When I was at Paul Taylor's replacing the tub of Source the Boyz scattered to the Four Winds, I saw a product on the counter which I had not seen before called ECR (Equine Colic Relief). It's a 4-oz. bottle that comes with an oral syringe, and a price tag of $80, which, although expensive, is lot cheaper than a farm call to tube a horse — or worse. I grabbed a piece of literature from a stand next to it.
The homemade flier was from the local distributor. It explained about the product, and included several testimonials, one of them recent (mid-June 2010), at an Athens, Texas horse show. A mare was given the product, and not only recovered, but was able to compete in her events. It even gave a local phone number if you want to talk to an eye witness to the mare's recovery at the show.
Ingredients: Irish Sea Moss, Magnesium, Kelp, Peppermint Oil, Phosphorous, Calcium, Vitamin D3, Potassium, Purified Water, Molasses, Sorbitol. This product has a shelf life of 12 years!
They claim it will stop a normal bout of gas colic in 90-200 minutes, with a disclaimer that it will not help in cases of torsion, rupture or twisted gut, or blockages due to foreign objects or tumors.
If it works, it would certainly be worth it to have a bottle stashed away. Every time Jaz has colicked, it's been on the absolute worst night of the year, when my vet is out of town. Except for the colic due to strongyles, it's been because the doofus eats too much too fast, like when I bring them back from the farm and he pigs out on the lush grass. Or he doesn't drink enough when it gets cooler.
Paul Taylor is a well-respected local business. They don't carry faddish, stupid stuff. It must have some measure of credibility. Has anyone ever used this product or even heard of it?
Saturday, July 24, 2010
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10 comments:
My friend Roni posted this on Facebook: It has been years since I had horses, so obviously I am not familiar with the product. But, I recognize the ingredients (I am CA and SC certified herbalist). Irish moss and peppermint oil are anti-flatulents as well as anti-spasmodics. The magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxant (that is why they give it to heart attack victims). Potassium can also work that way.
I got an email ad for it this morning, and wondered about this product myself. Thanks for passing along what Roni told you!
I'm a born skeptic...but I'd love to hear what your vet says about this stuff!
p.s. do you ever add electrolytes to his food in order to encourage him to drink more water? Just curious.
I don't add electrolytes per se. I do add grass minerals, which are various salts. I do give them buckets of warm Gatorade when it's cold. They both love it.
I agree with your friend Roni, stands to reason thet the ingredients listed would be helpful in a very mild gas colic. That said, I would still keep Banamine on hand as horses will gut pain can escalate awfully quickly and 90 -200 min would be a long wait for relief
Fern, absolutely.
Calcuim - Tums
Magnesium - Milk of mylanta
Potasium - always recommended for muscle cramps.
Sounds to me like something that won't hurt, and for people who dislike chemicals in their horses, might be worth it.
I'd check with Dr. G and see if it would conflict with normal colic meds (talk about a nightmare if it did!).
I'll ask him, but in my experience, traditional practitioners aren't necessarily well versed in natural remedies. But who knows? Maybe he'll research it if I ask him to.
Did you try to call the person who was listed for a testimonial?
Sounds like the herbal combo is helpful. Interesting....
I wonder what is the purpose of Irish Sea Moss and Kelp, but I can vouch for the Peppermint Oil. In our family, if anyone has a tummy ache or feels bloating from gas, I mix up a tonic with a teaspoon of peppermint extract and about 8-10 oz of water. Within 15-20 minutes we feel so much better.
~Lisa
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