Digestive System And Diseases
All materials are in alphabetical order and are grouped into “Topics,” “Posts,” “Podcasts,” and “Webinars.”
Remember the search option 🔍 below this yellow box.
Members get more details in the Forums, Rounds, and AMAs and can add comments anywhere. discover membership here
Topics
*An Introduction To The Horse Digestive System And Diseases
The digestive tract starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is a tube that runs through the body and the contents within this tube are really outside the body – like the hole in the donut.
The lining of the digestive tract keeps out the things that are harmful and even deadly to the horse while allowing in the materials it needs to fuel the cells and maintain the various parts of the body. This selective absorption is the difference between the lining of the gut and the skin which otherwise are the same.
Amyloidosis
Amyloidosis In Horses
Choke
Choke in horses refers to when feed blocks the lumen of the esophagus and obstructs the passage of more feed down the esophagus into the stomach.
Colic
Colic describes pain in the horse coming from his gastrointestinal tract and is feared by every horse owner.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is when the transportation of ingesta moves through the digestive tract faster than normal taking with it more water than is normal.
Diarrhea In Foals
An excerpt is coming soon.
Internal Parasites
Parasite control has evolved since the first packets of deworming medication showed up in the barn in the mid 1970’s. New chemicals, different strategies, and now the fear of resistance cloud up the issue.
Leaky Gut Syndrome (Intestinal Hyperpermeability)
Leaky Gut Syndrome In Horses
Obesity And Weight Loss
Obesity And Weight Loss In Horses
Ulcers (gastrointestinal)
Ulcers In Horses
Posts
A Better Approach To Parasite Control
From an email to me: Hi Dr. Tucker, Yes, I wonder about your recommendations per worming horses. It is springtime. I would think worming will change the pH of the stomach, so want some input as to how to proceed. Thanks. My response: Life is always a balance between...
Constantly At War
Are We Really Constantly At War? Is there a never ending battle between us and them where if we win, we live and if we don’t, we die? Is this going on right now in the guts of our horses? This has been a tough week with the insane shootings in Las Vegas. Today I...
Decomplexicating Equine Nutrition Part 03 of 12 – Gut Microbes
So far we have covered the definition of grazers as an animal that eats cellulose. We have discussed the similarities between carbohydrates (glucose, starch, cellulose, glycogen), fats (triglycerides, short chain fatty acids, ketones) and amino acids (the building...
Decomplexicating Equine Nutrition Part 04 of 12 – Gut Inflammation
~ The woods in winter (above) seen along the road in Washington. The branches remind me of the convoluted and expansive brush like gut lining ~ Quick review: Part 1 – Grazers versus browsers – Discussed the difference between glucose, starch, cellulose and...
Diarrhea Is Gone
Hello Dr. Geoff, I wanted to give you an update on Patricia and Bartholomew with them being off of grain. First Bart; The diarrhea is gone. Stopped by the end of the first day off grain. His bloat ness is gone. My husband informed me on the 2nd day he was passing a...
Doughnut Hole
Think of the Doughnut hole, the space filled with air going from the top to the bottom of the Doughnut. Now place your finger in the Doughnut and wear it like a ring. Is there any question that the hole is NOT the Doughnut? Yet without the Doughnut, there would be no...
Lectins
Here is a new word for many of you but we have known about them for a while. A lectin is a protein made by plants. OK so far? The things I will be writing about here are mind blowing – and very new. I am excited about this information for a lot of reasons. The...
Symbiosis And The Horse’s Gut
I am trying to make sense of things but I keep coming up short when determining why grain causes so many issues in horses. My search has led me to an idea that is based on research in human nutrition. In this and blogs I am writing over the next several weeks I will...
Whinnie’s Gut Story
Hi Dr. Tucker! Finally here is my note on Winnie’s “gut story.” I bought a beautiful US bred Hanoverian mare as a 3 year old – 6 years ago (2009). She is now 9 and showing 3rd level. We have had a very successful show year this past year. As all horse owners and...
Podcasts
Podcast #022 – Parasites Revisited and Liver Disease
I attended two meetings recently. One was about parasites in horses and was worth revisiting for a fresh perspective. The other was about liver disease in horses. While these sound beyond the routine needs of horse owners, I know that many of you want to bridge your...
Protein and Gastric Ulcers In Horses – Podcast #057
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, or EGUS, is being treated in more horses today than almost any other disease considered “routine.” The advent of visualizing the stomach lining using a fiber-optic endoscope is now available to nearly every horse owner...
Sand Colic In Horses – Podcast #039
Sand colic in horses is defined as a blockage in the digestive tract due to the accumulation of sand. It is common where horses graze on land with a sand base. But even if your horses live nowhere near sand, this podcast has value. The root cause of sand accumulation...
Should Your Horse Be Turned Out On The Spring Green Grass? – Podcast #005
Every horse owner fears the green grass of spring if they have ever had a case of laminitis. In this episode I review an article written in a magazine for horse owners and analyze the information they are giving about this subject. I don’t agree with most of it. I...
The EquiSummit Conference On The Healthy Horse Gut – Podcast #021
I attended a conference called the EquiSummit produced by a major manufacturer of horse feed components and sponsored by the horse feed companies dedicated to supplying horses with feed and forage. Their representatives along with equine nutritionists (consultants and...
Understanding The Basics Of Colic In Horses – Podcast #033
.As a veterinarian, I have seen many horses with colic and as a horse owner, I have experienced colic personally. There is one thing for certain and that is we need to prevent it from happening in the first place. This is why The Horse’s Advocate explains the harm of...
What Are We Feeding Our Horses, And Why? – Podcast #059
Do you know what is in your feed bad? And if you do, do you know why? Millions of scoops of grain are fed to our horses every day around the world, yet when I ask horse owners what they are feeding their horses, I usually get blank looks. I grab a feed tag from any...
Webinars
Colic In The Horse – A HorseTalk™ Webcast
September 7, 2015 Notice the hoof marks in the sawdust. The circular drag marks can occur for many reasons including an uneasy horse with colic. Discussion: Colic is pain usually coming from the abdomen of the horse. This was a FREE hour-long web broadcast via Google...
Topics
*An Introduction To The Horse Digestive System And Diseases
The digestive tract starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is a tube that runs through the body and the contents within this tube are really outside the body – like the hole in the donut.
The lining of the digestive tract keeps out the things that are harmful and even deadly to the horse while allowing in the materials it needs to fuel the cells and maintain the various parts of the body. This selective absorption is the difference between the lining of the gut and the skin which otherwise are the same.
Amyloidosis
Amyloidosis In Horses
Choke
Choke in horses refers to when feed blocks the lumen of the esophagus and obstructs the passage of more feed down the esophagus into the stomach.
Colic
Colic describes pain in the horse coming from his gastrointestinal tract and is feared by every horse owner.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is when the transportation of ingesta moves through the digestive tract faster than normal taking with it more water than is normal.
Diarrhea In Foals
An excerpt is coming soon.
Internal Parasites
Parasite control has evolved since the first packets of deworming medication showed up in the barn in the mid 1970’s. New chemicals, different strategies, and now the fear of resistance cloud up the issue.
Leaky Gut Syndrome (Intestinal Hyperpermeability)
Leaky Gut Syndrome In Horses
Obesity And Weight Loss
Obesity And Weight Loss In Horses
Ulcers (gastrointestinal)
Ulcers In Horses
Posts
A Better Approach To Parasite Control
From an email to me: Hi Dr. Tucker, Yes, I wonder about your recommendations per worming horses....
Constantly At War
Are We Really Constantly At War? Is there a never ending battle between us and them where if we...
Decomplexicating Equine Nutrition Part 03 of 12 – Gut Microbes
So far we have covered the definition of grazers as an animal that eats cellulose. We have...
Decomplexicating Equine Nutrition Part 04 of 12 – Gut Inflammation
~ The woods in winter (above) seen along the road in Washington. The branches remind me of the...
Diarrhea Is Gone
Hello Dr. Geoff, I wanted to give you an update on Patricia and Bartholomew with them being off of...
Doughnut Hole
Think of the Doughnut hole, the space filled with air going from the top to the bottom of the...
Lectins
Here is a new word for many of you but we have known about them for a while. A lectin is a protein...
Symbiosis And The Horse’s Gut
I am trying to make sense of things but I keep coming up short when determining why grain causes...
Whinnie’s Gut Story
Hi Dr. Tucker! Finally here is my note on Winnie’s “gut story.” I bought a beautiful US bred...
Podcasts
Podcast #022 – Parasites Revisited and Liver Disease
I attended two meetings recently. One was about parasites in horses and was worth revisiting for a...
Protein and Gastric Ulcers In Horses – Podcast #057
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, or EGUS, is being treated in more horses today than almost any...
Sand Colic In Horses – Podcast #039
Sand colic in horses is defined as a blockage in the digestive tract due to the accumulation of...
Should Your Horse Be Turned Out On The Spring Green Grass? – Podcast #005
Every horse owner fears the green grass of spring if they have ever had a case of laminitis. In...
The EquiSummit Conference On The Healthy Horse Gut – Podcast #021
I attended a conference called the EquiSummit produced by a major manufacturer of horse feed...
Understanding The Basics Of Colic In Horses – Podcast #033
.As a veterinarian, I have seen many horses with colic and as a horse owner, I have experienced...
What Are We Feeding Our Horses, And Why? – Podcast #059
Do you know what is in your feed bad? And if you do, do you know why? Millions of scoops of grain...
Webinars
Colic In The Horse – A HorseTalk™ Webcast
September 7, 2015 Notice the hoof marks in the sawdust. The circular drag marks can occur for many...