Aloe Vera Gel for Horses - your best best?

I work with the highest quality Aloe Vera Gel available, and recentlyI attended an excellent training by our Vet, David Urch. I was amazed to hear that many of the Newmarket horses at the Bejing Olympics were drinking our Aloe Vera to ensure they achieve peak performance. Here´s an extract from a paper he has written about...

The Role of Aloe Vera Gel in Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS)

There is now considerable evidence that gastric ulcers in horses are a huge problem, and much more common than we might expect. Leading researchers such as M J Murry have found that up to 93% of thoroughbred racehorses</strong> in training suffer from gastric ulcers. Similar studies have shown an incidence of nearly <strong>60% in performance horses and foals</strong>.

The main causes of EGUS are associated with stress, which can be as a result of a number of management practices

Feeding:
The horse evolved to browse on high fibre herbage based on grasses and herbs and to do so for many hours each day. Many horses in training are given 2 or 3 large feeds daily with only limited access to roughage, and are usually fed low-fibre diets containing a high content of concentrate foods.

Training:
Horses evolved to keep on the move constantly and even have additional ligaments on certain joints so that they can sleep standing up. Horses in training are only given limited exercise daily.

Transport:
Race and competition horses are frequently transported long distances, which can result in stress leading to gastric ulcers.

Stable Management:
Certain practices can lead to stressful situations resulting in stable vices such as crib biting, wind sucking, weaving and stable walking.

Medication:
A number of drugs can produce gastric ulcers, probably the most well known are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Phenylbutazone (Bute).

Associated Diseases:
Certain debilitating diseases can lead to formation of gastric ulcers.

A number of methods are available to help with the diagnosis of EGUS. Firstly it´s apparent from the numerous published research papers that we should assume that racehorses in training and a significant number of performance horses and foals suffer from EGUS.

Although the clinical symptoms associated with gastric ulcers are helpful they´re not specific and therefore can only be taken as suggestive requiring further investigation to confirm their existence. Similarly the responses to treatment can also be an indicator that gastric ulcers may have been the cause of presenting symptoms.

Definitive diagnosis can only come from gastric endoscopy where the lesions can be confirmed directly. Unfortunately this can be expensive and may require sedation of the horse both of which can produce resistance from the trainer.

Drugs which inhibit the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach such as omeprazole (GastroGard) have been used effectively. However their problem is that they are expensive and are prohibited substances under the rules of racing.

Aloe Vera Gel has been shown to help the prevention and natural healing of gastric ulcers in a number of species. In all species where it is not possible to remove the cause, daily administration is required.

Aloe Vera Gel is not only economic to use but also it contains no substances which are prohibited under the rules of racing</strong>, and can therefore be given to horses permanently, which is very different from the situation when drugs are used.

You can see this article at http://complementarytherapyblog.com/aloe-vera-for-horses-your-best-bet - you´ll also find one about Equine Shiatsu and others on Aloe Vera and Animals.

Source: The Role of Aloe Vera Gel in equine gastric ulcer syndrome by David Urch BSc MA VetMB MRCVS

For the full report including photos of grade 1-3 ulcers, a list of clinical signs associated with gastric ulcers in horses and foals and the treatment (and prevention) procedure get in touch with Liz on 01223 500264 or 07506 721448 - email info@cambhealth.co.uk