Gut health is increasingly synonymous with horse health. Proper gut health takes into account nutrient digestion and absorption, intestinal integrity, immune response and more. Keeping your horse’s gut health top of mind can help prevent performance issues and disease – such as Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS).
Leaky Gut Syndrome occurs when the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is compromised, allowing harmful pathogens or toxins to cross the intestinal barrier and be absorbed into the bloodstream. A “leak” into the bloodstream will cause intestinal inflammation, resulting in various systemic problems for your horse. These leaks often start slowly, but with time can result in a wide variety of health and performance issues you see every day in your horse:
• Change in behavior or personality
• Not performing at previous or expected level
• Weight loss
• Chronic or recurrent colic
• Laminitis
• And more
Common environmental and situational stressors – ranging from pathogens and extreme weather to hay changes and trailering – can all contribute to LGS. Stress can result in damage to the tight junctions of the intestinal lining that are an important barrier between toxic intestinal contents and the bloodstream.
The best way to prevent LGS or help to heal a leaky gut is through good nutrition, proper management and attention to gut health. Feeding nutrients that support gut health will help mitigate the “slow leak” and improve your horse’s health and wellbeing.
Find more resources today at kemin.com/leakygut
