my horse so my hands are tied to some extent. But for now, he is turned out all day, every day. I know that he does run out of hay at some point overnight when he is confined to his stall. I'll keep you posted on how he progresses and once again, many thanks!

Where are you from? Massachusetts

How did you locate this forum? internet search for equine nutritionist

Re: Gastric Ulcers/Excess Acid

Hi Suzanne,

Yes, you can certainly give Ration Plus with any supplement, including the ABC Plus.

I have had many clients in similar situations where they board their horses and the horses run out of hay during the night. Many of them have been able to give instructions to supply more hay at night so that there is still hay left over in the morning. This really is critical to the health of your horse's stomach. It may mean that you'd have to pay for the extra hay. So, perhaps you can work this out with your barn manager.

In the meantime, I'm pleased to hear that he is able to graze 24/7. That will be the best thing for him. The regular chewing produces saliva, which acts as a natural buffer to stomach acid. And, the presence of roughage in the stomach prevents excessive acid from bathing the stomach wall.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Colorado