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Ulcers are a serious clinical condition that can affect your horse's overall health and well-being. In fact, you're probably already aware of at least one or two horses in your barn that you think might have an ulcer.
If your horse is a picky eater or doesn't maintain weight, ulcers may be the underlying cause. Ulcers can affect your horse's attitude and behavior as well. If your horse is withdrawn in his stall, is "girthy," or rebels in training, these may be external signs of ulcers. Even the horse's performance ability can be affected. If a horse does not want to collect for trotting, cantering or more advanced movements, or is resistant to particular physical movements, we often accept these as limitations of the horse's natural ability or attitude. But consider that digestive health may be the true culprit.
Recent research showed that 88% of performance horses have stomach ulcers, and 63% have ulcers in the colon. In all, 97% of the horses in the study had some type of ulcer.* With the incidence of ulcers in horses this high, there's a good chance that more of your horses are suffering from this condition than you even realize. Besides, even horses that appear healthy can be affected by digestive imbalance. And digestive imbalance in your horses can directly impact you every day.
Knowing if your horse is suffering from ulcers or other digestive tract conditions is the first step in managing its GI health. The SUCCEED® Equine Fecal Blood Test™ will help your veterinarian in diagnosing any underlying conditions or other serious GI health conditions, including both gastric and colonic ulcers.
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