[GallopingGrape]

UPDATE!! sEE LAST THREAD.

I'm moving this thread from Endurance to here.
This boarder's horse was broght to my farm 3 months ago. He was dead dead quiet. Could shoot a gun off and he wouldn't even flinch. Very curious, would walk straight up to a running tractor, bobcat, machinery, nothing phased him. Would rather sleep than anything.... over the last few weeks, he's become suddenly very spooky, nervous and generally a nervous wreck. He'll spoke and bolt, run you over and ask questions later. He will bolt at a car coming down the driveway??

I've noticed he is the last in the herd to see me coming. When I walk across the field, the goat always sees me before the horse does. He has cataracks and I know that impairs his vision, but could his vision decrease that rapidly over the last month to make such a dramatic effect on his personality?

Besides vision, is there anything else that would explain a dead broke child's horse to become a nervous, spooky, dangerous wreck?

[Simkie]

Have you read Auventura's post about her endurance horse that was super spooky due to raging gastric ulcers? Let me see if I can find it for you.

Ah-ha. Here it is: http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum...d.php?t=165606

Might be a good idea to scope him, or try gastrogard for a few weeks.

[ExJumper]

Hearing, maybe? But vision sounds like a pretty good bet.

[Calamber]

Yes about the vision question and spooking/nervous wreck. Some horses just cannot tolerate losing their vision and it can deteriorate that quickly. Can boarder have a vet to look at the eyes to see if there is a possibility that there is also increased pain from the cataracts?

[GallopingGrape]

Oh, the ulcers could be the answer. Stress from the move, his new pasture mates beating him up, he was also just put on bute daily about 5 weeks ago... all could definitely lead to ulcers. Yep, we had the eyes checked and I just started giving him eye drops, but the vet didn't think his vision had changed that dramatically from his last visit. (He knew the horse previously)

[GallopingGrape]

Wow, Gastroguard is $33 a tube... and you feed one tube per day??? Has anyone found a cheaper alternative?

[Simkie]

Wow, Gastroguard is $33 a tube... and you feed one tube per day??? Has anyone found a cheaper alternative?

There is nothing else proven to heal equine gastric ulcers.

You can try www.ponymeds.com or compounded omeprazole, but it's a gamble if it will work or not. Compounded omeprazole did nothing for my horse.

If you can dose 3 times a day, Ranitadine will help. It won't heal the ulcers, but will reduce acid in the stomach.

There are also various OTC remedies, which sometimes help, but are not proven to heal (well, not proven to do anything, actually) but may make the horse more comfortable or help ulcers from returning after they've been treated.

[Calamber]

There are others but Gastroguard is the best and as far as I am concerned, the only way if they are severe which it sounds like this one is if the vet has looked at the eyes.

It also does help to give some alfalfa hay, soaked cubes can work if hay is not available, helps to buffer the the acid that the stomach produces in times of stress. This horses sounds like it does need at least a couple weeks of Gastroguard, I realize they normally recommend a month but that would give it a good start to heal. Also, stay away from sweet feeds, the sugar definitely aggravates the situation. And Bute daily!? ouch....

Also get the horse away from the bullies if possible.

BTW, hi Kim, how are the black kitties?

[piccolittle]

We do Gastrogard for about 3 weeks daily and have them scoped at the end of it, then use Cimetidine for maintenance, with a tube of Gastrogard every day of a show or long trailer ride. Yes, it's expensive, but it's worth it and if you buy it in bulk you can probably get some kind of discount...

[ExJumper]

Oh, the ulcers could be the answer. Stress from the move, his new pasture mates beating him up, he was also just put on bute daily about 5 weeks ago... all could definitely lead to ulcers. Yep, we had the eyes checked and I just started giving him eye drops, but the vet didn't think his vision had changed that dramatically from his last visit. (He knew the horse previously)

You didn't mention in the OP that his eyes had been checked. If his vision is fine, then ulcers could certainly be a factor.

Wow, Gastroguard is $33 a tube... and you feed one tube per day??? Has anyone found a cheaper alternative?

Nope. Thats the curse we owners of ulcery horses live with...

[BornToRide]

Would be my hunch too - some medical condition. Sounds like ulcers are a real possibility in this case. Also feeding chnages can account for that too. Any changes in the diet at about the time the spooking increased?

[GallopingGrape]

No change in diet... i kept it all the same from his previous home. Here's another crazy question... when I'm walking him on a lead, he is fine, when we walk down steep slopes, he'll turn, jump and bolt right out of my hands.... I tested this SEVERAL times today in the pasture. He'll walk anywhere relatively flat, but on that one slope, it freaks him out. Could the stomach acids be "sloshing" around on the slopes and aggravating an ulcer?

[Simkie]

Could the stomach acids be "sloshing" around on the slopes and aggravating an ulcer?

Yep, that could certainly be what's happening.

[dwblover]

If the horse has cateracts, than yes, his vision can deteriorate that quickly. Some horses can have total mental breakdowns when everything "starts going dark" so to speak. They usually seem to mellow out once the vision totally goes and they get used to it. I would have the vet re-check his eyes. Ulcers are always possible, so just give ulcergard for a week at a full tube dose and if you see a huge difference you'll know if ulcers are present or not, in my experience.

[GallopingGrape]

Is Ulcerguard and ProCMC the same?

[Simkie]

Is Ulcerguard and ProCMC the same?

NO. Not at all.

Ulcergard is the Merial product that is sold OTC and labeled for the prevention of gastric ulcers in equines. Each tube contains 2.28 g of omeprazole, and the label instructs that it should be given at the rate of 1/4 tube per day.

ProCMC is an OTC antacid.

The difference between Ulcergard and ProCMC is just like the difference between Prilosec and tums for people.

Gastrogard is the Merial product that is sold by RX and labeled for the treatment of gastric ulcers in equines. Each tube contains 2.28 g of omeprazole, and the label instructs that it should be given at the rate of one tube per day.

Gastrogard and Ulcergard are the exact same thing, with different labels, and one can be used interchangeably with the other, as long as you understand the different dosing (1/4 to prevent, 1 full tube to treat.)

[dbadaro]

my first thought was ulcers too

[Hopeful Hunter]

Vision, ulcers, other medical issue (Lyme disease? Pain?)

[pines4equines]

I did a test on my ulcery horse because I wasn't sure what his problem was and he was not as drastic as yours. I

[BornToRide]

I tested this SEVERAL times today in the pasture. He'll walk anywhere relatively flat, but on that one slope, it freaks him out. Could the stomach acids be "sloshing" around on the slopes and aggravating an ulcer?

In this case I would suspect joint issues more than anything, The equine stomach is not that big and I would only expect sloshing around if they were really moving fast, like in a canter or galopp.