Hi friends, I am posting from the UK, so greetings to all of you across 'the pond'.
Poor Melody, she's not having a good time of it is she?
Dont have experience of ulcers as 'they' seem to be 'new' horsey problem over here. I wonder what our horses did before someone discovered that they can suffer from ulcers? Modern science may be great, but sometimes it just gives us something else to worry about.
Two points made on this thread made me respond with my posting.
1. Someone mentioned eating shavings. Do be very careful if you have a horse who likes shavings - change the bedding you use immediately. Horses gnaw at wood without much problem, but something in the 'making/production' of shavings makes them very difficult to digest. We used shavings in a couple of our stables, top class/non dusty etc etc. Our little 30" pinto stallion suddenly decided he liked them - I never even saw him eating them - and 2 days later he was put to sleep, his insides blocked with shavings that had swelled instead of being digested. He was only 10 and such a lovely lad.
2. Strangles. Many years ago I had the whole stable of 20 horses go down with strangles over a three week period. The nearest horse with it was over a mile away, but it must have been carried by foxes treading across the paddocks before crossing through ours. All horses recovered except one, who unfortunately developed what we call 'brat' strangles (when it affects them internally). The horse that was worse affected by the illness was the first one, due entirely to the fact that we called a vet (not our usual one) and he gave the horse anti-biotics, thus 'dulling' the strangles and, as one might put it, driving it back into a 'sleeping' state. A week to 10 days later this mare was critically ill with the disease, twice as badly as she had it the first time. From then on, we let it run its course, treating the bursting 'ulcers' as open wounds and with anti-b's ATER they had burst. All the other horses recovered with no problem and my vet impressed on me to always let the strangles develop and burst out of the system BEFORE treating, as it was nature's way!
Several of the horses affected by the strangles only showed a high temperature, very off colour, only interested in grass and never actually produced any ulcers. Their immune systems fought the disease for them, but they were 'off colour/ill' for about 3 weeks.
Please keep an eye on Melody as she must still be in the possible incubation period for the strangles your neighbour has. To be safe wait a month AFTER he has the all clear!
Not sure if any of the above is of any help to you. You are obviously doing a brilliant job in your care for your little lady. Keep the grass going, 'Doctor Green' is the best medicine!!
Hope she will very soon be feeling a lot better. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Anna
