[retrofit]

My horse was treated for ulcers, then weaned off the omeprazole. She seems happy and comfy. I'm struggling with when to give preventive omeprazole.

For example, the barn where I board recently hosted a weekend clinic - lots of coming & going, strange horses in the barn, tables & chairs & food set up, etc. My horse is sensitive to changes at home so I put her on a short course of pop-rocks for a few days leading up to the weekend, then tapered her back off after the weekend.

Now I'm thinking about taking her off the property this up-coming weekend. She hasn't been out much so this is more of an "event" than for a seasoned horse. Should I do the same routine - a few days of pop-rocks leading up to the Big Day? Or would I be OK giving some ranitidine that morning and some peppermint tums before loading?

I'm hoping to get her off the property several times this winter to prepare for next year's show season. It seems like I could potentially be giving her pop-rocks a good portion of the time - which is fine if she needs it, but I want to avoid overkill.

Thanks in advance.

[SuckerForHorses]

If this were my horse, yes, I would give pop rocks before leaving the property for the event.

My mare was treated with UlcerGard (1 tube daily for 28 days, then weaned) last January. We're almost to January, and Ive just started her on another treatment, this time with pop rocks (3 packets per day) because her symptoms were returning by November/December. She did nothing all summer long except literally be a horse in a big field of green grass with a buddy.

So yes, if your horse is sensitive to changes, or you're planning to introduce her to a new environment, I would absolutely use a preventative dose of something (pop rocks, ranitidine, UlcerGard paste).

Save your tums for yourself, they're so minimal you'd be better off feeding some alfalfa cube mash before loading along with the ranitidine or other preventative measure.

[retrofit]

If this were my horse, yes, I would give pop rocks before leaving the property for the event.

Thanks, SFH. Would I need to ramp up the pop-rocks for a few days prior to our "field trip"? How quickly do those little acid pumps shut off anyway?

[netg]

My horse also started showing symptoms again after a period of getting to be himself. I suspect his lack of work while I was recovering from injury was more stressful for him than work, though - he's one who thrives on hard work!

I agree on a preventative dose before going anywhere, as well. Just a short time in a stressful environment can get to them, if they're the types to be bothered.

[SCMSL]

Omeoprazole starts working a couple of hours after you take it.

My horse also had ulcers this summer, I took her to the equine hospital and the vet there said it was one of the worst cases he'd ever seen. She took Abgard for 2 months on full dose, then half a tube for another month. Then we hauled her to the hospital to re-scope and she wasn't fully healed yet, so we did another 45 days of half a tube.

What my vet(s) recommended is I give half a tube the day before any stressful situation, during, plus 3 days after. The "after" is the most important because they don't immediately calm down after a stressful weekend or whatever.

They also recommended I opted for the paste because it has an immediate effect of the stomach (the pop rocks only start acting as soon as the omeoprazole hits the bloodstream).

Hope this helped

[retrofit]

Thanks SCMSL, that is very helpful. I didn't think about the "days after" - good point.

[deltawave]

They also recommended I opted for the paste because it has an immediate effect of the stomach (the pop rocks only start acting as soon as the omeoprazole hits the bloodstream).

Hope this helped

The paste, if it is omeprazole, also needs to get the drug to the bloodstream before it starts working. Any buffer in the paste serves only to protect the omeprazole. Its effect on the stomach acid is only going to last for a couple of hourse at MOST, time to get the omeprazole safely past but not likely to impact the health of the stomach significantly.

That's not to say that using buffers isn't reasonable, but since horses not on omeprazole or H2 blockers secrete acid virtually non-stop, you'd have to use large amounts and probably at least 4-6 times daily to hope to have any meaningful effect.

I don't use pop rocks except on my one fretful gelding. He gets a pack a day starting the day before we go somewhere, and I keep that up until the day after we get home.

[SCMSL]

Its effect on the stomach acid is only going to last for a couple of hourse at MOST, time to get the omeprazole safely past but not likely to impact the health of the stomach significantly.

Totally agree. And during those few hours where the omeoprazole isn't working yet, you have some sort of protection in the stomach.

[retrofit]

Last night I had a bit of a tough ride and when I was done, I realized my horse's back is sore, probably from the saddle as she has put on some muscle lately. She is still on the "tapering" dose of pop-rocks (1 pack/day) from last weekend's clinic so I felt OK to put 1 gm of bute in her dinner. Should I also have used ranitidine with the bute, even if she is already on pop-rocks? With the short "half life" of ranitidine, would I have to give several doses if I want to give the random gram of bute for work-related soreness?

Sorry if I'm over-thinking, just trying to get it all straight.

p.s. Thanks again for the responses!

[SuckerForHorses]

My mare, who was having an active ulcer flare up, was getting 4200 mg of Ranitidine twice daily and that put her back on feed and water (she is very sensitive to her ulcers so I know she was feeling better when she started eating/drinking better).

For the random dose of bute, I wouldn't worry about dosing Ranitidine more than twice daily. I would do 3000 mgs twice daily while on bute.

[SuckerForHorses]

ETA: I wouldn't bother doing pop rocks AND ranitidine. The pop rocks have already decreased the acid production, so you should be good. I think using both is overkill for no valid reason.

[retrofit]

Thanks again SFH! I really appreciate your feedback.

[netg]

I'm wondering if some sort of constant low dose is a good idea at all times for my guy.

He was treated in the spring, seemed to be doing better, and just started showing symptoms again. In the middle I was injured and he had very little work and lots of time just hanging out being a horse. He always has grass hay in front of him (we're in the desert - no actual grass to graze on) and basically is maintained in the most ulcer-friendly manner we can.

[SuckerForHorses]

My mare is also maintained is the best way to prevent ulcers...and still got them again. Sometimes they just stress no matter what we do.

[LoveJubal]

I think on the Abler product (the pop rocks) it said that 3 packets per day was the healing dose and 1 packet per day was the preventative dose. For me, if I'm going somewhere, I do a packet the day before and every day thereafter until I'm home. If it was a multiple day trip, then I would probably do a packet for a day or two after I came home. Of course, soaked alfalfa cubes would be in order as well, probably twice a day if stalled at a show.

What is the old saying - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? It may be overkill the way I do it, but it keeps me from worrying and also keeps the tummy aches at bay.

[stryder]

I'm wondering if some sort of constant low dose is a good idea at all times for my guy.

He was treated in the spring, seemed to be doing better, and just started showing symptoms again. In the middle I was injured and he had very little work and lots of time just hanging out being a horse. He always has grass hay in front of him (we're in the desert - no actual grass to graze on) and basically is maintained in the most ulcer-friendly manner we can.

netg, this is the conclusion I've come to. It's too easy for her to go sideways despite all the management changes we've made.

[deltawave]

It would be pretty unusual for a single dose of bute to upset the gastric apple cart. It is the constant use of NSAIDs that really increases the chances of ulcers.

[netg]

I think on the Abler product (the pop rocks) it said that 3 packets per day was the healing dose and 1 packet per day was the preventative dose. For me, if I'm going somewhere, I do a packet the day before and every day thereafter until I'm home. If it was a multiple day trip, then I would probably do a packet for a day or two after I came home. Of course, soaked alfalfa cubes would be in order as well, probably twice a day if stalled at a show.

What is the old saying - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? It may be overkill the way I do it, but it keeps me from worrying and also keeps the tummy aches at bay.

He's actually a 2/4 packet guy because of size. (Estimated 1300lbs by more than one vet when eventer type weight... with our feeding plan he's heavier and more dressage horse weight. )

stryder - he's about to go to a trainer for two months, and I have pop rocks coming. If he will eat them I'm thinking he should be on them the entire time he's gone.

I think part of our problem is he's terrified of cattle, and we're in a free range area, so he regularly has scary monster-visitors going by or at least who he can smell on the wind. As long as he has no ulcer issues, it's not too terribly stressful for him, but I suspect it worries him enough to cause irritation.