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  Discussion on Cider vinegar as enterolith preventive
Author Message
Member:
Frances

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 17, 2003 - 6:17 am:

At our yard, many of us give cider vinegar to our horses daily in the hope that it will make the PH balance in the gut more acidic and help prevent the formation of stones. Apparently enteroliths are more likely to form in an alkaline environment. Has anybody else tried cider vinegar for this? (I know it's an old remedy for joint stiffness.)
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 17, 2003 - 10:33 am:

I feed him apple cidar vinegar in the spring and summer. What it does...I'm not sure...I was told it helps to keep their intestines clean. Have you heard anything Dr. O?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 18, 2003 - 6:13 am:

The enterolith prevention idea has has been proposed (Ralston 1990) but there is no research and I do not know of any way that cider vinegar might clean out the intestines.

I think it more likely the acetic acid is absorbed or neutralized prior to making it that far down the digestive tract to work on a enterolith. I do question the regular use of a strong acid in feed to an animal that is prone to stomach ulcers.
DrO
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Thursday, Jun 19, 2003 - 10:13 am:

Thanks Dr.O

I'll cease the vinegar!
Member:
Frances

Posted on Thursday, Jun 19, 2003 - 2:40 pm:

Our reason for wanting to take some preventive action was that a few years ago one of the horses was put down after two days of colic, and found to have had an enterolith the size of a large grapefruit which had actually perforated the gut. This although he had been a happy, active horse until the sudden colic attack. About a year later, one of the mares passed I think nine stones (table-tennis ball size) over about three weeks, but has remained (seemingly) fine since. We've changed from alfalfa to meadow hay and, as I say, have been giving cider vinegar (not more than half a cup), but you're right of course Dr.O. that it may be doing more harm than good. Oh dear!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 20, 2003 - 6:04 am:

You have made the important change Lynn, away from alfalfa, so you should be in good shape. I went to see if I could find support for vinegar and I found this just published 2 months ago:

Am J Vet Res. 2003 Apr;64(4):404-12.

Effects of hyDrOchloric, acetic, butyric, and propionic acids on pathogenesis of ulcers in the nonglandular portion of the stomach of horses.

Nadeau JA, Andrews FM, Patton CS, Argenzio RA, Mathew AG, Saxton AM.

Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the pathogenesis of gastric ulcers by comparing injury to the nonglandular gastric mucosa of horses caused by hyDrOchloric acid (HCl) or volatile fatty acids (VFAs). SAMPLE POPULATION: Gastric tissues from 30 horses. PROCEDURE: Nonglandular gastric mucosa was studied by use of Ussing chambers. Short-circuit current (Isc) and potential difference were measured and electrical resistance calculated for tissues after addition of HCl and VFAs to normal Ringer's solution (NRS). Tissues were examined histologically. RESULTS: Mucosa exposed to HCl in NRS (pH, 1.5) had a significant decrease in Isc, compared with Isc for mucosa exposed to NRS at pH 4.0 or 7.0. Also, exposure to 60mM acetic, propionic, and butyric acids (pH, 4.0 or 1.5) caused an immediate significant decrease in Isc. Recovery of sodium transport was detected only in samples exposed to acetic acid at pH 4.0. Recovery of sodium transport was not seen in other mucosal samples exposed to VFAs at pH < or = 4.0. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Acetic, butyric, and propionic acids and, to a lesser extent, HCl caused decreases in mucosal barrier function of the nonglandular portion of the equine stomach. Because of their lipid solubility at pH < or = 4.0, undissociated VFAs penetrate cells in the nonglandular gastric mucosa, which causes acidification of cellular contents, inhibition of sodium transport, and cellular swelling. Results indicate that HCl alone or in combination with VFAs at gastric pH < or = 4.0 may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulcers in the nonglandular portion of the stomach of horses.

I have been surprised on the dearth of information on diet and its effect on fecal ph in horses so I wish I had more concrete suggestions.
DrO
Member:
Frances

Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 5:22 am:

Many thanks Dr.O. for looking into this. So, since the risk of ulcers has been proven and the anti-enterolith action is only a theory, it seems we should stop the cider vinegar.

Re alfalfa avoidance, I've just noticed that the Farrier's Formula I've bought for crumbly hooves is based on dehydrated alfalfa pellets - do you think a cup a day poses an unnecessary enterolith risk, or is it too little to matter?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jun 22, 2003 - 10:44 pm:

Too little to matter.
DrO
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