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Excerpt from “Alternatives for Equine Health” – By Jamie Clapp September/October 2004 issue of Horse Talk magazine

Gastrointestinal Ailments:

With so much emphasis placed on competition and performance, many horses are developing gastrointestinal problems. Anything that causes stress such as hauling, competing, stall rest, or breeding can lead to problems with the GI tract, including sour stomach and ulcers. Several symptoms of gastrointestinal ailments include going off feed, colic, weight loss, poor coat quality, sour attitude, lethargy, or abnormal behavior. It is important to consult your veterinarian regarding these symptoms to ensure they are not life threatening. Many horse owners who have observed these symptoms in the past have relied on alternative supplements to help keep their horses’ gastrointestinal tracts healthy. Now there is something new to try.

Natural Plan Stomach Soother™ is an all-natural treatment for stomach ulcers and digestive problems. It is made entirely from the papaya fruit, which has been used for years to calm babies with colic. The most useful part of the papaya is Papain. A main ingredient in many indigestion medications and similar to the digestive enzyme pepsin, Papain stimulates appetite, soothes the esophagus and stomach membranes and relieves inflammatory bowel disorders. Papaya also contains vitamins A and C, calcium, niacin, potassium, riboflavin and thiamin, all beneficial to horse health.

Dr. Donald Kiefer, a veterinarian in Warrenton, Virginia, carries the papaya product with him on-call for patients with GI problems. “I don’t know if it is just coating the intestinal tract or if it has an enzymatic action that rids the GI tract of gastric acid,” Dr. Kiefer contemplates, “… I do know that horses who tend to stay on the papaya supplement for 6-8 weeks no longer exhibit the signs associated with ulcers.”

Researchers have not yet classified Stomach Soother as they are unsure whether it is more closely related to Maalox and other antacids, or to drugs that treat ulcers. Case studies are currently being conducted to categorize this product.

Gillian Clissold, an upper level eventer in Virginia, started using papaya ten years ago for a horse that had antibiotic induced diarrhea. She now administers it to foals that get heat diarrhea when their mothers first come into season after giving birth. She also gives it to underweight horses and those who go off their feed and lose weight during the hot summer months. So when her mare, Sportscar, was going off her feed during the crucial competition season, Clissold knew exactly what to give her to resolve the problem.

Papaya produced astonishing results for Sportscar and Clissold has become a passionate advocate for the product. “Sportscar’s ability to compete was severely curtailed when she stopped eating because of all the traveling,” remembers Clissold. “Being on the papaya has allowed her to travel and gain mileage at many Advanced events. As a result, she is going to Rolex next year.”

Cost: Around $12 for a 32 oz. bottle, recommended dosage is 2 oz. twice a day. Cases can also be purchased at a discounted price. Stomach Soother can be administered through an oral syringe or mixed with feed….

For more information contact Timothy Burke at 800-584-8642 or visit their website at www.StomachSoother.com