Equine Ulcer Diagnosis by Mark DePaolo, DVM
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- This video shows how to detect equine ulcers. A horse can go from having no gastric irritation to having ulcers in as little as 5 days. Dr. DePaolo's easy do-it-yourself method of palpating acupuncture points can be a great indication of the presence of painful and debilitating ulcers. To view our natural equine supplements, please visit our website at www.depaoloequineconcepts.com. For information on proper nutrition, please visit our Health Library @ hl.depaoloequin...
Dr. Depaolo, you couldn't have picked better examples if you tried! So incredibly helpful! I learned a lot. And man, these horses are gorgeous! Thank you for this video! :)
Thanks Dr. DePaolo. Thanks for making this video, putting it out for free, and educating over half a million people. There is something to be said for that.
Last year my horse was scoped and confirmed with ulcers. We treated him with Gastro Guard for 28 days ($1,000 treatment) and his symptoms went away. After that we put him on daily Ulcer Guard preventative. However the symptoms came back in 6 mos. We then had an acupuncture vet confirm ulcers through pressure points. This time we treated with the Chinese herb Stomach Happy. After about 3 weeks he's back to normal and happier than we've seen him in a long time. We keep him on it as a preventative.
Where do/did you buy your Stomach happy?
Endoscopy is expensive, invasive, stressful to the horse, and limited in that it does NOT show hindgut ulcers. It is far better, and FAR more cost-effective, to just treat the horse if symptoms present. I like this method of testing acupressure points, and will be using it on my ulcer-prone guy (who is already on the special diet). Thanks Dr. DePaolo!!
Thank you for showing horses with various stages of sensitivity! This is a HUGE help. i am glad I stumbled on your video. I will be watching more and visiting your website. Thank you again!!!!
Thanks for that, my horse is sensitive in all those areas. I could understand why he was sensitive in the girth area but I didn't realise the sensitivity near his withers and lower back was related to ulcers as well. Hes been started on omeprazole now, so hopefully a happier horse soon.
How do the second and third horses respond to palpation after treatment? It would be great to see that comparison!
this video is very informative! I have a 15 year old TB that I've been having "behavioral problems" with. He is bucking, bolting, and flinging his head up so high that he has hit me in the face. Because he's an OTTB, I had a chiropractor out to adjust him. Just the other day, while grooming, he was very sensitive on his barrel and underneath his entire belly. He twitched and kicked out a couple times. Kicking is not in his nature at all, and he's never displayed this behavior before.
The last horse in the video behaved exactly like my OTTB. It wasn't until we started him on Egusin SLH that his behavior really changed. Within 5 days he turned into a kind, affectionate horse. I can brush and curry him all over his body now, and instead of trying to kick me he begs for more grooming. Nothing else in his management changed. Dr. DePaulo is right about these hind gut issues and these horses can be helped.
My horse has alsways been super sensitive in nearly all of these area, and it only gets worse (bigger in surface and in intensity of the reaction). As he tries to bite every single time I brush or place the saddle and girth on his back. I had always thought it was due to a saddle problem, but now I realise I'll have to make him see the doc again!
Thanks!
this is one of the most easy to understand videos i have ever seen, thank you so much for sharing this information with us :)
Thank you for confirming what I had already believed to be the case with one of the horses that I work with. I will pass this information along to her owner.
Wow. I think my horse has ulcers. Thanks for the video.
having a throughbred prone to digestive discomfort, this is so informative. Thank you very much for posting this!
Thank you for this video! I adopted a TB from the race track..and suspected ulcers. However, since as you said scoping will only show a small part of the digestive picture, I started him on Stomach Soother papya puree and within 3 days his stall smelled better, and he was less "girthy". He is fed beet pulp and has been on daily stomach soother for quite a while now and we have had no more colic episodes, and his mood is much better. He is a happy horse!
Thank you for making this video, it literally was a lifesaver.
Thanks so much, going tomorrow to palpate my horse....
Thank you very much for this information . I have a mare that exhibits expressed actions like shying when mounting (when she did not before a supplemental grain diet just for call up was started ) , she has also become sensitive to the girth . Will check all my horses tonight for ulcers points. I am a big advocate of acupuncture.
My mares been a bit overreactive to saddling and girthing I know its not saddle fit, the fitters been out recently. How terrible, that the pain points for ulcers are the same points where tack is going to sit. Im so glad I found this video, Im going to have my vet check her.
I would just like to say thank you for the video and I use this as a reference for my clients all the time!
Fascinating. I have a horse who is very twitchy on the rib point (to the point where he finds walking difficult when first girthed) and is constantly sore around his lower back and hips. He has NO hard feed at all - only gets grass and haylage with alfalfa chaff and oil in winter. Have never considered ulcers, despite having cured my other horse of GUS. Will start treatment immediately and will be delighted if it works as the girth sensitivity has been a problem for three years!!
Thank you! Dealing with a gelding at work that's ADR and vet suspects ulcers. I will try this in the morning. Very informative.
Very interesting video. I have a mare who got ulcers I believe from a long course of Naproxen. She seems well recovered now but this would be useful to me to keep an eye out for recurrence as I worry that she is going to now be prone to them
Thank you so much for sharing this with the general public.
My mare has been having issues for 6 months now - very cinchy and sore back. I changed out the saddle, then did chiro, then did acupuncture AND then treated with omniprazole. It isn't as bad, but she is still extremely cinchy and you can tell it hurts when I saddle her - and I'm riding in a bareback pad so it is 100% the cinch. After a while she loosens up, but still bucking and throwing her head when cantering. I do give her aloe with grain (no molasses) and she is fed alfalfa and grass mix.
Thank you for this informative video even though it's from a year ago, I'm just now finding it! Very nice of you to take the time. I have shared this video with many friends :-) and can't wait to watch all of your other videos.
Oh, i'm a small animal vet tech and stuff like this is fun for me to learn. Thanks again :-)
my vet palpates acupuncture points for ulcers and we have then scoped them and he was correct - am a believer
Can these palpations be done on either side or just the left? Great video. So clear.
Thank you for sharing this , so very important
I have wondered if my mare has this problem
I will go through these point this morning
THANK YOU AGAIN 👌😁
Great info !!!! Very good with the live horse demo.
I am a saddle fitter and this video will help me educated owners. I see horses that are fit well in the saddle, but show many of these symptoms. Because I am not a vet, I can't diagnose ulcers but I can refer them to a vet. I also suggest that they try YeaSacc (yeast additive) to help the ulcers in the hind gut or Egusin SHL (recommended supplement for ulcers by Dr. Kerry Ridgeway). I have seen horses totally turn around when treated and no change to the saddle.
This is very interesting. I work with lesson horses and privately owned horses, and a few show some of these symptoms. Thanks for the informative video!
Very informative and well done. Thank you, Dr. DePaolo!
Excellent examples. Thank you for this simple and thorough demonstration!
Incredibly helpful. Lifesaving information. Thank you.
The information was very precise and most interesting, I wonder if people are affected in like manner?
What breed are these horses? They are stunning!
Great video, will be passing on the info to friends.
Thank you for this! That poor third horse, you can see discomfort in his body before you even begin to palpate..
That was my thoughts upon watching it, horses will also give similar reactions to being saddle sore
This really is a great video. I’ve shared it many times. Great information and demonstration.
Super information - I am thinking my 6yo who has had digestive issues before may have ulcers. I thought he was just being snarky.
Very informative and educational.! Thank you.
Very informative. Thanks Dr. DePaolo.
Yes, treated and now no girthiness at all. All the twitching has stopped. He was waiting for it to hurt for a while, but now shows no other response when girthed up now. Hooray!!
Hi, my horse has been diagnosed with ulcers, wasn't eating and laying down a lot.. not colic.... she does not eat grain, lives outside with shelter, hasn't been sick a day in her life... . ( i've had since she was 4 months old) and she'll be 15 tomorrow.... she gets great hay we make at the farm and wonderful pasture in the summer.... gets moderate exercise ( NOT a show horse).... trail rides, ring riding... ground work.... how or why did she get a ulcers?
Very helpful video
How about the serious lack of musculature in the loin... that's an ulcer??
What part does hind gut acidocis play in the horse used to illustrate?
Amazing information. Thank you very much.
He's recommending Omeprazole - which is the ingredient of Gastroguard.
very good information doc thanks
extremely helpful information! Thanks so much!
Fantastic video thanks for the post!!
Interesting concept, but I'd like to see the vid redone and you show this procedure but this time showing that the horse reacts in these areas and doesn't also react this way in other non-related areas. That last horse looked the type of horse that would've reacted that way no matter where you did that to it--under the neck or on a leg even. To better prove your position on this you should show the horse doesn't react in non-related areas, but reacts in related areas.
how about feeding Pro Balance by Ortho Equine for a daily digestive support.
Had to comment, such a great video!
Can you resume grain after treatment. Currently only feeding a ration balancer with his hay. Not positive he has them, still gotta palpate those places. He has some muscling issues that maybe causing panic but he has been nippy, and bites at feet once in while etc…
This is very helpful! I checked my thoroughbred mare and looks like she don't have any problems. I am trying to figure out why she is no gaining weight. She came off the track almost a year ago (August 12th will be a year) and sometime around spring she lost weight. By the time it was summer I was able to get her to gain some weight, but it just seemed like it stopped? I see her back bone and her ribs still show worse then when she was brought to my home Any tips on how her getting weight up?
as in humans, treating an acid stomach w/ppi's has caused problems.. does he have any recomendations on something natural instead of a pharmaceutical?
Wonderful information. Thanks so much!
So aloe vera juice works also?how much should i give how many times a day?Thanks!
Did your horse need treatment? How did they respond?
No I have not, but I am having my vet come out in the next few days to check her, so I will find out what the deal is. My horse cribs on wood which it could be her teeth maybe.
Would the horse react from either side or one side vs the other?
how about addressing the cause of the ulcers ?
Thank you so much!
Could timothy hay upset a minor ulcer? Should we eliminate hay from his diet for a while and then try alfalfa? He is in pasture all day and in a pen at night--and he gets his timothy hay every night and usually has diarrhea the next day.
I have a mare who has always been fairly sensitive to the touch. After watching this, I am not sure whether she is just being her normal marish/sensitive self or if she has ulcers. She has always been hyper-sensitive around her withers and when I try to pull her mane closer to her withers she hates it. Sometimes she does not mind if I touch her sides, but other times she will nip at me. Do you think that I should treat her for ulcers?
Hi Mark... I have a mare which I believe has ulcers after watching your videos and finding she is very sensitive in the area you describe. I started her on Gastro -guard 1 week ago today and am not finding any improvement. I also have her on a Camelina aad vit. E (omega 3) supplement,,, would this supplement add to her ulcer discomfort? When you say to eliminate grain, would this be classified as a "grain" oil? Thanks
Thankyou so much.
What did you do to help your horse? Sounds like exactly same issues I am having.
Thank you !!!
Very informative article' thank you
Great information...thanks.
gorgeous animals in this video
Great info !
thank you, this has been very informative!
Hi Again
I did go check my mare and she did react to all three spots!
And sadly does seem to be sore in her sacrum / pelvis area
Am I best to buy some Omeprazole ? Or get her on Ulcer guard
I’d say this has been an issue for some time as she didn’t want to walk off , she would at times refuse to move & also turn to but my foot
Hi Doc. Is stumbling a symptom of ulcers? Sometimes he walks like he has had way too much to drink. I am looking at EPM as well. He has spit marks on his sides where he has been biting so I know he has ulcers as well.
My '09 ASB mare has most of her sensitivity underside her belly, near flank area. She kicks out while brushing or petting..
where do you buy Stomach Happy. Is there a web site where I can order it?
DePaoloEquine, my horse is underweight and has struggled to put on weight since I got him four months ago. I feed him 5 lbs of grain with 1 cup of soybean oil, 1 cup flaxseed meal, Gastrotech (digestive aid /ulcer preventative), and now 3/4 lbs. Rice Bran (all this twice per day). He is on grass 24/7 (although there has not been a lot of grass) and gets a flake of hay 2x per day. He also gets 2-3 lbs. Alfalfa Pellets. (The reason I am telling you all this is because I want you to see that he is eating A LOT of calories and still not gaining weight).
He has recently stopped eating his grain (which is very low starch - Tribute Kalm N EZ). I am putting him on an Omeprazole treatment, but I am afraid he will lose weight if he is not given any grain / supplements. Would you still recommend only grass and hay?
Cherisse LaSalle black oil sunflower seeds are also great to use when a horse is under weight, now, should you with a horse with ulcers? i am not sure.
@@stacyschenk Black sunflower seeds are very high in Omega6s, so you need to supplement with Omega3s if feeding them.
My horse only shows signs of pain when you touch her on the line in the middle of the back of her stomach near her hind leg. Her leg goes up and her ears cock back but none of the other pressure points trigger. Do you know what it might be? She was just wormed and someone had mentionned possibly a high number of internal parasites so if it is it should go away soon but I really want to ease her pain.
Have you done a fecal egg count? I had the same problem and even though my mare had been wormed 2x in the last 4 months she had a 600 fec, way too high, after getting rid of that she is gaining weight again
Very helpful, thank you.
Thank you for this informational video ! It is much appreciated :)
Hello. My horse is an OTTB in retraining for about six weeks now. He reacts the same as the last horse you showed (maybe even worse with his mouth) Do you recommend eliminating grain entirely? I currently feed 1qt seminole pellets and 1 quart dynasport at breakfast and lunch. He gets free choice hay (timothy, alfafa, orchard at all times) but he goes for the Alfalfa mostly. He is on magnaguard, cosequin, bloom, and b1. I've given him omeprazole a few times and notice a huge difference, but am unsure if that's safe daily. Appreciate any insight!
This video is amazing! Thank you
Ha found you.... I told you these videos are great!
Do ulcers cause wood chewing?
very interesting thank you!
Thanks !!
Appreciate the feedback but point is I would like comparable facts and data is all.......
The only problem I see with this video is... Is the horse just sensitive to touch? I would have loved to see him touch the horses in other areas to see how they react to general touch... then move on to the pressure points that indicate ulcers. That would establish more validity to the test and help the rest of us better judge our horses reactions.
All I can say, is that my mare was very sensitive while girthing for about 6 months, I did this test and she almost bite me (she' super sweet and doesn't bite). After changing how I hay her, slow feed hay net, and U-Gard, her symptoms quite and she palpates normal and is NOT girthy any longer. I know it's anecdotal but I didn't fix it by training or anything else.
not everyone involved with horses does so to make a bazillion dollars (whatever amount that is) some people feel its more important for information to be shared.
My thought is this should all be backed up with a endoscope to see if Bucky actually has ulcers...if so I would be a true believer...........
thank you!
In my book Natural Equine Remedies show you how to releive
Thank You! Great Info!
isn’t it horrible people will hit their horses for reacting to ulcer pain by biting and kicking. bucky is such a good boy standing nicely with you even though it hurts.
golden seal root powder
Oh please if this guy could diagnose ulcers with palpation, he'd be a bazillionaire, not posting free videos on youtube.