Feeding Horses with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) – Elementary Level

Read the following information and then complete the quiz questions at the end of the page to test your knowledge and earn AMTRA points.

This resource will introduce you to the following topics:

• What are the causes and symptoms of EGUS?
• ESGD vs EGGD – what’s the difference?
• What types of feed are most appropriate for horses with EGUS?
• Understanding Dengie feeds for horses with EGUS

What are the causes of EGUS?

• EGUS is a multifactorial disease. This means that many factors can contribute to the problem including pain and general management, including exercise and diet.
• Whilst any EGUS concerns should be discussed with a vet, Dengie have developed a questionnaire to help determine a horse’s ulcer risk.
• When it comes to feeding management, research has highlighted some significant links to ulcer risk.

What feeding strategies increase the risk of EGUS?

• Lack of fibre or low forage diets increase the risk of EGUS.
• Forage can be fresh (e.g., grass) or conserved high fibre materials (e.g., hay and haylage, alfalfa, and cereal straw).
• Forage is important as it helps maintain the fibrous, saliva covered mat in the horse’s stomach which helps to buffer acidity and reduce acid contacting the stomach lining, thereby protecting the stomach.
• Chewing forage produces double the amount of saliva compared to concentrates. Saliva contains bicarbonates that help to buffer acidity in the stomach giving it some protection.
• Acid is continually produced in the horse’s stomach. Horses that have low forage diets will spend longer without anything to eat reducing the effectiveness of the fibrous, saliva covered mat and increasing the ulcer risk.

What about starch?

• Diets that contain higher levels of starch have been found to increase ulcer risk.
• Feeding 1% of bodyweight of grain (cereal-based concentrate feeds) resulted in a marked increase in ulcers in non-exercised horses. This equates to 5kg for a 500kg horse.
• Feeding 2g per kilogram of bodyweight of starch per day or 1g per kilogram of bodyweight of starch per meal more than doubled the risk of gastric ulcers in horses. This equates to 1kg of starch per day or 500g of starch per meal for a 500kg horse.
• Dengie have produced a handy Starch Intake Calculator to help you determine how much starch is provided by the feeds you are using.

What are the symptoms of EGUS?

• Symptoms of EGUS are not always easy to distinguish from other issues or diseases!
• Some common symptoms include:
  • Weight loss
  • Biting or being grumpy when being girthed
  • Dull coat
  • Intermittent colic

There’s no link between the severity of ulcers and the range of symptoms seen in the horse!

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

Whilst EGUS is the term used to describe the presence of ulcers in the stomach, two different terms are used to describe where the ulcers are found:

• Equine Gastric Squamous Disease (ESGD) – describes ulcers in the upper half of the horse’s stomach in the squamous region
• Equine Gastric Glandular Disease (EGGD) – describes ulcers in the lower half of the horse’s stomach in the glandular region

Equine Gastric Squamous Disease (EGSD)

• Affects the upper half of the stomach
• This area of the stomach has no in-built protection from acid produced in the glandular region.
• The aim of management is to decrease the exposure of the squamous mucosa to acid by feeding plenty of fibre/forage.
• Some fibre sources such as alfalfa have a superior buffering capability.

The horse’s stomach – the blue arrow indicates the region where EGSD occurs.

Equine Gastric Glandular Disease (EGGD)

• This area of the stomach produces acid and therefore has its own in-built protection mechanism to prevent acid doing harm under normal circumstances. Whilst the cause of ulcers here isn’t fully understood, a disruption of blood flow is one theory.
• Whilst currently there is no evidence to indicate an association between diet and EGGD, it makes sense to feed a high forage diet as per the recommendations for ESGD.
• Other recommendations include:
  • Two rest days from work per week
  • Turnout where possible
  • Minimise management changes and stress
  • Minimise change in equine companions and human carers

In the video below Rainbow Equine Hospital Equine Vet, Mandy Platt, BVSc, MRCVS Cert AVP(EM) and Dengie Nutritionist, Dr Katie Williams, M.Sc (Dist), RNutr provide advice on the treatment and management of gastric ulcers.

Overview of Feeding Horses with EGUS

• Feed plenty of forage to increase saliva production and maintain the fibrous mat.
• Not all horses with ulcers are underweight. For those that are good doers or overweight, the inclusion of straw in feeds or as part of the forage ration is a suitable option for helping to manage weight.
• Keep cereals/starch to a minimum. Use digestible fibre sources, such as alfalfa or sugar beet, for additional calories.
• Feed forage or ½ Stubbs scoop chopped fibre 30 minutes prior to exercise to act as a fibre mat in the stomach.
• Try to limit stress where possible.
• A nutritionist can help to put together a suitable feeding plan for horses with EGUS.

Introducing Dengie Feeds for horses prone to EGUS

• For horses prone to ulcers, the following fibre feeds provide alfalfa as a key ingredient to help promote natural buffering to stomach acidity. Four products also contain the BETA Feed Mark for equines prone to EGUS: Dengie Alfa-A Oil, Performance Fibre, Healthy Tummy and Ulser Lite.
• As Dengie’s feeds are fibre based, there are many other products in the Dengie range which are also suitable for horses prone to EGUS.

The Alfa-A range

• Nutritious high calorie fibres – alfalfa, or alfalfa and meadow grasses with added oil or molasses to provide tasty fibre feeds.
• Combine with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement or balancer to balance the ration.
• Alfalfa provides a natural buffer to stomach acid, as well as providing good quality protein to aid muscle development.
• Use a ½ Stubbs scoop in the 30 minutes pre-exercise to act as a buffer to acidity.

Alfa-A Original

• Tasty alfalfa fibre with a molasses coating to tempt fussy feeders, supplying 10MJ/Kg digestible energy.
• A Stubbs scoop supplies approximately 4MJ.
• Alfa-A Original supplies 50 Stubbs scoops per 20kg bag.

The Hi-Fi range

• Nutritious low calorie fibre – nutritious higher calorie alfalfa is diluted with the lower calorie fibre straw, to produce a low calorie feed.
• Combine with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement or balancer to balance the ration.
• Use a double handful in the 30 minutes pre-exercise to act as a buffer to acidity.

Hi-Fi Molasses Free

• Blend of chopped and pelleted alfalfa and straw.
• Rapeseed oil coating to promote great coat shine and provide a slow release energy source.
• Mint and fenugreek added for great taste.
• Each 20kg bag provides 40 Stubbs scoops.

The Healthy Range

• Nutritious blend of chopped fibres and alfalfa pellets with a rapeseed oil coating.
• When fed at the recommended quantity of 500g (approximately 1 Stubbs scoop) per 100kg bodyweight, a balanced ration is provided and no additional vitamin and mineral supplements are required for horses working up to a moderate level.
• If fed at less than the recommended quantity, simply top up with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement or balancer.
• Use a ½ Stubbs scoop in the 30 minutes pre-exercise to act as a buffer to acidity.

Healthy Tummy

• Contains both pelleted and chopped alfalfa with a rapeseed oil coating and tasty herbs.
• One Stubbs scoop provides 5.75MJ.
• Full range of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins.
• Contains ADM Protexin In-Feed formula to promote optimal gut health.
• Carries the BETA Feed Approval Mark for products suitable for horses prone to equine gastric ulcer syndrome.
• A 20kg bag provides 40 Stubbs scoops.

Healthy Hooves Molasses Free

• Low calorie fibre.
• Blend of chopped and pelleted alfalfa and straw with a rapeseed oil coating with added garlic.
  One Stubbs scoop provides 4.25MJ.
• Full range of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins and biotin at the level found in a hoof supplement plus added MSM.
  Ideal for those that are overweight where ulcers are a concern.
• A 20kg bag provides 40 Stubbs scoops.

Specialist Fibre Feeds

The Specialist Fibre Feeds range has been developed to meet specialist additional needs of horses.

Ulser Lite

• Very low calorie fibre with the BETA Feed Approval Mark for products suitable for horses prone to equine gastric ulcer syndrome.
• Combines chopped straw and grasses with added grass and alfalfa pellets, a light rapeseed oil coating and tasty herbs.
• Contains ADM Protexin In-Feed formula to promote optimal gut health.
• One Stubbs scoop provides only 3.2MJ.
• Can be used as a bucket feed or as a forage replacer to aid weight control for overweight horses and ponies.
• Free from cereal grains and molasses.
• A 20kg bag provides 50 Stubbs scoops.

Summary

• Alfalfa is a great addition to the diet as it provides a natural buffer to stomach acidity.
• Keep starch levels to a minimum and provide calories using digestible fibre and oil.
• Avoid periods of more than six hours with no forage available.
• Dengie have four feeds that have the BETA Feed Approval Mark for products suitable for horses prone to equine gastric ulcer syndrome.

Test your Nutrition Knowledge!

It’s now time to put into practice what you have learnt about Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome. Answer all the questions below correctly to receive your Dengie Nutrition Certificate, plus you can earn TWO AMTRA Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) points. To ensure your points are awarded please make sure that you include your unique AMTRA number in the box provided with your details.