What Kinda Stress Could They Possibly be Suffering From??!?

So Jack's back on ulcer medicine - Ranitidine 11 tabs twice a day. He was treated about half a year ago when he started showing signs of gastric ulcers i.e. grinding his teeth, weight loss, dull coat, picking at feed. One month of Ranitidine and he improved tremendously. Lately though, his mood has been awful (down right grumpy!! Way out of character for him!), coat very dull and he's getting very thin. So back on Ranitidine two days ago and already I see a difference in his coat and attitude!

Max is also on Ranitidine twice a day since his episode with what appeared to have been gastric ulcers, although we never made it as far to get the endoscopy. The Gastrogard we gave him for a week and a half seemed to cure him of what ever it was he was suffering from.

To get the horses to take the eleven pills twice a day is not that easy. You can't just ram them down their throat like you might do with a dog. Twice each day I have to:

• Grind the pills in a mortar and pestle
• Soak the grinds in hot water to dissolve
• mix in 1/4 cup molasses, grated carrots and apples
• the above mixture is then added to soaked beet pulp & alfalfa pellets
• then add Biotin Plus (for coat & hooves)
• and Probiotics

Phew!! And all I had to do to get my kids to take their medicine was have the pharmacist add bubblegum flavor!!!

Horse People! Any Idea What's Wrong with this Horse?

Yes, this looks like your standard case of colic, and he certainly is suffering from some sort of major stomach ache, but I don't think this is your typical "colic".

This horse does not have a history of colic.


Max is a 20 yr. old American Saddlebred; he's been in my care for 8 yrs. Prior to that, he was a lesson horse at L.A. Equestrian Center (or so I'm told). He's had a nice cushy life with me; I've used him on lazy trail rides, and low key arena work - he's high spirited and an alpha horse. Until recently, he was on Bermuda grass and Creekside Life Stages only. With the coming of Joanna the Holistic Natural Hoof Practitioner, his diet has been modified gradually over time to cut out sugars, and move more towards formulating for specific dietary needs, i.e. still mostly Bermuda grass with a mash of soaked beet pulp, biotin, sea kelp, Red Cell.

It started about three weeks ago...



He was out for a lesson and something just wasn't right - he's a fast, forward moving horse, and that day he was notably slow, sluggish...off!

He was put on paddock rest and observed. He hung his head and licked his lips alot. Doctor called out; vital signs all checked out good.

Within a few days, green snot began running out his left nostril. His stance was odd - he stood with his nose almost on the ground with his head tilted to one side. Doctor called out; again all vital signs checked out good, sinuses not terrible congested; and he was put on sulfur based antibiotic SMZ (Sulfamethoxazole 800 mg and Trimethoprim 160 mg) 16 tablets twice a day. In a few days, the green rheumy nose cleared up, but his stance got worse. His eating was off, he began to go down and lay completely flat several times a day. He was still passing good manure and still eating alittle.

Doctor called out; took a blood sample on June 1st (Max had hepatitis about three years ago with similar symptoms); I'm thinking maybe he has hepatitis again, 'coz he's just not getting any better! We got the results the same day - all blood levels normal! Vital signs still normal; gut sounds still fairly normal - considering he's now not eating and looking very gaunt! Doctor thinks maybe ulcers.

On June 2nd, yesterday, we started dosing Gastroguard. This video was taken today, after a second dose of Gastroguard. No improvement in his condition. He's up and down like this several times an hour; and stands with his head to the ground, tilted to one side. Not eating - no manure at all today.

I gave him Banamine tonight after calling the doctor; tomorrow we will oil him. I'm wondering if there is such a thing as chronic colic and if so, what causes it, or more importantly, how do you control it?

Has anybody had similar symptoms with a horse? And what did you do about it? It doesn't really seem like a standard colic, but what else is there that manifests like this?

Update on Max

Test results on Max's blood work show no abnormalities; liver looks good, so not hepatitis. We're going to try Gastroguard for ulcers.
Max looks awful - he's up, then down completely supine, 2o times a day. He's not eating. Stomping. Looks very gaunt! I hope this Gastroguard works.