Treating your horse's hindgut ulcers holistically will not just address the existing problem, it will it will help prevent them from returning. This is particularly important with horses - showing that ulcers can develop in a damaged digestive system in under 12 hours.

Research has shown the best way for treating hindgut ulcers is a four-pronged approach- medication, diet, lifestyle and probiotics.

 

Medication: Sucralfate

Sucralfate is a wonderful product for treating hindgut ulcers.

Sucralfate works differently than omeprazole, which is used to treat gastric ulcers.  Rather than reducing acid production, like omeprazole, sucralfate is a coating agent.  Sucralfate forms a viscous substance when exposed to an acidic environment.  This substance coats the lining of the stomach and intestine, as well as filling in and protecting the lesions created by ulcers.

Once coated, hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach can no longer cause further damage.  Sucralfate lasts approximately 6-8 hours, so multiple doses are needed in order for your horse to be protected throughout the entire day.

You can purchase sucralfate easily and affordably (compared with vet prices anyway!) from our website. No prescription is needed.

Diet can keep your horse ulcer free

Dietary changes might be necessary in order to keep your horse ulcer free. 

Creating a feeding regime similar to their natural environment by increasing the amount of forage offered, and reducing the amount of carbohydrate rich grains, will help to create a less acidic environment in your horse’s gut.

Make lifestyle adjustments to reduce stress

A stressed horse produces cortisol which lowers the production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins protect the digestive mucosa - and without them present the mucosal lining (stomach lining) is easily damaged from the high acid in the stomach environment.

This process happens much faster than you might think.

Common ways to alleviate stress are to increase turnout, minimise travel, consider a spell period & ensure the horse always has company.

Probiotics

Probiotics to your horse’s diet will provide needed beneficial bacteria in an environment that has been disrupted. Studies have shown that probiotics can improve the healing time of ulcers.

Intestinal bacteria can be dramatically altered by many factors: deworming, vaccinations, antibiotics, parasitic infestations, starch/sugar overload, and stress.  Adding a probiotic of at least 20 billion CFU (colony forming units) helps restore beneficial bacteria,  allowing t food to be fully digested and fermented in the hind gut.

Probiotics with enteric coating are required, so the bacteria can survive until they are digested.

You can purchase probiotics, known as AbActive and sucralfate known as AbSucralfate from our website here. Visit the Shop Page here.