Has the behavior of your horse suddenly changed? 

A change in appetite, lethargy, reluctance to work and increased sensitivity can all be a sign of equine ulcers.

Equine ulcer relief doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive and there are a few things that you can try which don’t require a vet visit.

 

Symptoms of Ulcers

  • Girthiness
  • Irritability
  • Bloating in stomach 
  • Poor performance
  • Unexpected weight loss
  • Pain back
  • Dull coat

 

 

The cause of ulcers

The most common cause of ulcers is thought to be stress or certain foods, but researchers found that ulcers are also caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 

 

The types of ulcers

There are two main types of ulcers: 

  • Foregut or gastric ulcers
  • Hindgut ulcers

Gastric ulcers are in your horse's stomach while hind gut ulcers (colonic) are in the horse's colon. A horse may have one type of ulcer, or both. The symptoms can be similar so how can you tell if your horse has one over another?

 

Treatment for ulcers

 Omeprazole is usually the first step. Omeprazole can be purchased here without a prescription and it is used for foregut ulcers. You can treat your horse with it for 7 days and if the symptoms improve, then you can assume that your horse had foregut ulcers and continue with treatment for a minimum of 28 days.

If the symptoms do not subside, you can now try treating for hindgut ulcers.

If you determine that the horse is suffering from hindgut ulcers, a product called Sucralfate can also be purchased online for treating the condition. Owners might choose to treat both fore and hindgut ulcers simultaneously, which is an easy and affortable option with our 30 Day Ulcer Bundle.