gastroguard verses zantac for ulcers? updated question on post #15

[Fharoah]

Hopefully Fharoah is ok and won't need to be treated for ulcers. My conerns are he has been on twice daily bute since augest 6th, his buddy left and he was all by himself, and was wearing and spinning when he was spossed to be resting, now he has a casting sore. He has also been not very interested in his food and sensitive around his tummy while grooming. He hopefully comes home Friday but will be on total stall rest so isn't going to be too happy. So I am still concerned.

Any wisdom is greatly appreciated!

[eventingrocks97]

When I was a working student at a high level eventing barn we treated the horses with powdered omeprazole(zantac) and gave them Gastroguard at events. The powdered omeprazole is MUCH easier on your pocketbook and very effective. Best of luck!

[Skipper]

zantac is ranitidine not powdered omeprazole.

ranitidine can be used to treat ulcers but the gold standard is the omeprazole aka gastrogard. If not concerned about cost as inidcated in your other thread- I would go with the gastrogard.

That said, never had my horse scoped but suspect ulcers or a least avery senstive stomach due to response to "treatment" with gastrogard and/or ulcergard.... he is much more relaxed when given omeprazole...but the Merial meds have become cost prohibitive for me so I have just recently started using omeprazole from a compounding pharmacy......yes I know- I may not be getting the real deal but my horse does not appear any different with that v.s. the Merial products. I did try Neighlox and did not think it worked as well and it is my understanding that antacids needed to be given every 2-3 hrs and there can be a rebound effect when removed. JMHO.

[Blinkers On]

I recently did GG for two weeks and have followed daily with cimetidine. She is still gaining steadily and far less cranky

[JB]

The last time my horse was on bute - was doing a 10 day trial to see if changes would be seen - I also fed him ranitidine to help ward off ulcer issues. It's a protocol I'll follow from now on when using bute for any reason, even if for only a couple of days.

If you are seeing ulcer symptoms, you'll be better off going with Ulcerguard (same thing as GG, just cheaper).

[rcloisonne]

If you are seeing ulcer symptoms, you'll be better off going with Ulcerguard (same thing as GG, just cheaper).
Where are you finding UG cheaper than GG? The cheapest I've found for both is $29.95.

[Auventera Two]

She means that it is "cheaper" because you can buy it anywhere without a prescription. If you want to give Gastrogard, you need a prescription, which means a vet visit. Some vets won't let you go to an online pharmacy, and they make you get it through their office at full retail price, which is $40 a tube.

The cheapest I have found for either is www.discountpetdrugs.com (http://www.discountpetdrugs.com)

[rcloisonne]

OK. But their price for GG is ~ $5/tube higher than here:

http://www.discountpetmedicines.com/buyforequine/ulcergard-gastrogard.htm

[JB]

$29.95 is cheaper than any place I've seen, for either (and quite a lot cheaper than the lowest I'd seen for GG previously, which was, IIRC, around $33).

Generally, on any given site, UG is cheaper than GG. Of course, if you shop around various sites, you may find GG cheaper one place than UG is another place.

But overall, UG is cheaper than GG.

[Sebastian]

Cost aside... IMHE, Gastroguard is far superior at treating ulcers.

Seb :)

[Ambrey]

It's my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong, someone) that ranitidine can calm or maybe prevent ulcers, but only omeprazole can heal them. At least that's what I've read.

[Pancakes]

It's my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong, someone) that ranitidine can calm or maybe prevent ulcers, but only omeprazole can heal them. At least that's what I've read.

True!

[Riley0522]

It's my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong, someone) that ranitidine can calm or maybe prevent ulcers, but only omeprazole can heal them. At least that's what I've read.

Not true. Of course Merial is going to claim that because they want you to buy their product and they're the only ones with a patent on Omeprazole for horses right now! Ranitidine CAN heal ulcers, when given properly. They are both medications for healing ulcers, they just prevent acid production in different ways. Omeprazole (GG/UG) is a proton pump inhibitor, while Ranitidine (Zantac) is an H2 blocker. Omeprazole can be dosed once daily, where as Ranitidine needs to be dosed every 8 hours. So Raniditine is more of a PIA to give to horses, but much nicer on the pocket book.

FWIW, my horse has done great on the full dose of Ranitidine 2x/day for a month now, about to cut him back, so we'll see.

Also, both will heal ulcers in time, but if you don't change the environment that caused the ulcers they will quickly come back!

[JB]

Cost aside... IMHE, Gastroguard is far superior at treating ulcers.

Seb :)
Than.... what?

Ranitidine? Sure! It actively heals ulcers, while ranit just helps provide the environment unconducive to ulcer formation, which allows existing ulcers to heal (hopefully).

Ulcerguard? Exact same thing. Exactly. Just labeled differently.

[Fharoah]

Had a long visit with Fharoah it was odd. At first he was in a really good mood lots of cuddles and grooming, then he got wild spinning, kicking I could not groom had to leave the stall, which he was running circles in practaclly three legged lame, I would say 4/5 at least on 1.5 grams of bute. Then the fed him a snack of grain which he inhaled, not sure why they gave him grain, then he ate his hay totally calm and mellow and I cuddled him and he was a total sweetheart again, but he didn't quite finish his flake when he stopped eating stopped stone cold pointing his foot (not baring much weight on arthrodesed leg the entire time) he stood stone cold as if he has sleeping but I could hardly touch him he would pin his ears and bite me if I came near? So I left him. He by nature is the kindest horse in the world. I also asked about his feet, and surgeon said barefoot for six months, he also said don't file for two months or so, his feet were due just after the surgery we booked the surgery less than a week ahead of him and I would have tried to get the farrier to come over, but surgeon said he would just pull his shoes and trim him but I think he just pulled the shoes and his feet are long now.

Any wisdom greatly appreciated!

[Auventera Two]

In my expeience with managing equine gastric ulcers in my horse, whenever they are doing anything that isn't customary for them - take it to heart, and figure out why.

[Fharoah]

I had expressed "please don't hesitate to put him on gastroguard" the day he came into the hospital. Surgeon said ok but never didn't choose to give it. On Saturday I felt he wasn't acting himself so I asked about ulcers and asked if there was any way he could scope him? Surgeon said he has a casting sore and had no concern over ulcers. Yesterday he was worse, again surgeon wasn't concerned, he also seemed lamer than I have ever seen him in his life. I asked about his behavior that was quite uncharacteristic for him, surgeon says he does not sometimes and is not in the least concerned concerned. He gets the cast off today and new radiographs I hope he will feel better with the cast off and the casting sore can heal. I am still concerned that he could be developing the ulcers, I want to trust my vets but intuitively I feel he should be treated for ulcers even if just to air on the side of caution? Do you think I should forget about ulcers?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I had expressed "please don't hesitate to put him on gastroguard" the day he came into the hospital. Surgeon said ok but never didn't choose to give it. On Saturday I felt he wasn't acting himself so I asked about ulcers and asked if there was any way he could scope him? Surgeon said he has a casting sore and had no concern over ulcers. Yesterday he was worse, again surgeon wasn't concerned, he also seemed lamer than I have ever seen him in his life. I asked about his behavior that was quite uncharacteristic for him, surgeon says he does not sometimes and is not in the least concerned concerned. He gets the cast off today and new radiographs I hope he will feel better with the cast off and the casting sore can heal. I am still concerned that he could be developing the ulcers, I want to trust my vets but intuitively I feel he should be treated for ulcers even if just to air on the side of caution? Do you think I should forget about ulcers?

Interesting. I've never once had a vet say a diffinitive "no" to ulcers without wanting diagnostics...

Using Ulcergard/Gastrogard isn't going to hurt anything (at least that's what my vet said), just your pocket book.

[Auventera Two]

Well, here's one thing I have learned - for 2 years I kept telling my vets "I think my horse has Cushings. Could she have Cushings? Why don't we just test?" etc....... EAch of them said no way, this horse has none of the classic signs. When the horse foundered after a dose of dewormer, I hauled her to the equine hospital, got a new vet who said "Oh boy, we need to test for Cushings!" Guess what? Horse has Cushings.

I learned that "I" know the horse better than anyone and if I suspect something is wrong, I'm going to insist on the diagnostics. I respect their professional opinion, and I do trust them, but they don't know the horse like you do.

There are some risks to having the gastroscope, but having gone through what I went through with my horse, I'd just do the scope and then you'd know.

[bonds]

The spinning can most definitely be a sign of ulcers. Get him on gastro or ulcerguard. My boy spun like a dervish when his ulcer was bothering him before we knew what was up. The vet at the time simply thought he needed more bute! Wrong! The sooner you start the treatment hopefully the quicker he'll heal up.

Our guy also nibbled on his left knee when his ulcer bothered him as it got better. But the spinning for our guy meant serious ulcer pain.

[JB]

I learned that "I" know the horse better than anyone and if I suspect something is wrong, I'm going to insist on the diagnostics. I respect their professional opinion, and I do trust them, but they don't know the horse like you do.


This is one of the many things I love about my vet. One day, years ago, I told her "I don't really know what's wrong, but something is". She said "it's not obvious to me, but you know your horse, you know when something isn't right, even if I can't see it offhand, so it's my job to try to find it." :yes: