ReLyne vs. GutX vs. something else?

[blue_heron]

After treating my young mare for ulcers and discussing management with my vet, she recommended adding ReLyne to her diet. She already gets long stem alfalfa and Purina Outlast at each meal and as a snack before work. She lives outside and is rarely without hay. I’m exploring other reasons for the ulcers but I’m really looking for input or success stories with digestive supplements.

I investigated ReLyne and wow is it expensive, and all their veterinary research is done by the same people who developed it. This always makes me wary. Does anyone have any experience using it for a horse with a history of ulcers including pyloric?

I understand GutX is a similar formula but less concentrated and also less expensive. I’m also open to other options if anyone has had success with others.

[JB]

The 1 study on it also didn’t have a control group, so there’s that…

GutX has about 1/2 the amount of the ingredients as Relyne, and I don’t know if 2x-ing the dose just brings it up to the cost of Relyne anyway

Do you have ANY idea what brought the ulcers on? Went off to training? Some environmental change? More (or less) work?

[Simkie]

I saw zero results with GutX. They have one hell of a marketing department, but I wouldn’t try it again. If this sort of supplement is the direction you’d like to go, start with ReLyne, and see if you get the result you desire. If you do, you can decide if you want to stick it out with what you know works, or you have a variable that is measurable on a switch to another supplement.

[blue_heron]

I don’t know what exactly caused the ulcers but she’s had a ton of changes in the past year. I’ve had her about a year and she was started late last spring. We’ve had saddle fit issues the entire time I’ve had her and still struggling to find something that will work for her. At her last trim she was a bit reactive to hoof testers on the hinds so we did put shoes on her.

She is a very dominant mare, loves attention and an audience, and probably the most confident young horse I’ve ever worked with. Not the kind of horse I would suspect to have ulcers but it’s always been at the back of my mind; my vet thinks sensitivity/predisposition to ulcers is mostly genetic. At her scope the ulcers were grade 1/2. She’'s been on alfalfa since I got her and a handful of ration balancer which she was on when I got her. I was giving her aloe but thought she needed more support so I added the Outlast.

[joiedevie99]

I also saw no results with GutX. The only horse I tried ReLyne on didn’t respond to it either, but he was a problem case to start with so it’s not fair to judge on the basis of him.

[cnd8]

I had a horse that had colic episodes bi-weekly, sometimes every handful of days, etc for about 9 months before we figured out (after several thousand in vet testing) that it was an issue digesting the coastal hay he had had all his life. lol
The hospital that finally figured it out sent me home with Relyne. I can’t say I truly believe the relyne made any difference but I went through 3 gallons of it.
They then told me to keep this horse on Assure Guard Gold basically forever. I do believe this product helped greatly. He changed his personality within a week or two of having started it. I fed it to him for several years before I eventually sold him. I’m a believer.
Since his issue was more digestion related, this may not help you, but he did have stomach wall thickening we saw on both scopes we had done.

[K_VanOlst]

I believe Alimend has the same active ingredient as ReyLene and GutX? Might be a possibility.

[Texarkana]

I’m about to start a horse on Relyne. Although if she doesn’t respond, it’ll mean diddly squat as she hasn’t responded to anything.

[blue_heron]

Let me know if you notice anything. I don’t think I’ll put her on it until we’re done with ulcer treatment, so another couple of weeks.

GutX is on serious discount right now. Less than 1/2 gal of ReLyne or Alimend for a gallon.

[K_VanOlst]

@blue_heron

GutX is on serious discount right now.

That’s pretty much the standard price, the “discount” doesn’t really ever end I’m on their email list - they let me know about 1-2x a week that they’re running a “63% off sale”.

[Pippigirl]

I’m wondering if giving Lubrisyn with something like Turkey Tail Mushroom (a beta glucan source) could have similar results as ReyLene or Alimend. Lubrisyn has a high molecular weight and Alimend has Lions Mane Mushroom in it.

[randomequine]

While we never scoped so can’t be 100% sure, after two bouts of colic in quick succession, my vet recommended Assure Guard (just the Assure Guard, not the Gold which has the psyllium husk in it) – It’s changed my old man for the better. Not sure if he had ulcers, something in the hind gut, or what but so far so good (knock on wood). Bonus, it’s very palatable, which is good because it’s a lot of powder in one scoop.

[blue_heron]

My vet also included the SmartPak GI supplement and the Platinum Performance GI in her recommendations. My understanding is that these do different things than the ReLyne. She spoke highly of the ReLyne.

[Texarkana]

@Pippigirl

I’m wondering if giving Lubrisyn with something like Turkey Tail Mushroom (a beta glucan source) could have similar results as ReyLene or Alimend. Lubrisyn has a high molecular weight and Alimend has Lions Mane Mushroom in it.

I don’t know. Allegedly the source of the beta glucan impacts the effectiveness.

I’ve been supplementing with kelp hoping it might help. Nope.

[TB_Run]

RelyneGI has updated their formula 2x the Beta Glucan, dropped their price by $100 and did a double blind study with Frank Andrews at LSU, he did all the gastroguard study’s. It’s a great product. GutX doesn’t work

[Texarkana]

FWIW, I tried my mare on 30 days on the new formula of Relyne GI. Her GI problems worsened.

That’s not a reflection of the product, this has been her MO. Her reaction was similar to when I tried her on Succeed.

[blue_heron]

SmartPak just introduced their own version of RelyneGI/GutX. It looks like it also contains aloe vera and collagen.

My mare has been on the Relyne for a few weeks but has also been getting Gastrogard and sucralfate. I hate dealing with these kind of things in the spring when they start coming into heat and it’s so difficult to tell what can be contributed to being in season or gastric discomfort or whatever else could be going on.

[LittleMare]

I have two TBs with ulcers. One does great on Relyne (he turns into a raging jerk when he has ulcers, so I know it’s working for him!). The other it doesn’t seem to help. The one that doesn’t respond also still had ulcers on the KER fish oil product though. And he is out almost 24/7 with pasture and friends and alfalfa, so he’s definitely a hard case.

[joiedevie99]

@LittleMare

One does great on Relyne (he turns into a raging jerk when he has ulcers, so I know it’s working for him!). The other it doesn’t seem to help. The one that doesn’t respond also still had ulcers on the KER fish oil product though. And he is out almost 24/7 with pasture and friends and alfalfa, so he’s definitely a hard case.

Same. I did a few months of Relyne (original formula) for one of mine. Didn’t help at all - but it’s hardly the only product that didn’t help him so I’m still open on it.

I used GutX for another horse, who wasn’t anywhere near as complicated as the first, and it did nothing.

[JB]

@TB_Run

RelyneGI has updated their formula 2x the Beta Glucan, dropped their price by $100 and did a double blind study with Frank Andrews at LSU,

can you link to the study?

@TB_Run

GutX doesn’t work

But it does, for some horses.