Equine Digestive System
“In the winter, we want to pay close attention to maintaining a healthy immune system, because who can afford to take time off for illness?
It’s worthwhile to invest thought in preventing illness by paying attention to the health of your digestive tract. It plays a big role in your immune system, and your horse’s.” Grogan goes on to explain that all mammals have a complex system of lymphatic ducts, which provide barriers to infection and play an important role in immune responses. Because 60% of lymph tissue surrounds the digestive tract, this is a main avenue for exposure to foreign substances that could cause illness, and is therefore a significant factor in maintaining a healthy immune system. Horses have a highly developed, complicated and sensitive digestive tract, and a result can be that their digestive function is easily disrupted. Stress factors can easily disrupt digestive function and include physical, mental, emotional, chemical, toxic, metabolic, medication, or nutritional stress, all of which can cause inflammation that contributes to immune compromise.
Once the inflammation is started, digestion deteriorates, nutrient absorption decreases, and pathogens and toxins can enter into the bloodstream, increasing the risk of infection or distress. Grogan advises that protecting your horse’s immune function before inflammation occurs is key, but even if compromise has already occurred, there are natural products available that will maintain or restore digestive function and immune system support. He suggests high-strength digestive enzymes to help maintain or restore normal function by improving digestive efficiency, absorption function, and have an added anti-allergy benefit. High doses of probiotics can help re-establish beneficial gut bacteria by reducing pathogenic bacteria and their toxins, and reduce inflammation.
Jack Grogan, Certified Nutritionist and VP of Research and Development for Uckele Health & Nutrition, has studied extensively in the fields of biology, biochemistry and nutrition, is an expert in tissue mineral balancing, and has experienced great success in balancing equine mineral chemistry to strengthen the basic metabolism and improve efficiency in horses.
Uckele Health & Nutrition is a Michigan-based, family owned business that has built a reputation over four decades formulating and manufacturing nutritional products, also providing private labeling and custom manufacturing for many other companies and organizations worldwide. For more information, go to www.Uckele.com , or call 800.248.0330