Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Susan G says not to just start giving probiotics, but to treat it like any other feed change. Ie. intro slowly and build up to desired doses.

http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp/archives/past/99/4/msg00573.html

April
Nashville, TN

On 3/24/06, rides2far@xxxxxxxx <rides2far@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Kim, I've also wondered how long they last in a bottle in my horse
trailer. I will say that my *only* colic at a ride, ever, was when I'd
just discovered probiotics and took the "more is better" approach and
gave them at every vet check (on a 100) with my electrolytes.  As a
matter of fact, I mix them the night before so they'd been in the syringe
with the salt all night. At the 80 mile mark he got a gassy colic (he'd
probably had 5 doses by then). No treatment recommended by the vet other
than lead him around a little. (very experienced competitor/endurance
vet) He was fine in 30 or 45 minutes, but we lost a 100 mile completion.
:-(((   His other parameters were excellent, he had already passed his
check with flying colors. Since then I just use them when the gut sounds
are a little down. Just by chance, I switched to using yogurt as my
carrier not long after that and really didn't need the probiotics any
more. Too many variables to say if the yogurt helped. I mainly switched
to yogurt because it squirts way back really well and he swallows it with
no fuss and nothing pouring out his mouth.

Angie

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:55:08 EST KimFue@xxxxxxx writes:
> I know many riders add pro biotics to their electrolyte concoctions.
> What I
> am curious about is do pro biotics remain effective in a very salty
> base like
> electrolytes.  One of the reasons I give pro biotics is because
> stress can
> cause the micro flora in the gut to die off and disrupt digestion.
> It seems to
> me that these microflora are pretty sensitive to environmental
> changes.  I know
> they are sensitive to changes in temperature, pH, antibiotics, etc.
>
>  So if I mix pro biotics in my electrolytes should I expect them to
> be viable
> by the time they get to where they would have a positive effect for
> my horses
> digestion?  If I am going to give pro biotics would it be more
> effective to
> give them separately from electrolytes or mix them with feed at vet
> checks?
>
> Kim Fuess


"Man was created to complete the horse."  -Ed Abbey.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=