Does my horse have ulcers
Digestive distress and dysregulation can be very subtle or it can hit you in the face like a tonne of bricks. Each horse is an individual and some show signs of extreme pain and scope with minimal ulcers, whilst others with minimal signs and have major ulcers. This possibly could be because a scope can only see so far down the intestinal tract or that ulcers that come on suddenly are more noticeably painful than those that have happened slowly over time.
How do you know if your horse has ulcers?
Remember quirky behaviour or behavioural issues can be pointing to ulcers or something much deeper and profound such as skeletal abnormalities, pain from trauma, hoof pain, dental pain - the list is ongoing!
So where to start if you suspect your horse may have digestive discomfort, disfunction, dysregulation or ulcers?
- Colicky, colic mild-severe
- Not eating well at all - especially picking at hard feeds or hay
- Dry, scraggly haircoat - even if on a 'good' supplement
- Poor hair coat or hair duller over chest than on neck and hindquarters
- Noticeably depressed
- Slow eating, sometimes walking away with out finishing meals (note PPID can have this affect also)
- Belching noises
- Poor condition - failure to put condition on
- Girthy/Cinchy
- Gradual loss of body condition
- Weight loss (over weight horses can have ulcers too - weight loss is just one symptom of many possibilities)
- Pot belly appearance
- Diarrhoea
- Resistance to grooming
- Attitude changes
- Not wanting to be caught - when usually they are easy to catch
- Teeth grinding
- Poor Athletic performance such as - unwilling to go forward, difficulty bending, unwilling to do moves that used to be easy, seeming to resist bit contact, hunchy through the back, unable to relax while ridden, cold backed, kicking out while ridden, swishing or wringing tail when ridden, trying to bite at feet especially when pressure applied to go forward and sluggishness in the muscles feeling
- Lying down more than normal
- Stress lines - extra skin wrinkles (more than 3) below the bottom eyelid and possibly the upper eyelid, may also have stress lines around their nostril area.
- Stiff neck and shoulder muscles
- Problems with carpal joints (knees) in the front leg (Small and Large Intestine meridian lines run through jaw, head, neck, shoulder and front legs)
- Problems with stifles (Stomach meridian line runs from head, jaw, neck, under belly up to last rib area and then down the front of the back legs)
- Tension in the groin muscles
- Poor appetite
- Significant increase in the production of saliva or dry mouth
- Swollen glands under the jaw bone (refer to Small, large and Stomach meridian line reference above)
- Thyroid gland problems (overweight, cresty neck, puffiness around the eyes, seems fatigued)
- Body soreness - especially over the low back/lumbar and especially unresolved
- Cribbing and/or weaving
- Sensitivity over sides, especially around last ribs
- Anxiousness - especially unresolved
- Anger, defensiveness
- Dead sided
- Pacing, walking fence line
- Butt pressed against a wall or solid structure - particularly after eating
Additional Foal symptoms
- Teeth grinding
- Intermittent colic, often after nursing or eating
- Lying on back for prolonged periods
- Nursing for only very short periods
Meridians and the digestive system
Some of the more uncommon symptoms can point to digestive dysregulation as they involve the Small, Large Intestine & Stomach meridians. They include Stiff neck + shoulders (even after regular body work), problems with stifles or knees, tension in groin area, sluggish feeling in muscles, swollen glands under jawbone and thyroid glad problems.
DIY acupuncture check points
"This video shows how to detect equine ulcers. A horse can go from having no gastric irritation to having ulcers in as little as 5 days. Dr. DePaolo's easy do-it-yourself method of palpating acupuncture points can be a great indication of the presence of painful and debilitating ulcers." Taken directly from Dr DePaolo's video:
Pericardium 1 - Where girth would sit, behind front leg level with the elbow. Be aware a horse can be reactive here if their rib is out of alignment.
CV (Conception Vessel) 17 - In middle of Sternum, just behind front legs about a hand width.
Bladder 42 - Where scapula makes 'contact' with rib cage. Will/Can also show sensitivity at base of wither.
For horses who have had ulcers for some time, this will start to radiate sensitivity in the lumbar region of the lower back.
Hindgut acidosis commonly accompanies ulcers and vice versa.
