Endoscopy done on Kobeejo with surprising results

To update Kobeejo's progress:

My friend Wendy gives KJ a kiss

Though Kobeejo has come through the surgery to remove his lipoma very well, he just doesn't want to eat much. Because he has a cracked tooth, the vet wanted to get in there and check out his mouth as well as do an endoscopy to see his stomach.

They found that the cracked tooth was stable, unmoving, but one half caused sharp points that rubbed against his cheek and the other half had points that rubbed against the inside of his mouth or his tongue, which may explain why he was getting hay balled up in the left side of his cheek... he was pushing it over there where it was more comfortable to eat.

Also... and this is the surprise factor, they found TWO quarter-sized ulcers in his stomach! Ok, this is a horse that has always had 24/7 free choice hay, grass at times and alfalfa. He should NOT have ulcers. Ulcers are caused when horses do not eat enough forage to buffer all the acid that continually flows through their digestive tract (letting horses go many hours, such as all night with no forage is a no no). Grain can cause major problems, so it should NOT be fed unless necessary as a supplement to a grain-free high forage diet.

I also know Bute and other NSAIDS can induce higher acid production and cause ulcers.

According to the vet, these ulcers have been there a while, so I got thinking... 5 years ago Kobeejo foundered and was on loads of pain meds. LOADS. With no ulcer meds (which is stupid on my part as I should have known better). I wonder if that's where these ulcer began, then moving quite a few times, plus new changes to the recent barn caused stress. I'm thinking all of this stuff caused the ulcers, even though he gets 24/7 free choice hay. I also read that Timothy hay, which is the primary hay grown here in the northeast, does not have the acid buffering properties as other hays, or grass.

Kobeejo NEVER showed signs of ulcers, as most horses won't until something happens to make them truly painful. He can be a pretty stoic guy. Some horses may show signs immediately, some not at all. They already floated his teeth (with power tools, UGH, but I do believe it may have been less stressful and quicker than a rasp) and got rid of the sharp points, and now he is on ulcer meds. With luck, and hope beyond hope, this will get him eating.

Tomorrow they are going to blanket him and take him outside to graze on grass. Today, my good friend Wendy went out and got a few handfuls of cold wet dead grass (cos in winter that's all we have, but at least there's no snow on the ground at the moment) and showed it to Kobeejo. He ate it up with vigor. He LOVES grass, and due to his Cushings and IR, he is not allowed on grass most of the year. Only 2 months in summer I allow him to graze for a few hours a day.

My concern now is that I read Timothy hay is not as good at buffering acids as other types of grass hay and alfalfa. Though Kobeejo is on alfalfa at dinner (just 2 cups of pelleted), I feel now it was not enough. Also, Timothy hay is the most prevalent hay grown in these parts (the northeast). I may have to seek another type of hay to buy.

I hope his neighbor, Otis, is ok with KJ being out grazing, as he freaks out every time they take Kobeejo out. They are the only two horses in the colic wing. Kobeejo was alone until Otis came and it thrilled KJ, but now Otis is stall-bound and Kj gets to go on walks and Otis gets upset.

Ahhh... horses!