Platinum GI vs alternatives?

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

My 2 older (coming 26 and coming 21) geldings were diagnosed with Fecal Water Syndrome (new problem for me) and I think we’re getting it under control by increasing beet pulp and grain and adding in soaked timothy cubes, so they’re eating less long-stem forage. And Bio-Sponge, which the older guy has been on for years because of diarrhea (different from the FWS). When I was on the phone with the Platinum folks ordering more Bio-Sponge, I mentioned the FWS and the rep offered to send me some Platinum GI to try. I have 15 days worth for the 2 horses.

The stuff does look like it’s chock full o’ goodness, but the price! It would cost me (if I’m dong the math right) close to $200/month plus shipping to keep both of them on it.

Is it really that much better than similar products?

[ParadiseHorses]

My older horse had those sloppy squirts before and after releasing the manure. Constantly coated butt and legs. We went thru it for about 3 months with me trying everything I could think of to stop it. I then tried Platinum Performance GI. It did nothing for about 3 days and I thought I had wasted some more money. Then gradually over about 2 weeks his manure began to look normal. I told him his poopy was beautiful! I kept him on it about a month and gradually weaned him off. We both are glad for no more rinsing those legs in cold weather too!

[IPEsq]

It is good stuff. But for your purposes, you can save a lot of money by buying the Platinum Balance part of it alone.

[SugarCubes]

I just tried Platinum Balance for a month and saw no change so just started my older horse on PP GI yesterday. So far, he’s not a fan and isn’t finishing his grain. For the price, I hope the pickiness disappears in the next day or two! Can’t report on how well it works yet, but I’ve tried Smart Digest Ultra, U-Gard, Probios, and Digest More prior to trying the Platinum Performance products and none of them made a difference. Fingers crossed the PP GI is the answer!

[IPEsq]

SugarCubes, PP GI is just the regular PP v/m supp plus Platinum Balance. It was a common mix in Platinum Paks and for bulk orders, so they decided to just make a bucket with the blend.

Another alternative I like is HorseTech’s Gutwerks. I sometimes double up between that and the PP GI when there’s any chance my horse’s delicate gut might be upset, like with these crazy weather swings we get, shift to a different stack of hay, etc.

[SugarCubes]

@IPEsq

SugarCubes, PP GI is just the regular PP v/m supp plus Platinum Balance. It was a common mix in Platinum Paks and for bulk orders, so they decided to just make a bucket with the blend.

Another alternative I like is HorseTech’s Gutwerks. I sometimes double up between that and the PP GI when there’s any chance my horse’s delicate gut might be upset, like with these crazy weather swings we get, shift to a different stack of hay, etc.

I don’t think PP contains Bio-Sponge, does it? The GI contains everything Platinum Balance does, plus Bio-Sponge…I could be confused though, I’ve looked at a million gut supplements in the past couple of months.

[IPEsq]

Oh interesting, I didn’t know it had BioSponge, but I guess you are right! I used to have the equine wellness + balance in Paks and they automatically switched me over to GI telling me it was the same thing. I can’t say I’ve noticed any difference, and I’m about done with my bucket that lasts about 10 weeks.

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

Yes, the GI label says it has Bio-Sponge in it, but I can’t tell from the ingredients on the GI bucket how much it has. Unless I missed it, neither “Bio-Sponge” nor the “sumthin-sumthin-smectite” that is Bio-Sponge is listed in the GI ingredients.

We tried - on my vet’s recommendation - the Platinum Balance for a week or two and it did nothing. At that point, my vet called her internal medicine pal, who siad it was almost certainly Fecal Water Syndrome, and to cut down the long-stem forage.

Then, as I said above, when I was on the phone with Platinum, they offered a trial of GI. Who am I to turn down free supplements?

But by that time, I had upped their grain and beet pulp and started them on soaked timothy pellets twice a day, hoping to reduce the amount of hay they were eating. And… <fingers crossed> that seems to have worked. I’ve been slowing cutting back the Bio-Sponge (down to 2 scoops a day from 4), and the younger of the two has been butt-crust free for several days. The older still has a little, but MUCH less than before.

FWIW, before the vet asked me to try the Balance, I had put them on Adeptus Invigor, also with no results.

[IPEsq]

I just got a new bucket today, and it is on the ingredients. Not on the guaranteed analysis part but the full ingredients list. It’s towards the end, so my guess is there isn’t much per serving.