Re: Mizbeth's post above--my vet, whom I like and who has been in practice w/ my long-established and quite knowledgeable vet for about two/three years now, recently told me that there does not need to be a 30 min. separation in time between the administration of omeprazole and that of sucralfate(aka carafate), and more significantly, IMO...that omeprazole works only for ulcers in the stomach, but that sucralfate works for BOTH ulcers in the stomach AND the hindgut.
I recently had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life...to euthanize my Miniature gelding, age 15, whom I'd been 'fighting the good fight' against ulcers with for about 5 years, when all meds no longer seemed to be doing any good at all. He was on full dose(for his size) of omeprazole AND sucralfate, but just quit eating EVERYTHING he had previously been willing, and even eager, to eat...grass hay, alfalfa hay, soaked beet pulp, and concentrates(of which he got very little, part of ulcer management.) He would graze some, so for several weeks...as long as the extremely sparse native grass of this drought lasted...I let him out, as much as 10-12 hours/day(not safe to leave him 'out' at night, due to coyote presence in the area.) He gradually even became less interested in the grass, but the truth was, the sparse growth of native grass on this poor soil would not have sustained him; he was noticably losing weight and condition daily, even while I continued to give him full medication. I am not one to let a horse waste away...the decision was made for me, really. I had his remains cremated(can't really bury an animal of that size here, due to regulations)...couldn't afford to have it done individually, but couldn't face the thought of his remains going to the landfill(all of this comes with MULTIPLE fees, in these times...and the area guy who picks up and transports the animal's bodies was in the news recently because he left a RHINO that died at the Zoo in his back lot for MONTHS, right where he lives!!Oh, HECK no, I'm not hiring such a person...!)
I have learned much in the course of the fight for my Roy's life. It has led me to make changes to how I feed and manage ALL of my minis. I hope to never again have to deal with the issue of ulcers, but if that should occur, I hope I am at least more prepared.
Good news so far about Eagle; here's sending hope and prayers for that to continue!!
Margo