Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, the oldest and one of the largest private equine veterinary facilities in the world, submitted a study that was peer reviewed and published in the March 2017 Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, showing treatment with a polysaccharide blend reduced gastric ulceration in active horses.
Improved ulcer treatment for horses
We were able to determine that horses with ulcers can be successfully treated with a naturally safe and effective polysaccharide blend of hyaluronan and schizophyllan.
Ten horses underwent gastroscopy for diagnosis and scoring of existing ulcers. For the duration of the study, each participant was administered 1 to 2 ounces of a polysaccharide blend.
The study reveals that a polysaccharide blend of high-molecular-weight hyaluronan and schizophyllan, a beta-glucan, administered daily for 30 days demonstrates ulcerative healing.
Of the horses treated with the blended therapy, 90% showed complete resolution and/or improvement in ulcerative areas, increased appetite, weight gain, and positive behavioral changes. The study suggests that a polysaccharide blend represents a novel means to enhance gastric healing in the active horse.
The study’s long-term results could be impactful to the entire equine community, giving horse owners and veterinarians an all-natural alternative to current therapies.
“Ulcers can be found in as many as 80-100% of horses," said Dr. Nathan Slovis of the McGee Medical Center, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, "Our objective in this research was to determine whether a natural treatment would help in the healing process.
From the data gathered, we were able to determine that horses can be successfully treated with a naturally safe and effective polysaccharide blend of hyaluronan and schizophyllan."
Since its inception in 1876, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute has been at the forefront of equine medicine. Its reputation is built, in part, on a continued effort to increase veterinary knowledge and thereby improve the state-of-the-art treatments and surgeries offered to its diverse equine clientele which represent international breeding operations, world-renowned racehorses as well as performance and pleasure horses.
For more information on this unique polysaccharide blend, call 859-685-3709 or visit equinegastriculcers.com.
About Hagyard Equine Medical Institute
With more than 50 veterinarians and 141 years behind it, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is the oldest and one of the largest private equine veterinary practices in the world. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the institute offers a staff with qualifications unparalleled by any single non-university veterinary group in the equine industry, with 13 board certifications in specialty areas of Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care and Theriogenology.
The facility, located across the street from the Kentucky Horse Park, boasts superior ambulatory services, the world-renowned Davidson Surgery Center, McGee Medicine and Fertility Centers, Hagyard Laboratory, Hagyard Sports Medicine & Podiatry Center, hyperbaric medicine facilities and equine rescue services. For more information, please visit hagyard.com.