How to help your horse recover from stomach ulcers

Stomach ulcers, or Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS), is one of the most common medical conditions in horses, affecting pleasure-riding ponies and racing-fit Thoroughbreds and every type of equine in between.

 
But just how do you treat stomach ulcers in horses without breaking the bank, or compromising your horse’s health or performance during recovery?

How can you help your horse recover from stomach ulcers?

Kelato Animal Health’s PROTEK GI is a scientifically formulated and proven supplement to help support your horse’s recovery from stomach ulcers, once treated with a vet-prescribed treatment.

Feeding PROTEK GI leads to better gut health and is ideal to use in times of stress or in the recovery period after stomach ulcers.

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

First things first, let’s talk about what EGUS actually is.

EGUS is an umbrella term for Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) and Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD) – which one your horse suffers from depends on where the ulcerations are located within the stomach.

We now know that different factors can cause the development of each type of ulcer.

As grazing animals, horses’ stomachs are meant to be constantly filled with food. But when a horse doesn't have enough to eat or isn't eating the right kind of food, stomach acid can slosh around and start to eat away at the stomach lining. This causes squamous ulcers (ESGD) which are painful and can cause all sorts of behavioral and health problems.

Stress is a major cause of glandular ulcers (EGGD) and often racehorses or competition horses confined to stables or traveling away from home suffer stress-related issues.
Symptoms for both types can be changes in behavior, such as girthiness when tacking up, and physical symptoms, such as poor appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, or colic. If left untreated, both squamous and glandular ulcers can become a chronic problem that can lead to further complications.

Initial treatment of stomach ulcers

If you think your horse could be suffering from stomach ulcers, it’s important to involve your veterinarian. The signs can vary between horses and the only way to reach a definitive diagnosis is to gastroscope the horse.
 
If the scope shows stomach ulcers, the best course of action is to treat the horse with a vet-prescribed medication, which is the most effective treatment for ulcers. Some of these medications can work by giving the ulcers an opportunity to heal by restricting acid production in the stomach.
 
After treatment has shown a clear improvement, it is the ideal time to introduce PROTEK GI to your horse’s diet. This will give the best chance of optimizing gut health, in a way that is both safe for the sensitive digestive system and easy on your pocket!
 
Preventing stomach ulcers is preferable to treating them!

How does PROTEK GI work?

PROTEK GI works on the whole digestive system and maintains a healthy environment in the all-important hindgut.
 
It all comes down to the ingredients and their role in the process. Some of them might surprise you.
 

1. Wholegrain oat flour: This helps to slow down the passage of food through the digestive system, which allows for better absorption of nutrients. This helps your horse get the most out of their food and promotes healthy digestion, which is essential for good gut health.

2. Antacids: These help to stabilize the pH in your horse's stomach, which reduces the irritation to the stomach lining caused by gastric acid (like heartburn for horses). PROTEK GI’s antacids such as sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium oxide may help to relieve some of the discomforts your horse may be experiencing.

3. Coating agents: In low-pH environments (the condition of a gut recovering from stomach ulcers) pectin forms a gel-like layer that coats the stomach lining, shielding it from the corrosive effects of gastric acids. Lecithin helps by forming a barrier between the stomach lining and acid, and the two work perfectly together in combination with the antacids to create an ‘Alkaline Slime’ - promoting a healthy, robust stomach lining.

4. Prebiotics: These are well-known must-haves in looking after gut health, and have many benefits, such as stabilizing the hindgut microflora balance in favor of good bacteria and strengthening the gut’s natural defenses.

5. Probiotics: These are also well-known in healthy gut optimization. PROTEK GI contains Levucell® SC, a natural, concentrated live yeast that helps to maintain a healthy environment in the hindgut. This then helps to stabilize the pH in the hindgut, which reduces the amount of lactic acid produced, which in turn, improves your horse’s feed conversion efficiency.

PROTEK GI can save you money!

When your horse’s gut health is optimized, a little feed goes a long way. So, by adding PROTEK GI to your horse’s diet, his feed conversion efficiency goes up.
 
Optimized feed conversion = Less wastage = Money saved.
 
PROTEK GI isn't just about the ingredients, it's also super easy to use. Simply add the recommended dosage to your horse's feed.
 
By slowing down the digestive process, stabilizing pH levels, coating the stomach lining, strengthening the gut’s natural defenses, and maintaining a healthy hindgut environment, PROTEK GI can help support your horse’s gut, especially if they have a history of ulcers. 

What next?
You can find out more about PROTEK GI and other interesting articles HERE.
 
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To Note
If your horse has been diagnosed with gastric ulcers, it's important to work with your veterinarian to develop a treatment plan. This may include medication, dietary changes, and other measures.

But by adding PROTEK GI to your horse's diet, you can help support their recovery and improve their overall health and well-being.