Seeking ulcer treatment advice

[Li'l Red Barn]

Hello, all! April, who will be 15yrs next month, has started having colic-like episodes every few months for the past couple of years. Our current vet said we could treat her for ulcers. We gave her 1/4 tube of Ulcerguard daily for 28 days. What we didn't realize is that it is a good idea to wean her from it after that. Stopped for 3 days and sure enough, she is lying down more often and seems more uncomfortable again. So, do we just start right up and divide the previous dose in half for a couple days, or retreat her with full dose for another month? I know giving it to her for too long could also have some harmful effects. I'm also looking for suggestions for what to do for maintenance after that. She has already been getting Succeed daily. And, I'm starting to read more about Sucralfate...is this something we should try giving in place of, or along with Ulcerguard? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!
*Note: I figure there will be a lot of responses suggesting to just ask the vet. There are very few large animal vets around me (and even fewer with much experience with minis). My vet has his own small animal clinic so is hard to reach. I don't want to put off her treatment.

 

[LostandFound]

From human experience I would say go back to a full dose for 3 days. The rebound is horrible. Then a half dose for 3 days. Then a half dose every other day for 3 doses. Horses may react differently to it than we do, but that's what I would do for myself.

 

[MaryFlora]

April is lovely! I have no personal knowledge of ulcers in horses and have never used Ulcerguard.

I have used SmartPak and they have a chatline available to customers or potential customers to help with supplements and advice on the products. You may find them a good resource on ulcergard and other supports.

 

[jandjcaptein]

I used sucralfate for 5 days and backed her off of it gradually. It worked great. I had one vet say to gradually wean off and another tell me it wasn't necessary. So you pick! There is always another opinion. Sorry for the very late response but thought you might be gathering info for future use. Good luck!

 

[MaryFlora]

That is good information to have. Sometimes we have to be the vet until our vet is able to get out, and some members don’t have a vet in their immediate area.

All information is another tool in our mental medicine cabinet.

Hmmmmm……..I wonder if we need another forum, The Medicine Cabinet? A place to drop in information and tips, that we have used for our horses.

 

[Cayuse]

If you can get Purina Outlast in your area it works well for ulcer prevention once they are under control. My mini gets 1/3 measuring cup twice a day. It can be given 3 times a day if needed. It also comes in a bags of 2 sizes, the smaller one is about 10 lbs and lasts me about 6 weeks. Costs about $20.
A handful of alfalfa several times a day will also help to buffer the stomach.
If she's on a beet pulp based feed, you might want to try changing it for awhile and see how she responds, I have had several that just did not do well digestively on anything with beet pulp in it.

 

[jandjcaptein]

Nutrena feed is now putting probiotics and a "digestive shield" in their products. I use Special choice, special diet which is the low sugar supplement. It has been awesome for my metabolic mini.

 

[jandjcaptein]

That is good information to have. Sometimes we have to be the vet until our vet is able to get out, and some members don’t have a vet in their immediate area.

All information is another tool in our mental medicine cabinet.

Hmmmmm……..I wonder if we need another forum, The Medicine Cabinet? A place to drop in information and tips, that we have used for our horses.

That is a great idea. I have a vet 30 minutes away or 45 minutes away. I definitely need to think on my feet, as they say! Gathering all info in one place would be awesome.