Chance was not acting like himself near the end of the snow storm. He seemed lethargic and gloomy…his appetite was good but the light in his eyes was not as strong.
I called the vet and asked her to please come out. She came out that day and ran a CBC along with going some acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments. The vet also gave Chance B12 (or as our previous vet called “the old man shot”).
She contacted me after seeing Chance and informed me that she was diagnosing him with an ulcer and thinks that he may have either slipped on the snow and hurt (bruised) his hip or hurt it while rolling.
I asked about the diagnostics that lead to the ulcer diagnosis. She explained that with horses there are 7 “acupuncture points”. When they are all reactive 85% of the time the horse has a gastric ulcer. She also went on to explain that with the lethargy and the change in patterns due to the snow a gastric ulcer would be plausible. They are apparently common when there are changes in the horse’s routine and fairly easy to cure. She prescribed “Nux” (give 1 teaspoon until gone) and Ranitidine.
I am suppose to let her know if he stops eating or becomes more lethargic. She felt that he was not at risk for colic because he is eating well and on a high quality feed. Fingers crossed.
Resources on Gastric Ulcers and Prescribed Medications
The Chances We Take 