I tried the aloe vera juice on some suspected ulcers and didn’t see any differences after a month. Switched to U-gard and Smartgut and the horse’s weight picked up quickly and he seemed happier.
There are some studies out there that support the use of aloe vera juice to prevent and help treat (it coats the ulcers, there-by allowing them to heal). Usually at least 60cc twice daily. Having spent some time in TX, many of the vets do treat ulcers down there with aloe and have great success. It is commercially sold in the UK now as a treatment and preventive. Gastroguard (a proton pump inhibitor) is a wonderful, but expensive product and like any other drug, it can be overused (it doesn’t just effect the proton pump of cells in the stomach) and has been found to have some unfortunate side-effects if used for longer then the recommended duration (has now been proven to induce right dorsal colon ulcers, if used for too long). Ranitidine/cimetadine are both H2 blockers and can be used to help decrease production of gastric acid, but they do not coat/soothe the ulcers. You need to use sulcrafate or aloe to do that and thus see a difference in your horse quickly as they will be in less pain as they heal. Many vets will treat with one or more of these products to get the best effects. Diet change can also help in healing and prevention. Alfalfa (high Ca content) can help lower gastric pH and corn oil can help coat healing ulcers. Less grain, continual grazing and a less stressful environment can all help and are important in further prevention. Please be sure to consult your vet, especially when using prescription products.
[QUOTE=Duff;4576397]
I have used it successfully. The vet had me give 3/4 cup am. and pm. with grain. Every 10 days you stop for 2-3 days. The juice has the effect of cooling the stomach down and you don’t want it to get too cool. Good luck![/QUOTE]
I hadn’t heard this. My horse has been living on aloe juice as a preventative measurement after some tummy issues this summer. A lot of commercial supplements have aloe in them and they get fed every day. Did your vet recommend this?
Can you provide this “proof”?
Diet change can also help in healing and prevention. Alfalfa (high Ca content) can help lower gastric pH…
Don’t you mean “raise” the pH?
…and corn oil can help coat healing ulcers.
Corn oil does no such thing.
I used it on my horse for awhile, no earth-shattering results but seemed to help a bit. My issue was that I did not have a way to keep it refrigerated and worried that it might spoil in the summer.
If you treat your horse with Gastro Gaurd and your horse doesn’t heal - Merial will reimburse you, or provide more GG free of charge. You must have all the documentations and scopes to prove this, however.
GG is real and it works.
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Is it OK to give Aloe Vera juice along with GGuard?
My boy was just scoped for ulcers and is on GGuard for the 28 day cycle. We are into the second week. After that he will go on Ranitidine.
I just want to make sure it’s OK to do both and that the Aloe Vera juice in no way changes the effectiveness of the GGuard.
I’ll call my vet in the AM just but be sure but thought I’d throw the question out there.
Mine is on both, the vet knows this. They are not totally endorsing the Aloe, but it makes me happier, yet they are not saying do not use it.
Duff- what does your horse weigh approximately? My mare is about 850#ish so wondering if the same dose will work for her too?.. Thanks so much for your clear answer lol I was getting lost there for a sec 😘
i went down the aloe vera path and did not see any results. My horse was on a generous amount twice a day for months and it made no difference. I know other people swear by it but it did not help my guy, who did end up having ulcers. I asked my vet about aloe vera as well and she said she didn’t think it did much if anything. It might help with mild stomach upset but in her experience doesn’t make a dent in even mild ulcers.
I also tried the whole “treat as a test” thing for ulcers. My horse showed no response to 8 days of full tube gastrogard, and no response to 2 months of Smartgut combined with management changes. I thought b/c of this he didnt have ulcers-- wrong. Scoped him months later and he did have ulcers, proving I wasted hundreds of dollars and months of time on half-ass treatments.
When I treated him with a heavy treatment plan, it took about 2.5 weeks for him to show any improvement at all. If you suspect ulcers, either scope or just do a full 30 day treatment.
