ulcer treatment

[orin]

miniature stallion, diagnosed with ulcers due to struggling with weight and stressy etc. vet gave gastroguard. pony tried to jump a gate about 4 months ago and completely mashed his front leg(lucky to be alive). supposed to be on box rest but the leg swells so much the skin oozes fluid so has to be turned out. the begger doesn't fancy going out and will stand at the gate and cream to come in. I can let him wander the yard and after about 5 mins I can find he has put himself back in his stable and laying down and gone to sleep. he lives with another stallion who he adores (even during covering times), has a stable mirror etc. has morning and evening feed and fed on hay.can everyone tell me what they use for ulcer treatment/preventatives.

 

[amysue]

My 27" stallion developed a stomach ulcer after treatment for corneal ulcers. I believe it was the stress and pain meds that brought it on. I treat him for 7 days every month with ulcerguard religiously and it has been almost a year since he had an episode. I maintain him daily with uguard pellets from smartpak and that seems to not only soothe his stomach but improve his body condition. I find that hay with alfalfa in it soothes his tummy and keeps his topline in good condition, as I consider him to be a hard keeper due to the condition. Before the vet's diagnoses we treated his stomach upset and accompanying diarrhea with neighlox with much success. Ulcers can be tricky to treat and every horse will respond to treatment differently but you'll know once you've found the right course as his condition will improve vastly. Good luck.

 

[Marty]

This sounds very bad. So sorry. Wondering if he is on anything for pain management as pain can certainly bring on ulcers.

Gastroguard of course is great stuff but I've also used tagamet in a pinch. I give 2 tabs in a syringe in warm water, shake it up and squirt in the mouth once a day. Daily probios for sure. I treat for ulcers usually 30-40 days. Hope you see some improvement.

 

[disneyhorse]

Offer hay as much as possible, break it into small meals throughout the day as necessary because having hay helps buffer the stomach. Alfalfa has calcium which is helpful.

Feeding omeprazole (Ulcergard or Gastroguard) as directed by your vet is the only drug I know of that actively heals current ulcers. Other drugs such as cimetidine or ranitidine can help ulcers from forming but need to be given at least twice daily.

Some gut supplementation may also be helpful in mild cases, but the previously mentioned drugs are likely to be more effective in a diagnosed active case...

Good luck to your guy...

 

[orin]

Thanyou everyone. He isn't on pain medication now- we are at a stage he doesn't need it and due to him having to be turned out I would rather him be a bit sore and sensible (will do a seperaate post to update everyone on the leg).

He has as much hay as he wants and I work at the place he is kept so am with him all day. He is such a lovely gentle boy(my dream horse) but always been a bit of a complex character. Will look into ulcerguard also

 

[jess - bentley]

Hi, Ulcergard and gastrogard are good. Also the probios and yogurt. You can give your horse plain yogurt, you will need a syringe. Less grain and more hay fed through out the day. Good exercise and no stress if possible. Also NO bute or bannimine. Bute or Bannimine only in an emergency. Bute and Bannimine has been proven to cause ulcers in miniature horses. a friend of mine almost lost her horse from giving to much of it.

Hope your horse feels better!

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Bute and Banamine are fine so long as you are under a vet. We try to steer clear of bute but there just is no better drug for laminitis. Also if you need a drug to reduce swelling then bute is the one- you just have to be very careful, that's all, and I would never allow the use of the injectable one, either. I would stick to gastrogarde- i(omeprazole) as suggested- it is expensive but there really is not anything better- I am a little concerned that he is on no pain meds when the leg is "oozing" and also no anti inflammatories either- I am assuming, though that you are still under the Vet?

 

[disneyhorse]

The drug Equioxx supposedly is supposed to be easier on ulcers than other pain meds, so maybe ask your vet about it.

 

[disneyhorse]

Oh Equioxx is for osteoarthritis if that's a factor

 

[jess - bentley]

Hi again, The reason I said No bute or Bannimine in my last post is because you never want to use it in a horse that already has ulcers unless it is an absolute emergency such as colic or founder.

Here is a link you may find interesting. http://www.frosthillfarmminiatures.com/bute_banamine.html

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Thank you Jess, I think most people are aware of that but the link is interesting.

 

[2minis4us]

Maybe if you soak the hay that would help. Also Ulcer or Gastro Guard for sure !!

 

[JAX]

For treatment of ulcers I use gastro guard or ulcer guard. They are the exact same thing made by the same company the only difference is the dosing marks on the tube so get whichever you can get for cheaper.

 

[orin]

Thanks everyone