Re: Probiotics, which ones?

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Elizabeth M Szeliga wrote:
> 
> My gelding tends to go off his feed to some degree when we travel.  He is
> normally a great eater, so I'd like to help him maintain his appetite
> while we are away from home.  Because of this, I'd like to try
> probiotics.  Which brands have you folks had luck with?
> 
> About a week ago, Susan Garlinghouse listed the beneficial microorganisms
> to look for when purchasing probiotics.  I saved her post, but,
> unfortunately, my mail server crashed, taking along with it my saved
> files.  Hopefully, Susan will be able to re-send that info to me.  I
> believe that Susan also mentioned Fastrack brand, but I have been unable
> to find that in any of my catalogs.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Liz in Belchertown, MA

Hi Liz,

Below is the catalog number for Valley Vet Supply.  I didn't save the
other post, but I like Fastrack because it has a better spectrum of
microorganisms than just the yeasts that are in Forco, or just the
Lactobacillus species that are in yogurt or Equine Bene-Bac.  The
microbes in the cecum are made up of about 800 species of bacteria,
yeasts and protozoa and while no supplement is going to supply even a
fraction of those species (and the profile differs from region to region
and from horse to horse, anyway), I still like providing a more complete
profile.  Also, when stress or a change in diet upsets the cecal
environment, the Lactobacillus species are the most likely to survive,
and actually, this in itself can be a problem if taken to extremes,
because those species will multiply to fill the gap left by other, dying
species, upsetting the normal balance in the cecum.  Lactobacillus
produces lactic acid as a normal metabolic by-product, which can further
shift the pH in the cecum and hindgut and can cause a whole 'nother slew
of problems.  Anyway, in most cases I'm not as concerned about
supplementing the Lactobacillus species as I am other buggies, which is
why I prefer Fastrack (though there are other good ones as well.)

Hope this answers your question. :-)

Susan Garlinghouse

Here's the previous post: 
> That was me, Linda.  Valley Vet Supply's phone number is
> 1-800-356-1005.  The catalog # for the 5 lb of Fastrack is 11548, the
> exact cost is $15.65 FOB 6 lbs.  They don't charge for shipping other
> than that, so it's even more cost-effective if you buy two or three
> bags.