Budget-friendly Gastric Support (Under $30/mo)

[anon86262677]

Yes, another ulcer/gastric support thread!

I have read through many, many threads here on COTH regarding ulcer prevention and treatment. But, I have a very specific question.

I just purchased a new horse (yay!) He is definitely an internalizer/worrier. He doesn’t have a history of ulcers diagnosed by scope, but his former owner kept him on UGard powder or pellets. For some reason, I have never been a big fan of UGard.

I’m on a very tight budget, and want to continue to provide him with some sort of gastric support. If budget were no consideration, I would most likely go with Succeed or Equine Elixirs’ Ulceraser. But I would like to keep the price under $30/month. I am considering something natural that I could buy in bulk, like oat flour or aloe juice. But a budget-friendly equine specific supplement would be easier and more convenient.

So, wise folks of COTH - what do you recommend?

[mmeqcenter]

I liked Uckele G.U.T. when I used it. Ultimately I decided that switching to a grain without corn and molasses and providing alfalfa hay cubes in addition to free choice grass hay was a better option.

Congratulations on your new horse!

[bugsynskeeter]

UltraCruz Equine Aloe Vera pellets are $32.95 for a 64 day supply or $74.95 for a 162 day supply.
https://www.scahealth.com/scah/product/ultracruz-equine-aloe-vera

I have samples of the Aloe Vera available - just PM me.

[reefy]

I keep my sensitive TB on G.U.T. - he’s been on it for at least 3 years. It’s a powder but flavored with something yummy (smells like toasted marshmallow to me!) and he licks his bucket clean. It’s under your budget and I’ve been very happy with the results thus far.

[cnd8]

If it worked for the previous owner, I’d use the Ugard. It’s cheap.

[Simkie]

Another vote for the GUT from Uckele.

But it might be cheaper to figure out why he’s prone to upset and fix that instead.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

Another vote for GUT from Uckele. Worked great for mine after ulcer treatment.

[Palm_Beach]

@Alter_native2018

He is definitely an internalizer/worrier. He doesn’t have a history of ulcers diagnosed by scope

But a budget-friendly equine specific supplement would be easier and more convenient.

So, wise folks of COTH - what do you recommend?

Well, this has my name written all over it! First off, congratulations on your new horse! There is a rule here that you MUST post pictures of any new horse. We will let you slide for a day or so. I have wonderful and cheap solutions for you. A internalize/worrier needs desensitizing to help him find his calm happy place. Otherwise they let that worry build up, and you do end up with behavior issues and/or ulcers. So, a regular desensitizing program, which you can do yourself, would really help him. It will also help him settle into his new home, and when you start taking him places to do fun things, he is a nice well behaved horse because you have tools to help him settle down and do his best in new places.

The next thing is to have forage in front of him 24/7. You don’t want him to go for long periods of time with nothing to eat. If he is an easy keeper, use slow feed nets and a muzzle so he can eat all day and not gain too much weight. This is the #1 most important thing for gut health. Try these things first before spending money on a pricey supplement that has little to no research to support claims to prevent ulcers. And don’t forget - pictures!!!

[FoxHunter2015]

I like SmartDigest. It has helped my sensitive gelding.

[greysfordays]

I agree with Palm Beach that access to hay all day is super helpful. I would also add a flake of alfalfa, ideally a bit before you ride or do any stressful activities. The buffering can really help the gut tremendously.

[Pico_Banana]

I’ve tried a number of different ulcer-prevention type supps with my mare – Smart GI Ultra, Outlast, my own combo of flax/pumpkin seeds/SmartDigest Ultra, etc. None of them seemed to do much good and she’s been on meds for much of the time that I’ve owned her (gastrogard/sulcralfate/misoprostal/nexium). We are once again in the “wait 4 weeks on no meds before we scope again” phase and on a whim I tried the Redmond Daily Gold Stress Relief supplement, which is really just bentonite clay. To my surprise, it seems to be having an effect on her in the form of less girthiness. We are still in early stages so too soon to draw a real conclusion, but you might consider it. And it’s super cheap – maybe $15/month or so.

Good luck!

[DunByMistake]

I’ve had really good success with hemp products from Elite Three. My gelding went from extremely ulcer prone, struggling with weight and consistently soft, runny poops to gaining weight, solid poop and able to move to a different boarding situation without needing ulcer meds - which was basically a miracle. I had him on an Equishure type product for 2 years prior to starting Elite Three and assumed he would need to be on it for the rest of his life.

[ASB_Stars]

Alfalfa is the gold standard for gut health. Period.

Having said that, I used generic Tums on a horse with tummy issues for a long time, and he really did well. YMMV.

[pony_baloney]

I had my horse on U-Gard and recently switched to SP’s Leg Up Stomach and they work just as well, and you only give it once a day. Cheaper than U-Gard and with larger amounts of same ingredients.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/leg-up-stomach-pellets-13231

[joiedevie99]

My vet recommends one of two products after finishing ulcer treatment and getting a clean scope, to prevent recurrences. One is Platinum Performance GI and the other is Purina Outlast. These are secondary to a good, minimized stress, and lots of turnout though, and 24/7 access to hay, in a slow feed net if necessary.

[CatPS]

I’ve heard good things from ppl I respect about aloe juice for gastric support.

U-gard is basically just an antacid. I kept my most recent horse on it the whole time I owned him as he had a lot of risk factors for ulcers, and I think it helped. I believe the powder or liquid are supposed to be more effective than the pellets, but I fed pellets bc I couldn’t deal with the mess of the other two

[BabyDentist2021]

Just finished GastroGard treatment and have started my mare on U-Gard 2x a day and 1/2 cup of Aloe Vera 2x a day. I buy a gallon of Aloe Vera at Walmart - it’s around $7 and lasts about a month. I like the combination because U-Gard is an antacid and Aloe Vera coats the mucosa a bit. I’m not a huge fan of hay nets so she’s continuing to get a mix of hay and alfalfa on the ground but keeping a small hole hay net full in her stall as a back up if she runs out of hay on the ground. Before working her I give her about a pound of alfalfa cubes/pellets ($12 for a 50 lb bag) and about 10 tums. Before a stressful event such as trailering or a major temperature swing I’ll give her 1/4 tube of UlcerGard.

[PNWjumper]

Another super cheap thing you can add to his diet is Apple Cider Vinegar. I’ve given my ulcer prone horses 1 oz in AM and PM grain for a long time at the recommendation of my vet. I’ve always had some other supplements (SmartDigest Ultra for a long time, and more recently Ulcer Eraser and a THE Equine Edge product called Gastro Plus), so I can’t say whether the ACV has made a huge impact on its own, but in the early days of ulcer diagnosis with my TB my vet suggested both ACV and Aloe Vera Juice. And then I’ve always fed a flake of alfalfa a day to my ulcery horses.

[lovezehorses]

I have been feeding Slippery Elm Bark and tried Marshmallow root straight into the feed. They are both main ingredient in most natural ulcer supplements and just cheaper to buy the herbs myself. I feed just a small scoop (usually 1 tbsp). I love it as a preventative!

[anon86262677]

Thank you, wise folks of COTH. Many good suggestions here. Much to ponder. I have my homework cut out for me!