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Natural Remedies For Ulcers In Horses

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We found a great tutorial about natural remedies used to combat (gastric) ulcers in horses. The link follows after our introduction to the topic.

Ulcer is a disease that is not only common in humans; it can also be diagnosed in horses. According to research, ulcer occurs in 50-90% of the population depending on the type of physical activities which the horses are into, as well as the population surveyed. ^[1]

Sometimes referred to as equine gastric ulcer disease or equine gastric ulcer syndrome, ulcer is a condition that can occur to horses of all ages. Even horses aging two days old can be affected. In fact, they are more susceptible to this illness because they are already capable of producing gastric acid which contains relatively high level of acidity.

Among the older horses, the prevalence of the condition is relatively high for horses that engage in athletic activities. The question now is, why does ulcer appear in horses?

Examining the horse’s stomach, you’ll see that it is relatively small compared to that of other animals. Thus, they tend to eat less but more frequently. The stomach of the horse is divided into two parts, the glandular and the non-glandular portions. On the non-glandular portion, there are glandular tissues which produce pepsin and hydrochloric acid. These enzymes play vital roles in food digestion. When a horse is deprived from eating, the level of hydrochloric acid in the stomach increases, and this could be the start of ulcer. ^[2]

There are various factors which can trigger the onset of ulcer in horses. These triggering factors may include fasting, the type of feed, amount of exercise, medications. The most common clinical signs associated with horse ulcer include poor appetite, attitude changes, dullness, loose feces, low grade colic, poor hair coat, reluctance to train, poor body condition, decreased performance and weight loss. ^[3]

To address ulcer in horses, numerous drugs have been formulated. Generally, these drugs work by altering the chemical and biological processes that are taking place in the gut in order to promote healing. In addition to chemical based pharmaceuticals, natural remedies have become very handy, and have been considered safe in dealing with ulcer in horses. Among the wonder herbs which are believed to be useful in treating ulcer include slippery elm, aloe vera, and licorice.

To discover more information about the components as well as the mechanisms on how these herbs work on treating ulcer in horses, here’s the link to the full tutorial: http://thenaturallyhealthyhorse.com/natural-ulcer-treatments-horses/

References:
[1] http://www.thehorse.com/articles/30850/diagnosing-and-treating-gastric-ulcers-in-horses
[2] http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?d=508&articleid=1587
[3] http://www.thehorse.com/articles/30850/diagnosing-and-treating-gastric-ulcers-in-horses