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Conference noted::equitation

Title:	Equine Notes Conference
Notice:	Topics List=4, Horses 4Sale/Wanted=150, Equip 4Sale/Wanted=151
Moderator:	MTADMS::COBURNIO

Created:	Tue Feb 11 1986
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2080
Total number of notes:	22383

1953.0. "Bacterial supplements?" by BOUVS::OAKEY (I'll take Clueless for $500, Alex) Fri Mar 03 1995 14:32

I looked through all the other feed supplement topics and didn't find one 
that I thought fit.  (Feel free to move it if I missed the right place.)

The stable where I keep my horse has suggested treating her with something
called Bene-Bac which, as I recall from the box, is an equine lacto
bacillus.  It sounds like it is a supplement to her current gut bacteria. 

The stable has said that race horses (which she used to be) are frequently 
fed many supplements geared toward converting their food into energy useful 
for racing.   After they come off the track, the horse's gut has a hard 
time converting to using food for building musculature, etc.  These 
bacterial additives are supposed to help this process.

While this really sounds pretty plausible, I thought I'd try to see if 
anyone in this notes file has used baterial supplements and seen a 
difference in attitude, behavior, energy, weight gain, etc. on the horse(s) 
you used it on.

	Thanks!

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1953.1	Talk to a vet	DECWET::JDADDAMIO	Seattle:Life in the espressolane	`Fri Mar 03 1995 16:12`	14
	I don't have any specific experience with this particular product but it does sound plausible. Personally, I'd check with a vet before doing it because I don't know much about the product. For one thing, I'd want to know what the bacteria were and why they were beneficial. The description you gave(i.e. equine lacto bacillus) sounds like it would be something to help with the digestion of milk(i.e. the lacto part). If you're feeding a supplement with milk products in it that might be good but it sounds to me like this is a supplement for suckling foals who had been on antibiotics....I say that because many human doctors and dentists recommend that patients eat live-culture yogurt when they have to take antibiotics. Like I said, I'd check with a vet to find out the why's and how's of this product before using it.
1953.2		MTWASH::COBURN	Plan B Farm	`Fri Mar 03 1995 17:15`	17
	I'd certainly check with your vet before giving your horse lacto bacillus. This bacteria resides in the system under normal circumstance. Like John said, it is easily killed by various antibiotics and many doctors recommend humans take it (it is found in live-culture yogurt, or and can be bought over the counter in gel-tab form) when being treated by for various infections (depending on what antibiotic you are given). When the body is deprived on these bacteria, it's an open invitation for yeast to grow. It does not necessarily aid in the digestion of milk, but is considered a 'good' bacteria. Taking too much lacto bacillus can, however, cause an overgrown and subsequent bacterial infection. The body needs a happy balance of yeast and bacteria to keep things in balance. Unless your vet can find a specific reason for giving it to your individual horse, I wouldn't just do so because someone else has heard of it or done so - you could end up with more problems than you had in the first place.
1953.3	used frequently in birds	ABACUS::MACDONALD_M	The Tincture Tree	`Fri Mar 03 1995 17:32`	7
	Bene-bac is frequently used for birds that have undergone antibiotic therapy to help re-establish the "good" bacteria. I personally favor a more natural acidophilus/bifidus supplement. Can't offer any info on horses, sorry. MaryAnne
1953.4		QE010::ROMBERG	I feel a vacation coming on...	`Thu Mar 09 1995 14:15`	9
	I've been feeding my horse Ration-Plus for the last couple of years. It's primary active ingredient is Lactobacillus acidophilus. What I have noticed since starting it is that his coat is shinier, and he seems to be converting more of his grain & hay to rib-padding. It's a liquid, and he only gets it on the days that I see him, about 4 times/week. This horse is a 17 hand 14 year old Quarter Horse who has always been a relatively easy keeper. After being on the ration plus for about 2 months, I cut his grain back from 9 quarts/day to 8.