Appetite

Horses can be finicky eaters. A horse that normally has a robust appetite may be reluctant to eat for a variety of reasons.

• Discomfort because more acid than normal is irritating the stomach lining
• Distraction caused by excitement
• Stress due to a change in environment
• New food that tastes different
• New supplements
• Colic
• Dental pain
• Ulcers

As different as these reasons are, there is one product that can help all of them: Natural Plan Stomach Soother™.

Discomfort, Distraction and Stress:

Often a horse that ignores his grain after arriving at a competition or new location will eat it immediately after having a dose of Stomach Soother. This happens so quickly, there’s no time for Stomach Soother to have affected conditions lower in the digestive tract.

Stress-induced eating problems are often the result of too much acid in the horse’s stomach, which irritates the delicate lining. Stomach Soother triggers increased production of mucus, which protects against the corrosive affects of the acid and makes the horse more comfortable, so he’s more willing to eat.

Taste:

Natural Plan Stomach Soother™ has a strong, sweet, fruity taste and inviting aroma that horses love. If your horse is suspicious and reluctant to try new things, mix two ounces of Stomach Soother with a new grain or unfamiliar supplement to make the meal enticing.

New foods or supplements:

If your horse’s stomach has trouble adjusting to a new grain, the papain enzyme in Natural Plan Stomach Soother™ will help break down the unfamiliar feed until the body naturally adapts and produces the appropriate digestive cocktail.

Given by mouth, Stomach Soother triggers an increased production of mucus. This makes the horse’s mouth water, just as yours might when you’re hungry and you anticipate eating your favorite food.

Colic:

Call a veterinarian immediately if loss of appetite is associated with colic. Colic should be suspected any time a horse rejects its food. It is particularly likely if the horse also exhibits one or more of the following behaviors:

• Pawing
• Scraping teeth against a hard surface
• Curling upper lip
• Rolling
• Turning head to look at side
• Elevated breathing
• Elevated heart rate
• Loud or churning gut noises
• Nonexistent gut noises
• Failure to produce manure
• Unusually hard or soft manure

Colic is a serious condition that requires swift veterinary intervention. However, Natural Plan Stomach Soother™ can alleviate some conditions that contribute to colic:

Stomach Soother helps break down large-molecule carbohydrates which, if left partially processed, would create too much moisture in the digestive tract. That could lead to diarrhea.

It heals a horse suffering from diarrhea before the horse becomes dehydrated, thus preventing conditions that lead to impaction colic. The papain enzyme can destroy bacteria that disturb the stomach’s delicate digestive balance.

Dental pain requires the attention of a veterinarian and possibly an equine dentist:

Sharp tooth edges can be smoothed by “floating.” Broken, infected and abscessed teeth should be treated with antibiotics or removed. For older horses whose chewing power is reduced, the papain enzyme in Stomach Soother can be helpful in breaking down unchewed grain, so the horse gets more nutrition from his diet.

Ulcers should be suspected when dental problems have been ruled out but a horse has a poor appetite for an extended period.

Learn more about ulcers.