Treating Ulcers in Weanlings

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Okay to make a long story short I had a mare that foaled a colt in june, sold the mare to a friend who I let take her and the colt to her farm. I just got him back after weaning. He was weaned and waited almost a week and a half and then he made the 2 hr trip back to my farm.

He was eating grain with his dam, and during weaning she was feeding him a half a cup of pellet grain twice a day, then I brought him home with transition feed and he never really ate what I would consider at a "normal rate", he will pick at the grain (offering him much more than 1/2 cup twice a day but I gradually offered more, he never ate it all though) and nibble at hay.

He does not have a fever, elevated heart rate, no rolling/pawing/pacing, drinking, normal bowel movements and frequencies.

He does however seem to be "depressed" or not all that interested in things in general. His coat is dull and he has lost some weight which is making me on edge. He is fed in his own stall so I know exactly how much he drinks, eats, pees and poops every night. He is turned out about 12 to 14 hours per day.

He has been on a regular deworming schedule and so was his dam. I called my vet and explained what was going on and without seeing him (earliest I can get him here besides an emergency call is friday) he's willing to bet it's ulcers from the stress of weaning and moving so shortly after weaning. I have already ordered Ulcergard per vets advice, it will be here by wednesday and was told to give 1/4 of the syringe per day which I was told was the "preventive dose" for large horses which should work fine for healing the ulcers in a mini colt? I am also taking a fresh fecal sample to them tomorrow for testing.

I have already pulled him from his pelleted grain (14% protein) and am going to start him on a alfalfa pellet and calf manna ration along with alfalfa/Timothy hay.

My main question here is there anything else I can do for him, and am I on the right track? I have never dealt with ulcers before and want to make sure I am doing everything I can. Is the dosage the vet told me correct?

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate everyone's advice when I need it!!

EDITED TO ADD

I was told I could give him aloe vera juice to help soothe his stomach, does anyone know how much I would give him?

 

[Riverrose28]

So sorry that you and your little guy are having this problem. The youngest I had with ulcers was a yearling that was in the middle of show season, she just got way too stressed with all the travel and work. Sounds like what your Vet told you is the proper way to handle this. I'm assuming he is the only weanling and by himself, sometimes if a horse can see another horse eating it incourages them to eat also, even if the other horse is accross the fence. Good luck with the alfalfa, my yearling mare wouldn't eat it, but I did soak some hay replacer pellets in apple juice and she would nibble on that.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Well that makes me feel better that the dosage is right, he had me order a 6 pack so that should last me 24 days....should I order more or wait and see? I plan on putting him on an ulcer preventive supplement so any advice there would be appreciated as well.

The way my stalls are all the horses can see each other easily, it is wood along the top 1 ft of the divider, sturdy, non climb mesh in the middle with the bottom 2 ft being wow as well. Right next to him is my 2 month old filly with her mom and on the other side is my gelding, all of them get along.

He does act depressed but by no means is he lethargic, he seems to be happier when I am sitting in the stall with him giving scratches than just being by himself....maybe he just isn't fond of the horses he's next to and its causing that problem?

 

[lkblazin]

I don't know how much to give, but I do know that aloe is a miracle worker. I used it on one of my mares, when she was having hair loss/skin problems. Aparently it can help with a bunch of different ailments, external and internal. There is a lot of information online about aloe. They have capsule also. Good luck with the aloe, hope he feels better soon.

I don't know how much to give, but I do know the alie is a miracle worker. I used it on one of my mares, when she was having hair loss/skin problems. Aparently it can help with a bunch of different ailments, external and internal. There is a lot of information online about aloe. They have capsule also. Good luck with the aloe, hope he feels better soon

 

[targetsmom]

That Ulcergard dose is probably a bit more than a mini weanling needs for treatment but in the right ballpark. You should plan on that for a month. Try the ulcer diagnosis video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Fr05hMmLCY4. I also recommend slow feeding hay nets for ulcers depending on your feed situation. Overnight anyway.. By the way, I like to give our weanlings preventive doses of Ulcergard during the weaning process or when traveling or in any stressful situation. I have also had MUCH better luck with alfalfa CUBES (soaked) than pellets,.and even better luck with Triple Crowns Alfa-Lox forage which all our minis consider a treat! We feed that at bedtime mixed with soaked alfalfa cubes.

Good luck. Ulcers are not something to fool around with.

 

[bevann]

I have used Aloe vera juice successfully on several horses with ulcers.I used 3 cc orally on a Mini 3 times daily per advice of a vet from a teaching hospital.Said it couldn't hurt.I even drank it myself for a bad case of indigestion from some hot chili.It works wonders.IMO 3 cc would not hurt.IMO it should be fine for a weanling.If aloe can heal burns it should be a relief for a hole in the digestive system.You should see some results rather quickly even before the ulcer guard arrives.Keep us posted on his progress.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Well so far so good, CJ ate up his 1 cup of alfalfa pellets, 1 cup of calf manna, alfalfa hay and dose of daily dewormer last night. I'm going to try to work him up to 2 cups of each morning and night over the next few days. Hes been getting the aloe vera juice twice daily and maybe that's helping him as well.

Today he was bright, perky and playing with the herd in the big paddock. He even flipped his tail up and showed off at the trot for a few minutes.

His ulcergard should be here tomorrow so I am going to make sure he starts getting it as soon as it comes.

Is it strange for him to be looking perky already, even though I know the ulcers aren't healed yet? He hasn't had any pelleted feed in two days now so could that be making his stomach feel better?

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Also, I wanted to ask what the maximum amount of the alfalfa pellets, calf manna and alfalfa hay you recommend feeding a weanling? Considering he has lost some weight I want him to gain weight so I was thinking of maximum of 3 cups alfalfa pellets and 3 cups calf manna twice per day as the maximum until I can gradually work him back on to pelleted feed?

 

[Miniv]

We've fed our weanlings up to about 6 cups twice a day of grain, so that sounds about right.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about feeding too much alfalfa hay at this point.

Obviously his ulcers aren't healed yet, but pulling the pelleted feed and giving him aloe vera is obviously making

him FEEL better!

 

I never limited food for weanlings. I did creep-feeding, which is having food available to them at all times, so they can nibble whenever they feel like it

What I used to do, is take a corner of the pasture where the fence sides meet, and put in fence posts to form the "bottom" of a triange, so to speak. Make the spacings between the new fence posts wide enough that the baby can get through, but not the mommas or others. Then put a feeder for the little one that can't be reached by anyone else deep in the corner, and leave food there so baby can eat undisturbed and whenever they feel hungry. It's a easy way to let them learn to NOT wolf down their food, as they can come and go as they want, and they will go there frequently during the day.

I know that each little one ate between 6-8 cups probably twice a day, but nibbled all day long. Good on the tummy, and I always fed alfalfa, so protein wasn't an issue, and it works as a tummy soother also.

Best of luck!