Hello! I have a 8 year old gelding that was scoped and diagnosed with gastric ulcers in october. I have him on XTN right now and he has the winter off from barrel racing. I have been hearing so much controversy that I just do not know what to do. I read in panthlets advertising about XTN that it is great for gastric ulcers. Then I keep hearing that it is a high startch feed. Then I hear it is a low startch feed. Which I know you want to feed a low startch feed to a horse with ulcers, but it was advertised as being good like I said for ulcered horses low starch high fiber feed. Then I hear that its not from other sources because it has oats in it. Also it is grain based the first few ingredants are whole oats, brewers rice, flaked barley, dehulled soybean meal, rice brand... I hear it is 25% startch. Is this true and is that bad? I also heard that you should not be feeding molasses to ulcered horses, which XTN has in it. I guess I am just confused as to what I should be feeding. I also heard I should be feeding an equine senior feed because it is easier to digest for example triple crowns senior feed. How do you feed about that? How much does that differ from the XTN? Thanks so much for your advice,
Jamie L.

Where are you from? wisconsin

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Jamie,

Wow -- a lot of back of forth on that one! OK, let me help you set the record straight, and make it real simple.

You're right -- a low starch (and a low sugar) diet is best for horses with ulcers because starch and sugar increase the formation of stomach acid. It also decreases the pH of the hind gut, so that, too, is not a good idea.

So, you want to go with a low starch feed. XTN is not a good choice. And TC Senior is lower in starch but is still not the best idea.

So, since you have access to Triple Crown, go with TC Low Starch, or TC Lite. Either of these will be fine.

Also, offer hay and/or pasture 24/7. It's important to not let him run out of hay -- he needs to be able to graze/nibble at all times to produce saliva (that neutralizes stomach acid).

And, finally, add Ration Plus to his diet. This will help him heal and keep his digestive system working properly.

Keep me posted!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thanks for your reply! I was feeding xtn because this horse is my barrel horse and gets worked pretty hard in the spring, summer, and fall with winters off. Lately, because he is at rest in his pasture for his ulcers to heal, I am feeding XTN about 3 pounds a day. So when I start conditioning and running him again this spring and have his ulcers under control with the proper diet do you think it would be ok to put him back gradually on xtn or stay on triple crown low starch. I would have to feed more of the triple crown and a little less of the XTN when he is performing agian. Do you think the TC low starch is good enough for a performance horse? Also do you think I need to add extra fat or fiber for energy or to maintain his condition while running him? I am just wondering if tc low starch is enough of a feed for a performance horse with out having to add supplements? I know when I talked to a tc nurtition rep she said I would be better off with the senior feed because of the fat, thats how i got the idea to feed the senoir feed while he is being ran. Which I heard of people feeding it to ulcered horses but I would reather feed the low starch from tc. Also one last thing I want to keep my feed program simple, do you think it would be ok to feed the tc low starch to a 7 month old weanling. How much would I start out feeding once they are switched over to the weanling and my other horses weighing aprox. 900 pounds? Thanks again! Jamie

Where are you from? wisconsin

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Jamie,

For a performance horse, I would suggest Purina Ultium, since it is low in starch (which is better for ulcers) and is higher in fat and extra nutrients.

The TC low starch is fine for your yearling, but you may want to also add some alfalfa to the meal. I would suggest following the guidelines on the bag regarding the amount to feed. I generally do not make specific suggestions on feeding amounts unless I have an opportunity to go over your horses entire diet, health, history, and lifestyle, which I do during phone visits.

I hope this is helpful.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thanks agian for replying! SO I can feed the tc low starch to a weanling. A rep I talked to at tc said it would be fine to but she suggested a growth feed. What are your thoughts on that vs. the low starch? Do you mean alfalfa cubes for protein? I guess I am kind of disapointed in the XTN feed because when I talked to a representative the other day about the feed and ulcers he said it was formulated for performance horses with digestive upsets and ulcers. I asked him why they put oats in it because they are bad for ulcers and he said it was because the whole oat doesnt digest as fast as a rolled or crimped oats keeping acid down. BUT in reality I heard over and over how bad the oats are for the gastric ulcer and I just can't beleive they would sell it advertising it was good for ulcers. Have you heard about this??

Where are you from? wisconsin

How did you locate this forum? google

or should I just skip the low starch formula and feed ultuim to my ulcer horse even though he is on maintanence until april them he will get conditioned again for the spring? Is there that big of a difference between ultuim and tc low starch? Also then feed safe choice to my foal?

Where are you from? wisconsin

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Jamie,

I'm sorry -- I must have misread your earlier post and thought I read "yearling" when you had, in fact, written "weanling." The TC low starch is not the best idea for a weanling. You would be better off going with the TC Growth formula. It does contain some oats, but it is not particularly high in starch.

You're right about avoiding oats for horses with ulcers. If the XTN has whole oats, they will not produce the increase in stomach acid as much as the crimped or rolled oats, but this can be a real problem. That's because, whole oats are not well digested in the small intestine since they have a fibrous hull on the outside. So, then what happens? They end up in the hind gut where the bacteria have a party with them and the result is often laminitis.

So, you are wise to avoid this feed, even if there was no ulcer involved.

So, you can stick with the Ultium and the Growth formula for your youngster. But, if after a few months, your horse still has symptoms of an ulcer, let's get together and plan a more aggressive treatment in order to work toward healing the damaged digestive tract. Just let me know if I can assist you further.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thanks again for your advice. Iam excited to ty the ultuim because I have heard a lot of good about it. yeah, Iam going to get him the gastrogard treatment, but I want to give him some time off since it is winter and all with the proper diet and 24/7 access to hay first and see how he does first.

Where are you from? wisconsin

How did you locate this forum? google

One last thing what do you think of the biotin issue that ultuim has. there is no added biotin unlike xtn and triple crown. Do you think that is something to consider, and ultuim I noticed doesnt have the added Vitamins that xtn and tc have. What is the reason for this? Does this make tc an xtn a more complete balanced feed?

Where are you from? wisconsin

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Jamie,

Let me address two things.

First, regarding the use of gastrogard for an ulcer. This is a helpful treatment for the short term. It prevents the secretion of stomach acid, so that the stomach lining can heal. However, for the long term, it is really not advisable. Stomach acid is necessary to help destroy bacteria, parasites, spores, etc. that your horse picks up in his feed. So, I see a lot of secondary infections from using this medication.

The best way to manage an ulcer is to cure it, rather than treat it. There are several ways to go about this, depending on the situation. So, I can help you put together a plan to work over the long term to help your horse recover from this painful and dangerous disorder.

Regarding the supplementation in complete rations... Ultium does not contain the same level of vitamins and minerals as other feeds do. And, this is the problem with commmerical feeds. I generally prefer to mix a few simple ingredients, and then add the appropriate supplements. I like to add a good vitamin/mineral supplement and specific nutrients that meet the individual needs of the horse. For example, performance horses require at least 2000 IU of vitamin E per day. No commercial ration contains this much. So, you end up "supplementing the supplement" and this can be risky, certainly expensive, and sometimes it can create imbalances (especially with minerals).

So, what I do for my clients is customize a feeding plan that will be specific to their horses' needs. I know it's so much easier to just open a bag and scoop out the feed, but it really is a "one size fits all" situation, and all horses are individuals.

Ultium is a good feed, but like all commerical rations, it has its limitations.

Please take a look at my "Talk to Dr. Getty" page and let's consider working together on your horse's health.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO