Re: RC: Ulcers in horses

[Vallonelee@aol.com]

My mare was diagnosed with ulcers a few years back.  She had been doing slow 
25s and is a very laid back horse.  She was a picky eater on the rides and I 
always figured it was her learning curve.  At her 5th 25 mile ride she 
stopped dead in her tracks on the trail and tried to lay down.  Classic colic 
symptoms, pawing the ground, biting her side and trying to lay down.  I hand 
walked her to the vet check where she proceeded to guzzle water and dive into 
the hay.  The vets could find nothing wrong with her.  I pulled and brought 
her home.  She rested for a week and then on a short training ride she 
returned with the same symptoms.  I trailered her to an equine hospital and 
they did the dreaded (and expensive) endoscope and there it was.  She was 
treated for three weeks with Carafate and Cimetidine and rescoped.   Then 
another three weeks of treatment.  She is fine now and has gone on to do more 
rides and even graduated to 50s.  

We never discovered what caused the ulcer.  She had none of the environmental 
factors that would lead you to believe she would be a candidate.  That I know 
of she has not had a recurrence.  

Needless to say I am very concerned about any horse that is not eating at a 
ride.  The vet said that the higher concentration of stomach acid during that 
ride is what caused her symptoms.  As she trotted along the acid was 
splashing around on the already sore stomach wall and caused her pain and 
colic symptoms.  I will let her eat anything just to keep something in her 
stomach now.

Sorry this got so long.  Hope it helps.

Lee
Kaci (sure glad my tummy is better)
Boogie (Mom I had enough to eat, really!)
Bravo (you going to finish that?)


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