Does Your Horse Have Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Posted | Tags: diarrhea, gastric ulcers, gut health, Health, horse care, horse management, leaky gut, ulcers
How to tell if your horse has gastric discomfort and what you can do about it.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your horse could tell you how she was feeling? Instead, you’re left trying to guess whether her colicky behavior might be just a bad mood or a sign of something more serious.
What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?
If your horse hasn’t been acting herself lately, she could be suffering from Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS). In a healthy horse, the digestive system only allows healthy molecules to cross its barrier—all other external matter is kept out. In LGS, the gastrointestinal tract is compromised and therefore allows pathogens to cross the intestinal barrier and leak into the bloodstream, resulting in inflammation and impaired gut function. A small leak can make a big difference!
Common Symptoms
Symptoms of LGS are uncomfortable and sometimes painful. They include:
- Reduced performance
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Allergies
- Colic
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Coat & hoof problems
Causes
LGS can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Stress from heat, training, trailering, performance, changes in hay, social changes or environmental conditions
- Pathogens (Clostridia & Salmonella), toxins, parasites
- Pain medications, antibiotics, dewormers
Diagnosing testing of LGS
Unfortunately, there is no consistently reliable test to confirm the presence of LGS.
Symptom Relief
In the meantime, you can provide symptom relief by giving your horse feed with ingredients that act as a diarrhea treatment. All Triple Crown feeds contain EquiMix®, a unique blend of digestive aids and live prebiotics and probiotics that help support immunity and promote gut health. And now, EquiMix also contains ButiPEARL™ Z EQ, encapsulated pearls of butyric acid and zinc that help keep pathogens from crossing the intestinal barrier. ButiPEARL Z EQ specifically addresses LGS symptoms, and Triple Crown is the first national brand to contain this breakthrough ingredient in all its feeds.
If you think your horse has LGS, talk to your vet and ask about switching to Triple Crown feeds.
ButiPEARL is a trademark of Kemin Industries, USA.
